User-created list
Gentle Druid
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Orson
Latin and English
"bear cub"
In the past, Orson has felt like a one-person moniker, tied to film director Orson Welles, who dropped his given name of George in favor of his more distinctive middle. While the Citizen Kane creator…
Peregrine
Latin
"traveler, pilgrim"
Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the U.S., where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's…
Pine
Nature name
Worthy sibling for Oak, Elm, Juniper, and Spruce.
Poe
English
"peacock"
An evocative unisex one-syllable name, Poe is most distinguished by its literary reference. Edgar Allan Poe was an influential American author and poet, credited with inventing the genres of…
Puck
Literary name
Puck was Shakespeare's mischievous pixie who'a had a few television incarnations in more recent years. A popular name in The Netherlands but nowhere else, from what we can tell. We love Puck for its…
Rune
German and Swedish
"secret"
Name with connotations both mystical and tragic, newly popular in Europe. For English speakers, though, this name might be ruined by its homonym ruin.
Sequoia
Sequoia is a masculine name derived from the name of the massive redwood trees native to California, which were themselves named after Sequoyah (c.1770-1843), the Cherokee silversmith who created a…
Sylvan
Latin
"wood, forest"
One of the many variations of Silvanus, the name of the Roman forest god, and a little-used member of the freshly stylish Sylv- family of names. Silvan is the sleek German and Dutch form. Given to…
Taliesin
Welsh
"shining brow"
Poetic and handsome with a hint of mystique and magic around it, this rugged Welsh name may appeal as an alternative to Tristan or Taran. Meaning "shining, radiant brow", the name is associated with…
Tennyson
English
"son of Dennis"
Few people would have considered the surname of this famous Victorian poet as a first name until Russell Crowe chose it for his son in 2006. But, as a rhythmic three-syllable patronymic, Tennyson has…
Thoreau
French
"strength of a bull"
A dashing French surname name most famously borne by Henry David Thoreau, an American naturalist, writer and philosopher who influenced such notable figures as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin…
Thorne
English
"thorn thicket"
Rose and Briar are popular, and Hawthorn is cool – so why not the equally prickly Thorne? The E ending gives it a surnamey spin à la Hawthorne. Thorne Smith (born James Thorne) was a comic fantasy…
Thyme
Nature name
Fragrant herb often used for cooking, but scarcely as a name.
Toren
Toren is a masculine name with Nordic and Hebrew origins, carrying different meanings depending on cultural context. In Scandinavian usage, it derives from Thor, the Norse god of thunder, combined…
Vivendel
Norwegian nature name
"honeysuckle flower"
The Norwegian word for "honeysuckle" could make for a fresh and vibrant nature-inspired choice.
Yves
French
"yew wood"
On paper, with its stylish ties to fashion legend Yves Saint-Laurent (born Henri), Yves looks great, but the pronunciation--EVE-- could lead to gender confusion. German variation Ivo might be cooler…
Cobalt
Color and nature name
Even among the range of blue names on the current baby naming palette -- Blue itself, Azure, Cerulean, Teal, Aqua, Cyan, Indigo -- Cobalt remains the most unusual, not to mention the most masculine.
Crispin
Latin
"curly-haired"
Crispin, which was introduced into the mainstream by actor Crispin Glover and which means "curly-haired" in Latin, has an image very much like its first syllable: crisp, autumnal, and colorful. St.…