Down the Rabbit Hole Names

Zaidyn

Zaidyn is a modern American name with Arabic roots. It's a variant spelling of Zayden, which derives from the Arabic name Zayd, meaning 'increase' or 'abundance.' This contemporary spelling with the…

Philander

Greek

"loving mankind"

A Greek name with a charming meaning and mythological ties, Philander has long been too close to "philanderer" for English speakers to consider.

Meo

Meo is a masculine name with multiple cultural origins. In Italian, it serves as a diminutive of Bartolomeo (Bartholomew) or Romeo, conveying affection through its brevity. In Vietnamese culture, Meo…

Ragnvald

Scandinavian, Norse

"wise ruler; powerful ruler"

A modern form of the Old Norse Ragnvaldr and a relation of Reginald, Renaud, Ronald, and Reynold, Ragnvald is a rugged and strong name used predominantly in Norway and Sweden. Notable bearers include…

Petrusha

Petrusha is a masculine name of Russian origin, serving as an affectionate diminutive form of Peter (Pyotr in Russian). The name Peter derives from the Greek 'Petros,' meaning 'rock' or 'stone.'…

Carden

English occupational name

"wool carder"

Highly unusual but stylish-sounding occupational name, with a pleasant association with gardens.

Aeacus

Greek mythology name

In Greek Mythology, Aeacus was the son of Zeus who became king of the island Aegina.

Stryker

Spelling variation of Striker, English word name

"objector; hitter"

Stryker adds the trendy letter Y to Striker to join the new gang of boys' names that have two syllables, end in -er, spring from words, and have a macho meaning and image. Stryker is given to around…

Lightning

Nature name

Usain Bolt chose Lightning as the middle name for his daughter — Olympia Lightning Bolt. Mainstream parents have taken a liking to Lightning as a boy name — it debuted on the charts in 2021, and was…

Simba

Swahili or Shona

"lion; strength"

Traditional African name made cartoonish by the Disney character in The Lion King. In Shona it means "strength".

Keefer

Keefer is a masculine surname-turned-first name with Scottish and Germanic origins. It likely developed from occupational surnames like 'Kiefer' (meaning 'cooper' or barrel-maker) or as a variation…

Benajah

Hebrew

"God has built"

Benajah, the name of several minor Old Testament figures, is also written as Benaiah. Benajah might make a great Benjamin update or name for the son of a builder or architect.

Otter

English, word name

Otter first came onto the baby name radar when Zooey Deschanel used it as a middle name for her daughter in 2015. It entered the US charts the same year, but as a boy name. Cute, sleek and wild, it's…

Atlantis

Place name

Mythical wonderland makes strong, evocative first name for either gender.

History

Word name

As a personal name, it may not have much history, but it certainly suggests the subject.

Bing

German

"kettle-shaped hollow"

When Kate Hudson named her second son Bingham and announced that she would be calling him Bing, it put this zingy nickname name out on the table. Before that, there was only one, further nicknamed…

Jor-el

Modern invented name

Just because Nicolas Cage gave his son Superman's birth name, Kal-el, that doesn't give you permission to use the name of Superman's father.

Cage

Word name

Gage we get. Cade we get. But Cage? Not really, and yet, it was given to about two dozen baby boys in one recent year.

Bainbridge

British

"bridge over the river Bain"

We'll have our sherry in the parlor, please, Bainbridge.

Narciso

Narciso is a masculine name with Greek origins, derived from the mythological figure Narcissus, a hunter known for his beauty who fell in love with his own reflection. The name literally relates to…