Down the Rabbit Hole Names

Foley

Irish

"plunderer"

There are many more appealing Irish surnames than Foley, and certainly more positive meanings. If Foley is a genuine family name, this would be all right in the middle.

Frodo

Literary name

An admirable meaning, with roots in a Germanic word meaning wisdom, but we fear it will never be detached from the hobbit hero of The Lord of the Rings .

Fleet

English word name

"a group operated under unified control"

Fleet is one of the uncountable number of new word name possibilities, and a particularly cool choice at that. Connoting speed, Fleet beats Rush any day. Might be short for Fleetwood, but we prefer…

Fate

Short form of Lafayette, French, English word name

"faith; predestined, destiny, chance"

Briefly in the US Top 1000 in the late 19th century, Fate likely emerged as a short form for the old French name, Lafayette. In the contemporary landscape however, it may well be perceived as a word…

Hidalgo

Spanish

"nobleman"

Hidalgo is the name of a minor planet, and, on Earth, the Spanish word for a nobleman, but we don't see much crossover potential.

Pollard

English

"shorn head"

Clumsy when used as a first name.

Actaeon

Latin

"from Attica"

A hyperkinetic name, might be more kid-friendly without the second a.

Orenthal

unknown

This intriguing surname name has an infamous bearer in O. J. (Orenthal James) Simpson, who was apparently named by his aunt after an obscure 1940s-era foreign film actor. Orenthal is likely to be an…

Fisk

English

"fisherman"

Unusual alternative to Fisher with a brisker surname appeal.

Parthenios

Greek mythology name

Parthenios, the name of a Greek river god, is draped in a toga.

Gethin

Welsh

"dark, swarthy complexion"

A rugged Welsh name, reminiscent of Griffin, Gerard, and Gideon, Gethin is a familiar choice in the UK when it ranks in the Top 1000. Notable bearers include Game of Thrones actor Gethin Anthony,…

Filbert

German

"very brilliant"

Like Norbert and Hubert, feels terminally dated -- in addition to which it's a nut.

Pagan

English

"from the country, countryman"

Writer Anne Tyler gave this apt name to the hippie child in her novel Amateur Marriage , but she wasn't the first -- it was also used by the Puritans. Today it would be quite a loaded choice.

Vitalis

Latin

"of life, vital"

Borne by a number of early saints, it comes from the Latin word for life.

Makary

Makary is a masculine name with Slavic origins, primarily used in Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian cultures. It's derived from the Greek name Makarios, meaning 'blessed' or 'happy.' This name has deep…

Mano

Italian

"hand"

A nickname that sounds like a nickname.

Dag

Scandinavian

"daylight"

Norse god who's the son of light plus historic diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld and author Dag Solstad combine to boost this Nordic name's appeal, but this could be difficult in English-speaking countries…

Pompey

Latin

"five"

Roman statesman and Caesar rival whose name, like other classical choices, was occasionally used for enslaved people. The Pompeo version could rise again.

Yoshi

Japanese

"good, respectful"

A classic Japanese name known to kids around the world as a Nintendo video-game character.

Bar

Bar is a concise masculine name with multiple cultural origins. In Hebrew, it means 'son' or 'pure,' and is used in patronymic names like Bar-Joseph (son of Joseph). In Aramaic traditions, it…