User-created list
By MikeBGood · Updated May 2023
Across 7 pages
of 7
Arabic, Spanish
"swooping eagle, meadow"
This striking name has a lot going for it: it's a self-confident Spanish surname, it identifies one of the most brilliant stars in the sky, and it has a musical reference to singer-songwriter Suzanne…
English, diminutive of Melvin
"council protector"
Though most Mels are playing pinochle with Murray and Morris, there was a notable Saint Mel. He is one of the earliest Irish saints, a nephew of St. Patrick. He became a priest, then built a great…
African place-name
Morocco is an attractive and rhythmic name, evocative of such fabled cities as Casablanca, Tangier and Marrakesh, in a country whose unique landscape and rich culture attracted such twentieth century…
English
"prickle"
Rose and Briar are popular, and Hawthorn is cool – so why not the equally prickly Thorn? Add an E to give it a surnamey spin.
English, diminutive of Cornelius, Cornell, Nelson
Naming a child Cornelius or Nelson feels increasingly ahead of the curve in today's vintage name-loving climate. But keep Nelly for a nickname (even the rap star was christened Cornell).
Modern invented name
More neo than Neo, this is a name heard in the Power Rangers film title Power Rangers Zeo .
Variation of Pharaoh
"ruler"
Borne by jazz saxophonist Pharoah Saunders, this is a spelling variation of the title name Pharaoh. The traditional spelling is a familiar-but-unique choice and this is certainly rarer, though some…
Bird name
From Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore , the story of a boy named Kafka -- crow in Czech.
"from the walled city"
Carlisle may be a male name in Twilight (he's vampire hero Edward's adoptive father), but in the real baby naming world, it's used about a quarter of the time for girls. Unusual now, we think…
In one recent year there were 60 baby girls in the US named Lark....and only eight baby boys. But there's no reason this bird name can't also be masculine, especially given that Robin is making a…
Word name
Asking for trouble.
Latin
"true"
The o ending and the positive meaning in many languages makes this a winner, and with the feminine Vera making a surprise return, and the new love for the letter 'V', this becomes a name that has…
Nel is a concise, charming feminine name with multiple origins. It can be a diminutive of names like Eleanor, Helen, Penelope, or Cornelia, giving it versatile roots across different cultures. In…
Scottish place name
A capital place-name possibility.
Bamboo is a plant name that you might want to save for the zoo's name-the-panda contest. It was used for a starbaby in 2000, though, the rapper Big Boi.
English word name
"Christ festival"
Very occasionally given to babies born on December 25th, Christmas is a bold, declarative choice. When it is used, it is usually in the middle spot, with notable bearers including Danish politician…
Nature name
Clove is one of a whole tantalizing genre of spice names that might work for a boy. Clovis could be considered a long form.
"desire"
The name of the Roman god of love, the son of Venus, considered so romantic as to be unfit for mere mortals. Yet now that Romeo and Venus herself are fair game for modern babies, why not Cupid?
French
"war horse"
Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930…
Fabi is a charming masculine name with multiple cultural origins. Primarily, it serves as a diminutive of Fabian, derived from the Roman family name Fabius, meaning 'bean grower' or 'of the Fabii…
