Down the Rabbit Hole Names

Lander

English from German

"territory"

Lander is a name that straddles two trends. It's an er-ending surname name, ala Cooper and Carter. And it's also, more subtly, a green name, in the manner of Fielder or Reed.

Gwylym

Welsh variation of William

"resolute protection"

If you want to go waaaaay beyond William, consider this Welsh form, which can also be spelled Gwilym, Gwilim, or Gwillym.

Smoke

English word name

" a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted from a burning substance"

Word name with an air of mystery and edginess. Influencers Julia and Hunt Havens named their son Smoke Hemmingway in 2023.

Braque

Artist name

A strikingly creative and unique name well worth considering, recalling the great cubist paintings of Georges Braque.

Drum

Word name

Cool, musical modern choice, especially as a middle name.

Rainhart

Rainhart is a masculine name of Germanic origin combining the elements 'ragin' (counsel) and 'hart' (strong, brave, or hardy). This powerful combination creates a meaning akin to 'strong counselor'…

Varfolomei

Varfolomei is the Russian form of the Hebrew name Bartholomew, which means 'son of Talmai' or 'son of the furrows.' This name has deep historical roots in Eastern Orthodox traditions, where Saint…

Fairweather

English

"good weather"

A sunny-sounding surname or an adjective meaning "only when the going's good" – as in, a fairweather friend .

Kalyb

Kalyb is a masculine name of uncertain origin, possibly a modern variant of Caleb. The biblical name Caleb comes from Hebrew meaning 'faithful' or 'devoted to God,' though this spelling variation…

Reason

English word name

"a statement offered in explanation or justification"

A provocative word name that may strike the right chord for an adventurous baby namer, Reason has begun to sound, well, more reasonable as a name in recent years. While it did first feature in the US…

Lord

English

"loaf-keeper"

If it's royalty you're after, stick with Earl or Prince -- this is too deified.

Set

Set is an ancient name with deep historical roots. It derives from the Egyptian deity Set (also spelled Seth), who was the god of chaos, storms, disorder, and violence in ancient Egyptian religion.…

Rico

Spanish, diminutive of Ricardo

"dominant ruler"

Consider this short form for your little Richard.

Hogan

Irish

"youth"

Logan came from nowhere in the past few decades to break the Top 25, and Hogan is a good bet to follow, now that "Hogan's Heroes" has faded from memory.

Azzedine

unknown

Tunisian fashion designer Azzedine Alaia's singular first name seems to belong to him alone.

Colorado

Spanish place-name

"colored red"

More unusual than Dakota or Austin, Colorado conjures images of majestic mountains and windswept wilderness. Some will prefer the more preppy Aspen, but Colorado feels like the true explorer.

Quixley

English

"clearing"

Only if you don't mind hearing yourself saying, "Come quickly, Quixley."

Oy

Oy is an exceptionally brief masculine name with multiple potential origins. In Thai culture, it can be a legitimate given name, often with meanings relating to sweetness or sugarcane. In Jewish…

Jereth

Jereth is a masculine name with possible variations of Jareth or Gareth. While Gareth has Welsh origins from Arthurian legend, Jereth appears to be a modern variation. The name gained some…

Paz

Hebrew; Spanish

"gold; peace"

Paz is an appealing Spanish name meaning "peace", derived from the Latin "pax". It's usually feminine in Spanish, but could also make an interesting literary choice for a boy, honoring the writer…