User-created list
By sarahbearx
Across 6 pages
of 6
English and Irish from German
"spear strength"
Gerard is currently in style limbo, after reaching peak popularity in the 1950s. With its strong meaning and gentle sound, it may be back in a generation or two. But for now, a boy called Gerard will…
Chinese; Hawaiian
"beautiful; plum"
Homophonous with Mae and May, the beautiful (literally) Mei is poised to climb the charts. The hero of the 2022 Disney/Pixar film Turning Red is a Chinese-Canadian teen named Meilin "Mei" Lee, which…
Combination of Anna and Beth
This is a long-recognized smoosh name merging Anna with the short form of Elizabeth, and is one of the prettiest combo names, a possible alternative to Annabel. Annabeth Chase is one of the main…
Diminutive of Thomas
"twin"
Just like Sam and Ben, Tom could be revived as a simple, well liked name on its own. Tom, just Tom, is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France
Short form of David, Hebrew
"beloved"
Dave is the ultimate good guy name, but where father name David is still holding onto a spot in the Top 20, Dave -- widely used as an independent name in the middle of the last century -- dropped off…
Diminutive of Michael, Hebrew
"who is like God"
An Old school short form with a certain vintage charm, Mikey might fit in with choices such as Ronnie, Reggie, Monty, and Scottie. Currently in the latter end of the Top 1000 in England and Wales,…
Variation of Carly, English
"free man"
The ie ending injects this late 20th century favorite with a bit of late 19th century charm. But not quite enough to make it a good 21st century choice.
Nature name
Like Sky and Sunshine, this fluffy name from the hippie 1970s has floated back onto the naming radar. It's similarity of Clyde and Claude help to ground it.
Latin
"white, pure, sincere"
Candace, an ancient title of a dynasty of Ethiopian queens mentioned in the New Testament, is associated both with actress Candice Bergen and Sex and the City writer Candace Bushnell. Both spellings…
Diminutive of Zachariah/Zachary
"the Lord has remembered"
A popular nickname that, over the past few decades, has acquired enough standing to work on its own, a la earlier equivalents such as Jack and Max; an alternative to Zach/Zack. Actor/singer Zac…
Diminutive of Kenneth; Japanese
"born of fire or handsome; healthy and strong"
In many minds this one belongs to Barbie, but with such positive meanings and international connections, can Ken make the transition to usability again?
English, diminutive of Katherine, Greek
"pure"
Kay, a cigarette-smoking, nightclubbing name of the 1930's, could be ready for a comeback along with cousins May/Mae and Ray/Rae. Kay has been out of sight since the mid-eighties, but was in the…
English
"dweller near the ash tree meadow"
It may have peaked at #1 for girls in 1991 and 1992 in the US, but Ashley actually has a long history as a male given name, as evidenced by the sensitive Ashley Wilkes in Gone With the Wind . It's…
Diminutive of Bradley
Pitt is the prototypical blond Brad.
Arabic, Spanish
"swooping eagle; meadow"
Another astral name, this one relating to one of the largest and brightest stars in the heavens, is popular in Scandinavia and Spain, where it ranks among the Top 50 girls' names . Although still…
Diminutive of Alexandra
There were over 1000 baby girls named Lexi -- just Lexi -- in 2015, versus only 72 named Lexy. The reason that Lexi wins: Many parents see the i ending as more feminine for a nickname-name that might…
English, diminutive of Melissa
A name that works until your daughter is, say, six.
Variation of Blue, English color name
Blu is a new (nu?) spin on an increasingly popular color name, also spelled Blue and Bleu by celebrity parents. Blu is the spelling used for one of the (male) Waldrop quintuplets, but the name is…
Yessenia is a feminine name of Spanish origin, thought to be a variation of Jessenia, which itself may derive from the Persian jasmine flower or possibly from the Hebrew name Yiskah meaning 'to…
Greek variation of a diminutive of Alexis
Lexus, an automotive newcomer, has recently entered the Top 1000 -- more because of its association, we fear, with the status symbol car than its relation to the name Alexis. If you love this name,…
