Long List Of Names I LOVE

  1. Adam
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "son of the red earth"
    • Description:

      Adam -- a primal Old Testament name -- was revived as a 1960s cowboy name. Adam is not as popular as it once was and feels ready for a respite, replaced by newer A names like Aidan/Aiden, Avery and Axel. Its most prominent current bearers include Adams Sandler, Levine, Brody and Driver -- who plays a character named Adam on Girls.
  2. Aden
    • Origin:

      Variation of Aidan, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little and fiery"
    • Description:

      Although this variation is less popular than ultra-trendy Aiden, this simplified spelling doesn't do anything for the name.
  3. Anderson
    • Origin:

      English from Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "son of Anders"
    • Description:

      Anderson shot up quite a bit on the popular names list in the 2000's, no doubt in large part due to the prominence of white-haired cable newsman Anderson Cooper. Perhaps surprisingly though, Anderson was even higher on the list in 1880. Actress Edie Falco named her son Anderson in 2005. Though there haven't been many first-named Anderson namesakes, there have been countless notables bearing the surname, including Hans Christian, Marian, Maxwell, Sherwood, Gillian, Laurie, and Pamela.
  4. Ariel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "lion of God"
    • Description:

      Ariel is a male Biblical name, seen there as the messenger of Ezra, and also used as a symbolic name for the city of Jerusalem, while Shakespeare used it for a (male) sprite in The Tempest.
  5. Ashely
    • Asher
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "fortunate, blessed, happy one"
      • Description:

        Asher—an excellent, soft and sensitive Old Testament choice—is a baby boy name on the rise, and is a Nameberry biblical favorite.
    • Atria
      • Origin:

        Star name, Latin
      • Meaning:

        "entry hall"
      • Description:

        A star in the constellation Triangulum Australe, also the name of a publishing imprint and an assisted living corporation, probably because it has that streamlined corporate I-could-be-a-car-name feel. Atria is the plural of the more familiar term for an entry hall or foyer, atrium.
    • Aurora
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "dawn"
      • Description:

        The goddess name Aurora has consistently been on the US popularity list since the nineteenth century, but has really taken off in the past 30 years. Aurora also enjoys remarkable international popularity, ranking in the Top 100 throughout the English-speaking world as well as in Italy, Spain, Norway, Switzerland, and several other European and Latin American countries.
    • Azriel
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "God is my help"
      • Description:

        Azriel is more masculine than Ariel, more unusual than Israel. Also spelled Asriel and Azrael, Azriel is the name of the Angel of Death in Jewish and Muslim traditions.
    • Amadrona
      • Andelina
        • Bethany
          • Origin:

            Biblical place name and Hebrew
          • Meaning:

            "house of figs"
          • Description:

            Bethany is a lyrical name that still strikes many parents as a fresher, more substantial substitute for the overused Brittany/Brittney or the more antiquated Beth.
        • Blake
          • Origin:

            English
          • Meaning:

            "fair-haired, dark"
          • Description:

            Blake -- an early unisex option -- dropped out of the Top 100 in 2017 for the first time since 1988, but remains a sophisticated choice. And yes, both conflicting meanings of Blake are accurate. It originated as a surname in England derived from a nickname. Much of its masculine image was influenced by the wealthy, silver-haired character Blake Carrington in the massively popular 80s TV series Dynasty. Rosie O'Donnell has a son named Blake.
        • Braiden
          • Origin:

            Spelling variant of Brayden
          • Description:

            Another of the many -aiden names. Several spellings have charted in the US Top 1000 in recent years, but now most of the -aidens are fading. Braiden is no exception, dropping down the charts each year since its peak at Number 468 in 2010.
        • Brayan
          • Origin:

            Spanish and Portuguese variation of Brian, modern invention
          • Meaning:

            "strong, virtuous"
          • Description:

            As a Spanish and Portuguese name, Brayan is a variant of the Celtic Brian, familiar in Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Italy and France. As a modern invention, it blends Brayden with Bryan, tying it the to the strong meaning of Brian and the fish-related meaning of Braden.
        • Braydon
          • Origin:

            English
          • Meaning:

            "wide valley"
          • Description:

            Like its cousin Braden, Braydon has been falling in popularity in recent years, perhaps signaling a weakening of the 'aden'-name epidemic. There are thousands of young Bradens and Braydons out there, including the son of Melissa Joan Hart.
        • Brenda
          • Origin:

            Scottish
          • Meaning:

            "blade of a sword"
          • Description:

            First the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's 1822 novel The Pirate, then a glamorous 1940s debutante, then the troubled twin on Beverly Hills 90210, and now fading in favor of more modern Brenna, Briana, and Bryn. Much more likely to be worn by a mother or grandmother these days. The song "Brenda's Got a Baby" was late rap megastar Tupac's debut single.
        • Brett
          • Origin:

            Celtic
          • Meaning:

            "from Brittany"
          • Description:

            Football great Brett Favre single-handedly kept this name in the limelight, though it continues to sink in popularity.
        • Brody
          • Origin:

            Irish, English, and Scottish
          • Meaning:

            "broad eye or broad island"
          • Description:

            The energetic Brody is a name that claims different meanings and origins depending on whether you're looking at its Irish, Scottish, or English history -- and Eastern Europeans claim a version too. An alternate spelling is Brodie.
        • Cade
          • Origin:

            English
          • Meaning:

            "round, barrel; battle"
          • Description:

            Strong and modern, Cade shot up the popularity lists around the millennium—it was as high as Number 201 in 2001. Now, it has declined in popularity slightly, but nevertheless remains in the US Top 300, given to around 1200 babies each year. Combined with all the baby Kades, Cadens, Kaidens and Kaydens however, it might feel even more popular that it actually is.