Down the Rabbit Hole Names

Aodh

Gaelic

"fire"

Aodh, the name of the Celtic sun god meaning "fire", was common in early Scotland. It's also the origin of the wildly popular Irish name Aidan (originally Aodhán). Its pronunciation varies depending…

Zeek

Zeek is a short, punchy masculine name that typically serves as a diminutive form of Ezekiel, a biblical name meaning 'God strengthens.' With its strong 'z' sound and concise single syllable, Zeek…

Kanye

African place-name, Nigeria

"honor, tribute"

Kanye West propelled his name into the Top 900 in the early 2000s, at the height of his popularity, though now it has dropped off the baby-naming map. In addition to its African derivation, it is a…

Hesperus

Greek

"evening, evening star"

Hesperus or Hesperos is a figure in Greek mythology who is the personification of the Evening Star or Venus, the son of the dawn goddess Eos. There's a Longfellow poem about a tragic shipping voyage…

Butch

Nickname name

Old-school nickname ala Spike and Babe that's favored by some hipster parents.

Salix

Latin, botanical name

An unusual name related to the willow family.

Godfrey

German

"God's peace"

Godfrey was very popular in the Middle Ages, but today you're more likely to hear it as a surname than a first name. It has a solid, old-man charm, but a couple of possible deal-breakers: the first…

Zinedine

Arabic

"beauty of the faith"

Zinedine Zidane is France's biggest soccer star, spawning a legion of little Zinedines in that country.

Gil

Hebrew

"happiness"

Pronounced zheel, it's a dashing conquistador; as gill, it's the nice and slightly boring guy down the street.

Kenyon

English

"white haired or blond"

Kenyon is a very engaging British surname name, the middle y giving it a kind of southwestern canyonesque undertone. Though Kenyon appears in English records as far back as the fourteenth century and…

Gosha

Gosha is a masculine name with Slavic origins, particularly popular in Poland and Russia. It functions as a diminutive form of longer names such as Georgy, Grigori, or Gottfried. The name has a warm,…

Kija

Chinese or Aboriginal, meaning unknown

Kija was a legendary king who brought Chinese civilization -- including rice and writing -- to the Korean people, probably in the 2nd century BC. Kija is also the name of a group of Aboriginal people…

Vlad

Diminutive of Vladimir, Slavic

"great ruler, peaceful ruler, ruler of the world"

The most famous Vlad was nicknamed "the Impaler." Enough said.

Sorrell

French

"reddish brown"

Soft, amber-hued herbal and autumnal name that's used most often to describe the color of a horse. The proper spelling: Sorrel.

Melchior

Dutch from Hebrew

"city of the king; king of light"

The least used of the Three Wise Men's names, but a strong option for bold namers to consider. The exact origins of Melchior are unknown, but it is speculated that it derived from either the Hebrew…

Canaan

Biblical place name, Hebrew

"The Promised Land; humble, low"

Pronounced KAY-nan, this Old Testament place name has a strong modern feel that blends in with on-trend choices like Carter, Colton, and Kayson, but also with Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Tobias.…

Ludwig

German

"famous warrior"

As heavy as a marble bust of Beethoven.

Gardner

English

"keeper of the garden"

Surely one of the most pleasant and evocative of the occupational options.

Gaylord

French

"brisk, high-spirited"

Best left on the old southern plantation, sipping his mint julep.

Wyre

Welsh

"winding river"

A geographical name of Celtic origin, which is borne by two British rivers: the Afon Wyre in Wales and the Wyre in Lancashire. A notable bearer is the Welsh journalist and BBC correspondent Wyre…