Samhain Spirit
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Names in this category are warm, witchy, and deeply autumnal, with a hint of spookiness about them. Colors and textures are reds and yellows, umber and gold, orange and black; bonfire and shadow, charcoal and smoke, a kaleidoscope of fallen leaves collecting on crumbling gravestones, pumpkins and seed corn, straw spun into gold, an unkindness of ravens clustered in naked branches, a black wolf howling to a golden autumn moon.
- Ambrose
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"immortal"Description:
Gentle but grandiose and beloved by British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose was a fast rising name in 2022. Entering the UK Top 1000 for the first time and proving popular among Nameberry users, its elegance, softness, and vintage style means it fits in with popular Theodore, Sebastian, and Jeremiah.
- Amos
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"carried by God"Description:
Amos is a robust biblical name that's being discovered by a new generation of parents in a major way.
- Arden
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"valley of the eagle; high"Description:
Arden is a gender-neutral name that's sleek and stylish but always seems to bob just below the surface of popularity, despite ticking all the boxes with its fashionable two-syllable, N-ending shape and its awesome nature-inspired meanings. In the 2021 US statistics, 41 percent of the babies named Arden were boys to 59 percent girls.
- Ashton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"ash trees place"Description:
The recent ascent of this English surname is due to two things: the megapopular Ash beginning and TV/movie hottie Ashton Kutcher. The name peaked at Number 76 in 2004, a year after Ashton Kutcher's (both Christopher Ashton) hit TV show Punk'd made its debut.
- Atticus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"from Attica"Description:
Atticus, with its trendy Roman feel combined with the upstanding, noble image of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, is a real winner among boy names. Atticus entered the US Top 1000 in 2004 and is a firm Nameberry favorite.
- Auberon
Origin:
English from GermanMeaning:
"noble, bearlike"Description:
Rarely heard in the US, Auberon has a gentle autumnal feel rare in a male name. Possibly starting as a pet form of Aubrey, it was also infuenced by Oberon, the king of the fairies in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
- August
Origin:
German form of Latin AugustusMeaning:
"great, magnificent"Description:
The name August is at its highest point since the 1890s, when it ranked among the Top 100 boy names in the US. And deservedly so, given its great meaning, historic roots, and cool nicknames.
- Aurelian
- Aurelio
Origin:
Italian variation of AureliusMeaning:
"the golden one"Description:
Aurelio is an energetic Italian name rarely heard here, with an attractive aura. As the female version Aurelia gains greater notice, we expect to hear more from Aurelio too. In fact, Aurelio has recently entered the Top 1000 in the US in 2022. Next to follow might be latinate versions Aurelius and Aurelian.
- Aurelius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"the golden one"Description:
Since Aurelius was given the supermodel seal of approval by Elle Macpherson, it has joined Augustus as an ancient Roman name that feels usable today. Slightly mystical and magical, Aurelius is grounded by its similarity to rising stars Aurora, Aurelia, and Atticus, and its golden aura is certainly appealing.
- Amais
- Balthasar
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"God protects the king"Description:
Balthasar was one of the biblical Three Kings who visited the infant Jesus, also used by Shakespeare and in the oil-rich Getty family; offbeat and intriguing. Balthazar is another, equally appropriate spelling.
- Balthazar
Origin:
PhoenicianMeaning:
"Baal protects the King"Description:
This evocative name of one of the Three Wise Men of the Orient, also spelled Balthasar, may finally be ready for prime time. Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar were the Magi who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus, though their names were not mentioned in the Bible.
- Beacon
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"signal light"Description:
A word name with an appealing and illuminating meaning.
- Blaise
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"to lisp, stammer"Description:
As modern as it sounds, Blaise is an ancient Christian martyr name. In Arthurian legend, Blaise is the name of Merlin the Magician's secretary. Its relation to the word and name Blaze gives it a fiery feel. Amanda Beard named her baby boy Blaise Ray.
- Bram
Origin:
Dutch variation of AbrahamMeaning:
"father of multitudes"Description:
Bram has an unusual measure of character and charm for a one-syllable name; it started as a hipper-than-Abe diminutive of the biblical Abraham, but is also an independent Irish and Dutch name, made famous by Irish-born Dracula creator Bram (nee Abraham) Stoker. Bram is currently Number 16 in the Netherlands; Bram Howard was a character on The West Wing.
- Bramwell
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"well where the gorse grows; bramble well"Description:
An unexpected route to nicknames Bram or Wells, this English surname derives from a historical hamlet in England, whose exact location has been lost to time. It comes from the Old English word for "bramble bush", giving it a connection to the natural world.
- Briar
Origin:
Nature name, English word nameMeaning:
"a thorny patch"Description:
This word name entered the US Top 1000 for both genders in 2015, though it premiered a little higher for girls. There are still more baby girls named Briar than baby boys -- 594 vs. 361 in 2021 -- but it's rising in popularity for both. Briar fits the trend for nature names, and it also offers a fresh option for honoring a Brian.
- Baelfire
- Bracken