Down the Rabbit Hole Names

Barr

Irish diminutive of Finbar

Barr fits alongside other short and snappy surname-names like Fyfe, Blair and Dawe. They're off the beaten track but instantly familiar.

Sarkis

Armenian

"protector, shepherd"

Fairly common Armenian first and last name.

Marciano

Marciano is a masculine name with Latin and Italian origins, derived from Marcus or Mars, the Roman god of war. The name literally means 'belonging to Mars' or 'of Mars,' carrying connotations of…

Long

Chinese and Vietnamese

"dragon"

An Asian name that may be thought of as an English word name, for better or worse.

Weit

Weit is an uncommon masculine name with Germanic origins. As a given name, it likely derives from the German word 'weit' meaning 'wide' or 'far,' possibly indicating broad horizons or far-reaching…

Balthasar

Greek

"God protects the king"

Balthasar was one of the biblical Three Kings who visited the infant Jesus, also used by Shakespeare and in the oil-rich Getty family; offbeat and intriguing. Balthazar is another, equally…

Corrado

Italian variation of Conrad

A Latinate name with a lot of dash and bravado.

Mansur

Arabic

"divine aid"

Prevalent Arabic name that suggests a man who is sure of himself.

Piano

Music name

If Banjo can be a name, why not Piano? Could be inspired by prize-winning architect Renzo Piano.

Tetsuo

Japanese

"wise man"

Obscure Japanese pick, recognizable to fans of the 1989 Japanese science fiction horror film Tetsuo: The Iron Man .

Little

Word name

A name that shows up on the Social Security roles of a hundred years ago. Let's hope it was a never-to-be-repeated mistake.

Hilberto

Hilberto is a masculine name of Germanic origin, derived from the elements 'hild' meaning battle or strife, and 'beraht' meaning bright or famous. It's a variant of the more common Hilbert or…

Beresford

English

"ford where barley grows"

Upper-crusty hotelish surname.

Scorpeo

Scorpeo is an extremely rare masculine name likely derived from Scorpio, the eighth astrological sign represented by the scorpion. This unique variation adds an 'e' to create a more name-like ending…

Portland

English

"land near the port"

There are two lovely Portlands, in Maine and Oregon, but not many babies with their name.

Umberto

Italian variation of Humbert

"renowned warrior"

A definite improvement over the English Humbert, Umberto has nevertheless been rarely heard outside the Italian community. The writer-semiotician Umberto Eco is a noteworthy namesake.

Neruda

Literary name, Czech

"bad-tempered"

Evocative of the great Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda, real last name Basoalito, who took on the surname Neruda to honor a Czech poet of that name. One of the most poetic and arty boy names…

Japeth

Japeth is a masculine name that appears to be a variant spelling of Japheth, who in biblical tradition was one of Noah's three sons in the Book of Genesis. The name is of Hebrew origin and is thought…

Oluwatobiloba

Yoruba

"God is a great king"

This Yoruba name, with a mighty meaning, might seem a mouthful at first, but is often shortened to Tobi, which makes it far more manageable for non Nigerians.

Majora

Modern invented name

Majora's Mask was the title of a lauded Nintendo 64 game in the Legend of Zelda series, in which Majora was the main villain. The character's name was reportedly coined by the game's art director,…