User-created list
Names I would NEVER use for my kid unfinished
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Brian
Irish
"strong, virtuous, and honorable"
The origins of the name Brian are not entirely clear, but it is suspected that it evolved from an Old Celtic word related to nobility. In Ireland the name is associated with Brian Boru, the most…
Jax
Modern invented name, English
"God is Gracious"
With its cool -X ending, Jax is an update on the classic nickname Jack, likely inspired by the rise of Jackson. It garnered attention in the US thanks to the game, Mortal Kombat II back in the '90s,…
Zander
Diminutive of Alexander
"defending men"
On the rise as an independent name: Zander and Xander are both widely used can increasingly be found as characters in movies and on TV.
Prince
Latin
"chief, prince"
Prince rose to its highest ranking in a century in 2015, and the tragic death of its most famous bearer in April 2016 propelled it even higher. The Purple Rain legend isn't its only tie to pop…
Fabian
Latin clan name
"bean grower"
Fabian is the ancient name of a saint and pope that also has Shakespearean cred as Olivia's servant in Twelfth Night and more recently made an appearance in Harry Potter . In the U.S. Fabian became…
Tanner
English occupational name
"leather tanner"
One of the hot two-syllable T names of the nineties (along with Tyler, Trevor, and Taylor), and well represented on soap operas; Tanner is still widely used, but its popularity is declining.
Edith
English
"prosperous in war"
Edith was a hugely popular name a hundred years ago that's being revived among stylish parents in Stockholm and London. It's currently beginning to gain traction in the US among those with a taste…
Faye
English
"fairy"
Soft and simple, but no less magical, Faye is enjoying a quiet spell of popularity in the US. It broke the Top 1000 in 2014, and by 2023, was one of the fastest rising names on the charts. Faye is a…
Kendrick
English, Welsh, Scottish
"royal ruler, champion; home ruler"
This punchy surname has some favor in the last couple of decades—potentially due to rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was one of the quickest rising boy names in 2013 when it reached its high point at #318.…
Eden
Hebrew
"place of pleasure, delight"
This Biblical name was rising dramatically for boys, but has plateaued in recent years. Although it's more popular for girls in the US, it's a delightful unisex choice. Eden is one of the Top 100 Boy…
Maximilian
Latin
"greatest"
This name once seemed a bit grand and pompous for an American baby boy, but a significant number of parents are now preferring it as a substantial platform for the nickname Max, among them Jennifer…
Sam
English, diminutive of Samuel
"told by God"
Sam has long been used on its own for boys, as accepted standing by itself as it is as a short form of Samuel. Straightforward and down-to-earth, Sam is the name of the son of the co-stars of The…
Quincy
French
"estate of the fifth son"
Quirky in the way that all Q names are quirky, Quincy was once a buttoned-up, patrician New England name, an image countered in recent years by the talented and ultracool musician Quincy Jones…
Yosef
Hebrew
"Jehovah increases"
A widely used Hebrew form of Joseph, with a sophisticated and continental air.
Dexter
Latin
"dyer, right-handed"
The jazzy, ultra-cool Dexter, like most names with an "x," has a lot of energy and dynamism. Over the years, it's been attached to a number of diverse real and fictional personalities—C. K. Dexter…
Abby
Diminutive of Abigail, Hebrew
"my father is joyful"
Gently old-fashioned stand-alone nickname that owes its popularity to mega popular Abigail.
Ignacio
Spanish
"fiery"
Ignacio, like Horacio, makes its gray-bearded English equivalent name sound positively dashing. While the Ig- beginning summons up such associations as ignoble and ignorant, the era for Ignacio and…
Eddie
Diminutive of Edward et al
"wealthy"
Most parents today call their Edwards Edward -- and we tend to think that's the right call. But it's worth noting that Eddie has been in the Top 1000 every year since records began in 1880; indeed,…
Van
Dutch
"of"
Whether it's used as a short form or on its own, this jazzy midcentury name is poised for a comeback along with brothers Ray and Walt. More often heard as a surname prefix (e.g. Vincent van Gogh,…
Harold
Scandinavian
"army ruler"
The name of the last Anglo-Saxon king of England before the Norman conquest, and a name that's long been associated with a pipe-smoking, bespectacled grandpa or uncle. After years in style limbo,…