User-created list
Wacky Word Names
Across 31 pages
of 31
Sonnet
English from Italian
"little song"
Could there be a more poetic name than Sonnet? Actor Forest Whitaker was inspired to choose it for his daughter. The word sonnet derives from the Italian sonetto , meaning 'little song.' And although…
Sorrell
French
"reddish brown"
Soft, amber-hued herbal and autumnal name that's used most often to describe the color of a horse. The proper spelling: Sorrel.
South
Sparrow
Nature name
"sparrow, a bird"
With related choices such as Lark and Phoenix gaining popularity, why not Sparrow? Though it's usually thought of as a female name, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden chose it for their son.
Spears
Speck
English word name, German surname
"speck; one from Speck, bacon, butcher"
Not only did rocker John Mellencamp name his son Speck, but he appended the middle name Wildhorse to it.
Spike
English word name
"a very large nail"
Spike is part mid-century nickname-name, ala Buster or Buck, and part word name, with an all-over cool creative dude feel thanks to directors Spike Lee and Spike Jonze. Mike Myers named his son…
Spirit
English word name
" a supernatural being or essence"
Spiritual word names are becoming more and more popular – think Peace, Bodhi, Zen and Psalm – and Spirit is among the rarer options, given to a couple dozen baby girls each year in the US. It's the…
Spring
Word name
Spring doesn't sound half as contemporary as Winter, which has become the cool season name.
Spruce
Tree name
A handsome, spruced-up post-Bruce tree name.
Squire
French
"esquire"
Conjures up a tweedy English country gentleman with a large paunch.
Star
Word name
Most parents today would prefer the softer-sell Stella. But Star has symbolic power related to Christmas, so this could make one of the perfect names for December babies .
Starling
Bird name
Unusual choice that was the original name of children's illustrator Tasha Tudor, but is an interesting elaboration of Star, taking it into avian territory.
Steel
Word name
Hard and shiny, Steel projects an image that's smooth, macho...and cold to the touch.
Stellar
Storm
Word name
Windswept and dramatic, but perhaps asking for trouble. Quite popular in Denmark and Sweden, where it derives from Stromr, which is a fairly common surname. Storm Thorgerson is a famous bearer of the…
Stormy
Word name; variation of Storm
Stormy is on the rise following the birth of Kylie Jenner's daughter Stormi, although the starbaby's spelling has taken over the lead.
Story
English word name
"an account of incidents or events"
A new unisex word name with a lot of charm, especially appropriate for the child of writers. Soleil Moon Frye named her second baby boy Story and Jenna Elfman called her son Story Elias.
Strawberry
Fruit name
Another entry in the fruit name category, this one borne by writer Strawberry Saroyan, granddaughter of William, so named by her hippie parents. While fruit names may become more familiar, they'll…
Street
English, Word name
An unusual kind of place-name, going beyond a country, state, or city, it was used by actress Elisabeth Shue as a middle name for her daughter Stella.