Down the Rabbit Hole Names

Yitzchak

Yitzchak is the traditional Hebrew form of Isaac, a biblical name meaning 'he will laugh' or 'he will rejoice.' In the Old Testament, Yitzchak was the son of Abraham and Sarah, born to them in their…

Manfred

German

"man of peace"

Hipsters might consider reviving this old German name, though we're not so sure their sons wouldn't have preferred the classic Fred name Frederick. Manfred B. Lee (born Manford) was half of the team…

Januarius

Latin

"doorway"

Januarius is a masculine name of ancient Roman origin, derived from Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, gates, transitions, and endings. Historically significant as the name of an early Christian…

Obediah

Obediah is a masculine name with Hebrew origins, derived from 'Ovadyah,' meaning 'servant of God' or 'worshipper of Yahweh.' It appears in the Bible as a minor prophet and author of the Book of…

Roibin

Roibin is a masculine name of Irish origin, being a Gaelic variant of Robin. The name derives from the Germanic elements 'hrod' meaning 'fame' and 'berht' meaning 'bright' or 'famous'. In Irish…

Maloney

Irish

"devotee of the church"

Too close to baloney.

Theory

English word name from Greek

"idea, speculation"

An unconventional route to Theo, perhaps, Theory is a bold word name which has been given to more than 200 babies since the 2000s. While it leans slightly feminine statistically, it's so rare that it…

Quirt

Spanish

"cuarta"

Add an s and you've got squirt.

Nuriya

Nuriya is traditionally a feminine name in many cultures but has some usage as a masculine name as well. It has Arabic origins, derived from 'nur' meaning 'light' or 'illumination,' making it a name…

Keverne

Cornish saint and place name

St. Keverne is a town on Cornwall's Lizard Peninsula and also the name of an ancient saint. While the name is virtually unused for children in the modern world, it could be a Kevin update and has…

Corky

A bouncy midcentury TV nickname name.

Merwin

Merwin is a masculine name of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English elements 'mære' meaning 'famous' and 'wine' meaning 'friend,' creating the meaning 'famous friend' or 'renowned friend.'…

Doctor

Word name

Doctor is an honorific used as a name, somewhat like names such as Bishop, King, and Princess. Banned in New Zealand, Doctor can lead to the kind of confusion you may feel would be only positive for…

Calm

Word name

A modern virtue name, particularly desirable in this pressure-cooker world.

Macimilian

Macimilian appears to be a variant spelling of Maximilian, a masculine name with ancient Roman roots. The traditional Maximilian derives from the Latin name 'Maximilianus,' which comes from 'maximus'…

Eagle

Nature name

"eagle, a bird"

Solemn but soaring name with patriotic symbolism.

Pyotr

Russian variation of Peter

For Americans, may prove too much of a twist on Peter.

Ruggero

Ruggero is the Italian form of Roger, a masculine name with Germanic origins. It derives from the elements 'hrod' (fame) and 'ger' (spear), literally meaning 'famous spearman' or 'renowned warrior.'…

Falmouth

Place-name

Falmouth may be a beautiful seaside spot in Massachusetts, but as a name it's perilously close to "foul mouth." Falmouth Kearney was the name of Barack Obama's great-great grandfather.

Greco

Italian

"from Greece"

A name with a lot of panache, with ties to the great Spanish Mannerist painter El Greco--though his real name was DOMENICOS.