Down the Rabbit Hole Names

Obama

Luo; Japanese

"bending or leaning; little beach"

The surname of the 44th US President has been been adopted as a first, for girls as well as boys, by admiring parents around the world. And the O beginning even makes it fashionable. Though Barack…

Shooter

Word name

"person who fires a gun; member of a sports team who scores goals"

More than 300 babies have been named Shooter in the US since 2002, which, depending on who you ask, is arguably about 300 too many. One of the violent names for boys that have gained traction in…

Aart

Dutch

"eaglelike"

That double a invests the old Arthur nickname with fresh life.

Abiah

Hebrew

"God is my father"

Abiah is a gentle, rarely used Old Testament name belonging to Samuel's second son. This makes a good choice for the parent who wants a traditional biblical name that is not overly familiar.

Dodge

English, diminutive of Roger, German

"famous warrior"

This old short form might be seen as a little dubious by some, though it could make for a fun pet name, honor name, on update on the still-stodgy Roger. In a recent film, Seeking a Friend for the End…

Fennel

Vegetable and herb name

In the garden of herb names, Rosemary and Basil are perennials and Sage is a new upshoot, but Fennel is a real rarity. The aniseed-tasting plant, used to add flavor to dishes around the world, gets…

Zebedee

English variation of Hebrew Zebediah

"gift of God"

Zebedee is an adorable and unusual New Testament name--which may sound like but is not a contradiction in terms. Unlike some of the longer biblical Z -names, Zebedee has a more lighthearted…

Ciprian

Romanian, from Greek

"man of Cyprus"

Aragorn

Literature, Sindarin

"noble, kingly"

In JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings , Aragorn is the heir of the Dúnedain kings of the north.

Bartek

Bartek is a masculine name of Polish origin, functioning as a diminutive form of Bartholomew (Bartłomiej in Polish). The name derives from the Aramaic name meaning 'son of Talmai' or 'son of the…

Troix

Troix is an unusual masculine name with French influence, directly derived from the French word for the number three. As a given name, it's extremely rare, likely chosen for its distinctive sound and…

Chaviv

Hebrew

"loved one"

Lively sounding Hebrew choice.

Welby

English

"from farm by a spring"

Although it connotes a sense of well-being, not likely to be a popular choice.

Tamerlane

Turkic, Mongol

"iron"

This Westernized form of the name of an ancient Mongol warrior, remembered primarily today through the works of Christopher Marlowe and Edgar Allan Poe, runs the risk of sounding pompous and…

Gershom

Hebrew

"stranger, exodus"

Old Testament name of a son of Moses used by the Puritans, and now by Orthodox Jews.

Zaddik

Zaddik is a masculine name with Hebrew origins, meaning "righteous" or "just." It derives from the Hebrew word "tzaddik," which in Jewish tradition refers to a righteous person who follows God's…

Dovev

Hebrew

"whisper"

Soft yet strong.

Barns

Barns is a masculine name with origins as an English occupational surname, referring to someone who worked at or lived near a barn structure. The name carries rustic, pastoral associations connecting…

Leary

Irish, Anglicization of Laoghaire

"herder"

We'd be leery of this one.

Destin

Latin

"destiny"

Synthesized name in the Justin/Dustin mold, but has an unpleasant similarity to the diaper rash ointment called Desitin.