Cool Kids

Kier

Diminutive of Kieran, alternate spelling of Keir

See KEIR.

Kincaid

Scottish surname

"steep place; of the head of the rock; of the head of the battle"

Kincaid originated as a Scottish Clan name — the Kincaids descended from the Earl of Lennox in the 13th century and were supposedly named after the territory they resided on. The name Kincaid may…

Lenn

Dutch diminutive of Lennart, Swedish

"brave lion"

Old-school nicknames for boys are back, and Lenn is a great candidate for revival. Single-N Len may not be as cool as this Dutch version, originally a nickname for Lennart.

Lockwood

Lockwood is an English surname turned first name with Old English roots, derived from 'loc' meaning enclosure and 'wudu' meaning wood, essentially describing someone who lived near an enclosed…

Lucio

Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese variation of Lucius

"light"

About 100 baby boys were named Lucio in the US last year, a number we expect to increase with the growing popularity of all names in the Lu family. It's a family united by sound, with three main…

Luther

German

"army people"

Once restricted to evangelical Protestants honoring the ecclesiastical reformer and theologian Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant revolution. In more recent times it has been favored by parents…

Marius

Latin, from a Roman family name related to Mars, the god of war

Marius, frequently heard in Germany and France, is a slightly fusty yet accessible name that has (Les Mis) to Anne Rice. With the rise in interest in such Latin names as Maximus and Atticus, Marius…

Orson

Latin and English

"bear cub"

In the past, Orson has felt like a one-person moniker, tied to film director Orson Welles, who dropped his given name of George in favor of his more distinctive middle. While the Citizen Kane creator…

Pascal

French; English

"of the Passover; Easter"

The French-accented Pascal was historically used for sons born at Easter, and can make an interesting choice for a boy with Gallic roots arriving around that holiday. Pascal has a number of notable…

Pax

Latin

"peaceful"

Pax, one of the variations of names meaning peace that are newly popular in these less-than-peaceful times, got a lot of publicity when chosen by Brad & Angelina for their Vietnamese-born son.…

Quinlan

Irish

"descendant of Caoinlean, slender "

An Irish last-name-first-name that could make a child feel distinctive, while still having the regular guy nickname of Quinn. Christine Taylor and Ben Stiller spelled their son's name Quinlin.…

Vaughn

Welsh

"small"

Vaughn, also commonly spelled Vaughan, has been used quietly over the years, reaching a peak of Number 349 in 1949. It is now in the process of rediscovery, being seen as a good Sean alternative or…

Zevi

Hebrew

"gazelle, roebuck"

Zevi is an alternative transcription of the Hebrew name Zvi or Tzvi, the latter of which is a Top 100 pick in Israel. It's a cool, sharp-sounding name which would make for a great distinctive…