Wild Word Names

Many of these are best left for characters, not children. But hey, you might find one that would work well for your kid. [Warning, make sure you check the meaning of the word before bestowing it on an actual person.]
  1. Adagio
    • Origin:

      Italian, musical term
    • Description:

      The literal meaning of Adagio is 'at ease.' Adagio's use for a slow musical passage or ballet is contradicted by its lively sound and feel.
  2. Alchemy
    • Origin:

      Latin word name
    • Meaning:

      "a medieval chemical science"
    • Description:

      One of the most extreme of the new word names, recommended only to the most mystical-minded parents. Actor Lance Henriksen spelled his daughter's name Alchamy.
  3. Alouette
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "lark"
    • Description:

      Alouette is a sweet Gallic twist in the stylish bird name genre made familiar via the charming French children's song, Alouette, gentile alouette.
  4. Answer
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      An implied spiritual meaning makes this a plausible new name.
  5. Arabesque
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "ornate design"
    • Description:

      Fanciful, edging toward bizarre.
  6. Absinthe
    • Allegiance
      • Allegory
        • Ambiance
          • Apathy
            • Avalanche
              • Avarice
                • Beach
                  • Origin:

                    Nature name, English word name
                  • Meaning:

                    "a shore of a body of water"
                  • Description:

                    With the tide coming in on a new wave of word names, this one just might catch on, especially for parents who relish sun, sand, and surf. Forest lovers can spell it Beech, like the tree.
                • Breeze
                  • Origin:

                    Word name
                  • Description:

                    Most will see this as a refreshing middle name possibility, but Bristol Palin baby daddy Levi Johnston used it as a first name for his new daughter, Breeze Beretta.
                • Brick
                  • Origin:

                    Word name, various origins
                  • Description:

                    This is an Anglicized form of various names; the Irish Gaelic O Bruic; German, Bruck or Breck, meaning "swamp" or "wood"; Yiddish, Brik, "bridge"; and Slovenian, Bric, "dweller from a hilly place." Gosh, and we thought it was just a macho word name invented by Tennessee Williams for the hero of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
                • Bright
                  • Origin:

                    English word name
                  • Meaning:

                    "bright"
                  • Description:

                    Rare word name that works for either gender.
                • Brazen
                  • Breviary
                    • Cachet
                      • Origin:

                        French
                      • Meaning:

                        "prestigious, desirable"
                      • Description:

                        Cachet is one of those word names -- Cliché is the most egregious example -- that sounds lovely but seems slightly ridiculous when taken literally.
                    • Camera
                      • Origin:

                        English word name
                      • Meaning:

                        "an optical instrument used to capture and store images or videos"
                      • Description:

                        The late tennis great Arthur Ashe (whose wife was a photographer) pioneered word names when he used this for his daughter. It would make an interesting first or middle name possibility for parents involved with photography.