Names I really don't like...

  1. Hazel
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "the hazelnut tree"
    • Description:

      Hazel has a pleasantly hazy, brownish-green-eyed, old-fashioned image that more and more parents are choosing to share. Former Old Lady name Hazel reentered the popularity lists in 1998 and now is near the top of the charts.
  2. Conrad
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "brave counsel"
    • Description:

      Conrad has a somewhat intellectual masculine image, a solid name that has been consistently on the popularity lists, especially well used in the 1920s and 30s, and given a pop of rock energy by the Elvis-like character of Conrad Birdie in Bye, Bye, Birdie--("We love you Conrad, oh yes we do!").
  3. Ezra
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "help"
    • Description:

      Ezra has a lot going for it: the strength of its heroic Biblical legacy, its quirky sound, and its fresh but familiar feel. Ezra is now at its highest point ever, but its intuitive streamlined spelling and deep roots could make it a worth successor to Elijah in the Top 10 -- or even to Liam or Noah at Number 1.
  4. Thaddeus
    • Origin:

      Aramaic, meaning unclear, possibly from Theodore
    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"
    • Description:

      Thaddeus, a distinguished, long-neglected name, has several areas of appeal: a solid New Testament legacy, a nice antique feel, and the choice of several more modern nicknames and international variations.
  5. Kiara
    • Origin:

      English variation of Chiara, Italian, Ciara, Irish, or Aboriginal Australian, Korean
    • Meaning:

      "light, clear; little dark one; cockatoo; first ray of sun"
    • Description:

      Kiara can be considered a variation of both the Italian name Chiara and the Irish name Ciara. Chiara is the Italian form of Clara, meaning "bright" or "clear," while Ciara is the feminine form of male given name Ciar, derived from the old Irish cíar, meaning "dark."
  6. Maddox
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "son of Madoc"
    • Description:

      Maddox, a previously obscure Welsh family name with a powerfully masculine image, suddenly came into the spotlight when Angelina Jolie chose it for her son in 2003. By the following year it was in the middle of the Top 1000, and it has risen since.
  7. Zelda
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Griselda
    • Meaning:

      "gray fighting maid"
    • Description:

      Classified as an early beauty, Zelda has long and often been used as such for characters in books and films. Since 1986, Zelda has been a prime Nintendo name, as in the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
  8. Hamish
    • Origin:

      Scottish variation of James
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      Just as Seamus/Seumus is Irish for James, Hamish is the Scottish form — one that's not often used here, but still redolent of Olde Scotland. If you're ready to go further than Duncan and Malcolm, out to Laird and Ewan territory, this may be worth consideration. It also sounds just like the Yiddish word for homey.
  9. Dimitri
    • Origin:

      Russian from Greek Demetrius
    • Meaning:

      "follower of Demeter"
    • Description:

      Dimitri is a Slavic variation of the Russian Dmitriy, a name that comes from the Greek Demetrius. Demetrius was derived from Demeter, the name of the Greek goddess of fertility and farming. Among the possible spelling variations are Dmitri, Dmitrii, Dmitriy, and Dmitry.
  10. Ross
    • Origin:

      English and Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "upland, peninsula"
    • Description:

      Like Friends, Ross is off the air and into syndication as a baby name, having plummeted from its zenith in the late 80s to fall off the US Top 1000 in 2013. Today, Ross is more likely to be a dad name than a newborn name.
  11. Brock
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "badger"
    • Description:

      Brock is a rock solid name, with a touch of preppy sophistication. It ranked solidly in the 200s-300s from 1975 until 2014, but has since tumbled a bit.
  12. Tara
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "rocky hill"
    • Description:

      Despite a rich history in Irish myth preceding its plantation appearance in Gone with the Wind, widespread use in the seventies caused Tara to lose its Irish accent.
  13. Balthazar
    • Origin:

      Phoenician
    • Meaning:

      "Baal protects the King"
    • Description:

      This evocative name of one of the Three Wise Men of the Orient, also spelled Balthasar, may finally be ready for prime time. Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar were the Magi who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus, though their names were not mentioned in the Bible.
  14. Cornelius
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "horn"
    • Description:

      Cornelius, the New Testament name of a third century Pope and saint, is one of those venerable Latin names on the edge of consideration, despite the corny nickname alert.
  15. Colt
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "young horse"
    • Description:

      Colt is the kind of unconventionally macho name that is so trendy right now, because of or in spite of its association with horses and guns. A rent study of voter names by political party found that more than 80 percent of the voters named Colt vote red.
  16. Nevaeh
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Nevaeh: an already bold word name with the unusual twist of being spelled backwards; a nightmare for those who love traditional, classic names; a divisive option on name forums across the internet; and a spelling and pronunciation that aren’t quite intuitive at first glance.
  17. Malachy
    • Origin:

      Irish version of Malachi, Hebrew, or Secundus, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "my messenger; second"
    • Description:

      This spelling, which came to the attention of readers of the best-selling Angela's Ashes as the name of author Frank McCourt's father and brother, the latter of whom wrote a bestseller of his own, lends the biblical name a more expansive, almost boisterous image. Malachy is one of the Irish baby names that manages to strike the golden mean between familiarity and distinctiveness.
  18. Zahara
    • Origin:

      Hebrew; Swahili
    • Meaning:

      "to shine; flower"
    • Description:

      Zahara, a delicate but strong multicultural name, came into the spotlight when Angelina Jolie bestowed it on her Ethiopian-born daughter, and we predict other parents will adopt it as well. If you want something simpler than Zahara, consider Zara, a royal name in England--but also the name of a Spanish-based clothing store chain.
  19. Flavius
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "yellow, blond"
    • Description:

      Flavius is an ancient Roman family name associated with a dynasty of emperors. It has an appealingly flavorful first syllable, and is the name of a stylist in the Hunger Games series.
  20. Xabier
    • Description:

      Xabier is a masculine Basque variant of the name Xavier, which originated from the Basque place name Etxeberria, meaning 'new house.' The name gained prominence through St. Francis Xavier, a 16th-century Spanish missionary and co-founder of the Jesuit order. The distinctive spelling with an 'X' reflects traditional Basque orthography, where the 'X' is pronounced similar to 'sh' or 'ch.' Xabier remains very popular in the Basque Country of northern Spain and southwestern France, where it celebrates Basque cultural heritage and language. Outside of Basque regions, this spelling is less common but offers an authentic alternative to the more widely used Xavier. The name combines cultural specificity with a rich historical background.