Hipster Approved Baby Names

  1. Monet
    • Origin:

      French artist name, from diminutive of Simon
    • Description:

      A new favorite of the bohemian set, brought to light by actress Monet Mazur, daughter of the artist who designed the Rolling Stones' mouth logo.
  2. Mather
    • Mayor
      • Nix
        • Origin:

          Greek
        • Meaning:

          "night"
        • Description:

          Variant spelling of Nyx, the name of the Greek goddess of the night. It also coincides with the English word "nix, a corruption of German nichts "nothing".
      • Odin
        • Origin:

          Variation of Óðinn, Old Norse
        • Meaning:

          "god of frenzy; poetic fury"
        • Description:

          Odin is the name of the supreme Norse god of art, culture, wisdom, and law — who was handsome, charming, and eloquent into the bargain. The name projects a good measure of strength and power and has excellent assimilation potential.
      • Oona
        • Origin:

          Irish, variation of Una
        • Meaning:

          "lamb"
        • Description:

          Oona is a name made famous by Eugene O'Neill's daughter, who became Charlie Chaplin's wife. One of the original Oona's granddaughters was named after her, and is now an actress famous in her own right for playing Talisa of Volantis in HBO's "Game of Thrones." The double-o beginning gives their name a lot of oomph.
      • Orson
        • Origin:

          Latin and English
        • Meaning:

          "bear cub"
        • Description:

          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 seemed to own the name during his lifetime, it's now an interesting possibility for any parent seeking an unusual yet solid name. It's started to appear to the celeb set too -- both Paz Vega and Lauren Ambrose have little Orsons.
      • Pearl
        • Origin:

          Latin gem name
        • Meaning:

          "pearl"
        • Description:

          Pearl, like Ruby, has begun to be polished up for a new generation of fashionable children after a century of jewelry box storage. The birthstone for the month of June, Pearl could also make a fresher middle name alternative to the overused Rose. Cool couple Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson named their daughter Pearl Minnie, followed by Jack Osbourne picking Pearl Clementine. Several celebs have put it in the middle spot, as in Busy Philipps's Cricket Pearl, Jake Owen's Olive Pearl and Caleb Followill's Dixie Pearl .
      • Penn
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "enclosure"
        • Description:

          This simple, elegant name offers something for many kinds of parents, from writers and history buffs to photographers to Pennsylvania dwellers. Most famous bearers are comedian Penn Jillette and Gossip Girl hottie Penn Badgley, both of whom were given this distinctive name at birth. Long obscure, Penn seems destined for greater usage.
      • Peony
        • Origin:

          Flower name; Latin
        • Meaning:

          "healing"
        • Description:

          One of the rarest of the floral names, though not without some teasing potential. Peony is a historical 1948 novel by Pearl S. Buck.
      • Petunia
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "trumpet-shaped flower"
        • Description:

          Literary heritage: the "Loony Tunes" girlfriend of Porky Pig. But with the increasing popularity of all kinds of unusual botanical names, Petunia may be a name we start to hear more of. Perhaps-more-pleasing Petunia alternatives: Petal, Posy, Poppy.
      • Phaedra
        • Origin:

          Greek
        • Meaning:

          "bright"
        • Description:

          This name of a tragic figure in Greek mythology, the daughter of King Minos, sister of Ariadne and wife of Theseus, has a mysterious and intriguing appeal, and would make a dramatic choice.
      • Pippi
        • Origin:

          Norse variation of Philippa
        • Meaning:

          "lover of horses"
        • Description:

          Pippi may be cute but isn't very practical. In addition to being forever Pippi Longstocking, there is that variant pee-pee spelling to consider. Try Pippa instead.
      • Pixie
        • Origin:

          Swedish or Cornish
        • Meaning:

          "fairy"
        • Description:

          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 recognized as a sprite or fairy: tiny, sometimes green, usually pointy-eared.
      • Poesy
        • Origin:

          Word name
        • Meaning:

          "poetry"
        • Description:

          This old-fashioned word for poetry has some antiquated charm but doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
      • Polly
        • Origin:

          English variation of Molly
        • Description:

          An alternative to the no-longer-fresh Molly, the initial 'P' gives Polly a peppier sound, combining the cozy virtues of an old-timey name with the bounce of a barmaid.
      • Presley
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "priest's meadow"
        • Description:

          More universal than Elvis...and more conventionally attractive, too. Cindy Crawford used it for her son, though it's on the rise mainly for girls. The last time Presley ranked in the Top 1000 for boys was 1903, 120 years ago. Today, it's used for girls 14 times as often as for boys, mainly because of the -ley ending.
      • Pabst
        • Quill
          • Origin:

            Irish, diminutive of Quillan or Quiller; also English word name
          • Description:

            Quill is a unique possibility for the child of writers -- even if they do use computers rather than pens; could also serve as a rhyming tribute to an ancestor named Gil, Phil, or Bill (or Jill).
        • Rand
          • Origin:

            English
          • Meaning:

            "living on riverbank"
          • Description:

            The new Randy -- though a bit commercial, as in Rand Corporation, Rand McNally, et al.