User-created list
By Cate Juhl · Updated May 2023
Across 4 pages
of 4
Latin
"modesty"
Modesty is a virtue name dating to Roman times, but never widely used, except for hot 1960s movie spoof heroine, Modesty Blaise, based on a comic strip.
English word name
"surprise mingled with admiration"
A whimsy word name with similar sounds to Warren and Walker and a similar feel to Dream and Prosper, Wonder has been appearing occasionally in the US stats for girls since the 1950s, while for boys,…
English from Latin
"when the sun stands still"
Solstice graduated from word to official first name when author Lionel Shriver used it for a character in her novel Big Brother . But of course, there were people named Solstice before: 16 baby girls…
"evening star"
While this is usually thought of as a girls' name because of the Bond Girl connection, its sound is masculine and there's no reason it couldn't work for boys.
A rare unisex word/virtue name that is currently given to around 10 babies of each gender per year in the US. It could make for an unexpected route to bright, easygoing nickname Sol (or trendy…
"feel or show great delight"
A positive, festive English word name with potential. Rejoice Chuol is a South Sudanese fashion model.
"family; connectedness"
This unusual English word name and surname was the middle name of American sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick, after his mother's maiden name. Its striking sound and appealing meaning make it a promising…
Word name
This Puritan virtue name is unstylish, but sympathetic and appealing, in these largely uncomfortable times.
French from Latin
"steadfast"
A traditional French male name that could, with American pronunciation, become an admirable word name.
Adventurous word choice, but still quite a burden for a child to bear.
Experience is a word name used by the New England Puritans but probably too joke-worthy for a modern child...or teenager. It does not have as direct a biblical reference as most Puritan names.
Maybe if you're planning to have only one child -- and iffy even then.
English from French, word name
"Saturday Night Live" cast member Finesse Mitchell often mocks his own and similar names when portraying the character Starkeisha on the show.
"courage during adversity"
Fortitude is the kind of virtue name the Puritans favored that could feel rather heavy for a modern boy. Nevertheless, with options such as Sincere, Chosen, Messiah, and Valor on the rise, perhaps in…
"harmless, innocent"
Innocent, the name of thirteen popes, is rarely heard in a secular setting, where its loaded meaning could open the door to ridicule.
"freedom"
Much more common on girls, but this virtue is occasionally given to boys too. It has the option of Bert(ie) as a nickname.
Forget Patience and Charity: Here's a Colonial name (and sentiment) that seems perfect for modern times.
