Rocker Edgy Modern Unique

  1. Gage
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "oath, pledge"
    • Description:

      Gage was part of the craze for one-syllable surnames, with associations to tasty green gage plums and the mathematical gauge.
  2. Gemma
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "precious stone"
    • Description:

      Gemma is a jewel of a name, an Italian classic that was very popular in 1980s England, but has only recently been started to be used here; it entered the list in 2008.
  3. Gentry
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "aristocracy"
    • Description:

      A distinctive surname that, despite its meaning, has a cowboy swagger, a la Autry.
  4. Grayson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "the son of the bailiff"
    • Description:

      Grayson, which you might think of as a Jason-Mason substitute, has been rising through the US Top 1000 since 1984 and has ranked in the Top 100 since 2011.
  5. Grey
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Description:

      Grey is the more common spelling in Britain and Australia. This color name has a softness and ambiguity which makes it equally lovely for a boy or a girl.
  6. GRIER
    • Gunnar
      • Origin:

        Scandinavian variation of Gunther
      • Meaning:

        "bold warrior"
      • Description:

        A key figure in Norse legend and a traditional Scandinavian favorite making inroads here.
    • Harlow
      • Origin:

        English surname
      • Meaning:

        "rock hill or army hill"
      • Description:

        Jean Harlow (born Harlean Carpenter), the original platinum blonde bombshell, was a symbol of 1930s glamour, a factor that first Patricia Arquette and then Nicole Richie and Joel Madden probably had in mind when they gave their daughters the distinctive surname name Harlow.
    • Harper
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "harp player"
      • Description:

        You might think of Harper as the hottest name of the last decade, jumping from obscurity to the Top 10, where it remained until last year.
    • Harris
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "son of Harry"
      • Description:

        When Harrison is too much, but Harry isn't enough, try this stylish surname name with a touch of British flair. It briefly reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time since 1988 in 2016, but has since dropped just below the radar again.
    • Hawk
      • Origin:

        Nature name
      • Meaning:

        "hawk, a bird"
      • Description:

        Animal names are on the rise, especially more of the aggressive Hawk-Fox-Wolf variety than cute little Bunnys or Robins, and Hawk is a prime example.

        Hawk is more commonly heard as a surname, represented by uber-skateboarder Tony Hawk, a pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding. Variations include Hawke, as in actor Ethan, Hawks, as in Golden Age movie director Howard, Hawking, as in scientist Stephen, and Hawkins, as in musicians Coleman, Screamin' Jay and Sophie B, and was recently given to his baby boy by quarterback Tony Romo. There have been characters named or nicknamed Hawk in The Revenant, The Path and Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. Hawk ranks at Number 699 on Nameberry.

    • Henley
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "high meadow"
      • Description:

        The name of a British town on the Thames that hosts a famous regatta, so it could be an appropriate middle name for the son of boat-lovers.
    • Hudson
      • Origin:

        English place-name and surname
      • Meaning:

        "Hugh's son"
      • Description:

        Hudson has risen quickly up the charts over the past 30 years, getting a lot of its style value from New York's Hudson River. That makes it a nature name and a place name that's also got the fashion gloss of New York City.
    • Ira
      • Origin:

        Hebrew, Russian, Greek
      • Meaning:

        "watchful one; peace"
      • Description:

        Ira for a girl can be either a Russian short form of Irina, meaning "peace", or a gender-switch of the Hebrew male name Ira.
    • Izaiah
      • Origin:

        Spelling variation of Isaiah
      • Description:

        After breaking into the Top 400 in 2011, this name has lost ground.
    • Jasper
      • Origin:

        Persian
      • Meaning:

        "bringer of treasure"
      • Description:

        Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara, meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to that of the gemstone, which comes from a Semitic word meaning "speckled stone." Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition and appears in the Bible as a reference to the stone itself in Revelations 4:3.
    • Josiah
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "God supports, heals"
      • Description:

        Josiah—a biblical name with lots of quaint, old-fashioned charm—makes a much fresher sounding alternative to either Joseph or Joshua, combining the best of both. Josiah is among the several Biblical boys' names that have been on the rise this decade.
    • Judah
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "praised"
      • Description:

        Judah is the strong, resonant Old Testament name of the son of Jacob who was the ancestor of one of the tribes of Israel, and from whom the word Jew is derived. Some of the names' popularity might be attributable to the similarly named Jude Law.
    • Jude
      • Origin:

        Latin diminutive of Judah
      • Meaning:

        "praised"
      • Description:

        Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity -- for more than a decade now. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.
    • Lark
      • Origin:

        English bird name
      • Description:

        Lark is getting some new and well-deserved attention as a post-Robin and Raven bird name. Although it was first recorded as a name in the 1830's, it has never appeared on the Social Security list.