User-created list
By celattin · Updated June 2023
Across 16 pages
of 16
Irish, variation of Mary
"bitter; beloved; drop of the sea"
Well-established Irish and Scottish name that has never really caught on across the pond. Remembered by an older generation as the beautiful red-haired ballerina in the film The Red Shoes , Moira…
Nature name
Evocative modern unisex choice brought into the spotlight by actress Lake Bell.
Japanese
"sea, ocean + to fly, soar"
A popular Japanese name with an uplifting meaning, Kaito is connected to the air and the sea. Said with three syllables and not the two English speakers may expect, it has been borne by a number of…
English and Scottish, from French variation of Johanna
"God is gracious"
Originally a feminine of John, Jean was popular in Scotland long before it found favor elsewhere, and had its most shining moment here in the era of Jean Harlow (born Harlean), ultimate symbol of…
English
"of the sea"
A retro short form of Marina, dated to the era of the Hitchcock movie that made it famous, Marnie is beginning to feel fresh again — or rather, it is in the UK. Appearing in the Top 100 there in a…
Variation of Mary
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Adds a modern spin to old-fashioned Mary.
"sky"
A smart and simple unisex Japanese name meaning "sky". It actually has a second nature meaning in Finnish, albeit a slightly less appealing one: "gravel".
Greek
"fourth letter; island formed at the mouth of a river"
Delta is an unusual vintage option, blending the sounds of Della and Etta. The fourth letter of the Greek alphabet and a geographical term, used to describe an island formed at the mouth of a river,…
Welsh
"sea fortress"
This name of the famous fifth-century sorcerer and mentor of King Arthur may or may not be a bit wizardy for a real-life modern child. Its most noted modern bearer: football star turned actor Merlin…
Spanish
"small river"
Short and feminine, Ria has a rhythmic flow.
Scottish place-name
Referring to the Scottish Isle of Skye, this spelling brings Sky down to earth. Skye is used ten times more often for girls than boys, while the gender split on the Sky spelling is more like three to…
French derivative of Mary
Fun fact: Marion was the birth name of movie star John Wayne. Although commonly thought of as a female name today, it was actually more popular for boys until the late 19th century, and was given to…
Turkish
"sea"
A super popular nature name in its native Turkey, currently Top 50 for both boys and girls there.
Color name
Among the coolest of the cool color names, particularly popular with celebs as a unisex middle name. While most famous as the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy, more than 60 percent of…
Word name
One of the more unusual of the current crop of strong, single-syllable boys' names, evoking the images of both old-fashioned blackboards and modern stepping-stones and countertops.
Spanish, combination of Maria and Celia, Hebrew, Latin
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + heaven"
A pretty and little-known Spanish smoosh name, combining Maria with Celia. As such, it may have a number of meanings. On one hand, it could simply be interpreted as meaning "Maria of the Heavens",…
Latin
"cut"
Caesar, the name of the greatest Roman of them all, is rarely used outside Latino families, where the Cesar spelling is preferred —as in activist Chavez and Dog Whisperer Millan. Its original meaning…
Arabic
"a drink of water"
Nahla is a lovely name chosen by Halle Berry for her daughter. Not to be confused with the Disneyfied Nala.
Hindi
"ocean"
This popular Indian name is heard in the US. Bollywood actor Akshay Khanna has a son named Arnav.
"blue"
Blu is a new (nu?) spelling of an increasingly popular color name, also spelled Blue and Bleu. Blu is the spelling used for one of the Waldrop sextuplets.
