Food Names 2.0

Angus

Anglicized form of Aonghus, Aonghas, Gaelic

"one strength"

Angus is a traditional yet stylish choice in the UK, especially in Scotland. And it's a cool choice for US parents too, particularly those whose roots go back to Glasgow. The ancient Celtic form…

Barley

English

"grower or seller of barley"

A bit too bad-boy (think bars, beer, Harley) for us, as well as being the name of a grain.

Bartlett

Diminutive of Bartholomew, Hebrew, "son of the earth"

"son of the earth"

This one may well be an undiscovered choice for many parents - it has a fabulous meaning, a sturdy surname-name appeal that is very on trend right now and several great namesakes including the…

Basil

Greek

"royal"

Although Greek in origin--in the fourth century, a bishop by that name established the principles of the Greek Orthodox Church--Basil for years took on the aura of aquiline-nosed upper-class…

Bean

English word name

"an immature bean pod used as a vegetable"

The unisex word name Bean, distant cousin of the infamous Apple, was used for the name of a child in Louise Penny's novel "A Rule Against Murder." A cute choice, it's likely best reserved for a…

Berry

Nature name

If not for Motown founder Berry Gordy, this name would now be totally in the girl group.

Bran

Diminutive of Brandon

"broom-covered hill"

A little heavy on the fiber content; we prefer Bram. But Bran is also the Celtic god of the underworld, whose symbol is the raven. It's probably not a coincidence that George R.R. Martin chose this…

Chip

Pet name for Charles

Only if you're madly nostalgic for sixties TV.

Clove

Nature name

Clove is one of a whole tantalizing genre of spice names that might work for a boy. Clovis could be considered a long form.

Dijon

French place-name

Dijon is the capital city of the Burgundy region of eastern France, famed for its wine and yes, its mustard. As a first name, it's been brought to wider attention by a few prominent musicians and…

Dill

Diminutive of Dillon, Irish

"loyal"

Diminutive of Dillon

Kale

Modern invented name

Whether you think of it as Cale with a K, or a pet form of Kalen or Kaleb, this is just the kind of short, synthetic name finding a lot of favor now, but remember -- it's also the name of a vegetable.

Lemon

English fruit name

Sour or sweet? Enough like Lennon, Leonard, and Clement to work, or best left in the fruit basket? That's up to you to decide, but Lemon has been appearing in the US charts for boys since the 1880s.…

Mango

Fruit name

Mango might be cute as a short form of a related name like Manuel, or for a pet name. But we're not feeling it as a full baby name for a child of any gender.