Pet Names for Geeks and Nerds

Mystique

French word name

Better for a perfume.

Natasha

Russian diminutive of Natalya

"birthday of the Lord"

Natasha, an appealing, still unusual name, entered the American mainstream post-Cold War but seems to have peaked in the eighties, replaced by the more straightforward Natalie. As is common for…

Pepper

English from Latin, Sanskrit, "the pepper plant; berry"

"the pepper plant; berry"

With its bubbly sounds and stylish feel, Pepper joins a small but distinctive group of names inspired by the spice rack: Saffron, Juniper, Cassia, Sage, Ginger, and Rosemary. Enough like Pippa, Piper…

Pixel

English modern coinage

"picture cell or element"

Coined in the 1960s to define the smallest photographic element of a televised image. It's a portmanteau of "picture" + "cell" or "element".

Pixie

Swedish or Cornish

"fairy"

Pixie is a cute -- quite possibly too cute -- name that suddenly feels possible thanks to the craze for names that contain the letter x. Though its origin may be uncertain, a pixie is internationally…

Polaris

Latin

"pole star"

The astronomical Polaris is better known as the North Star, the brightest star in the Ursa Minor constellation. It's also the name of a character in the Marvel Universe, as the daughter of Magneto.…

Rogue

Word name

For parents who hope their child will one day carve their own path.

Sansa

Sanskrit

"praise, charm"

Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin is a master namer, and this unusual choice from India is beginning to be heard in nurseries as well as on television. Sansa was perhaps slower to catch on…

Spark

English word name

"glowing particle"

A nonbinary word name that could work perfectly in the middle, especially for a child born under a fire sign.

Storm

Word name

The name of one of the most powerful Marvel superheroes — and the first major black female comic book heroine — is certainly a big one to live up to! Portrayed in the live-action X-Men movies first…