User-created list
Names inspired by towns and cities
Across 7 pages
of 7
Steele
English
"steel"
This steely surname has a macho image that might feel more appropriate for a romance novel than a baby. But on the upside, it's also sleek and modern, familiar yet unusual, given to only around 100…
Kodiak
Alutiiq, Native American,"island"
"island"
Kodiak Island, off the coast of Alaska, is the second largest island in the US as well as a baby name getting some attention, especially for boys and especially in Washington State.
Bethel
Hebrew
"house of God"
A rarely used Biblical place-name with a soft and pleasant sound.
Homer
Greek
"security, hostage, pledge"
Homer is a name of two halves, associated with the ancient Greek poet of the epic Odyssey and with the (often) doltish patriarch of The Simpsons . So does that make Homer a classic and scholarly…
Seward
English
"sea defender"
Double whammy: the expression "Seward's folly" and inevitable sewer jokes.
Ester
Variation of Esther, Hebrew
"star"
This simplified spelling is a bit too polyester, though this is also the authentic Slavic version of an Old Testament name that's being rediscovered.
Fritz
German, diminutive of Friedrich or Frederick
"peaceful ruler"
Since female cousins Mitzi and Fritzi have entered the realm of possibilities, there's a chance that Cousin Fritz could as well. Fritz is the name of several notables, from early German-born film…
Anchor
Word name
"heavy object used to moor a ship; provide with a solid foundation"
Plausible word name, denoting strength and stability, currently given to a small handful of boys in the US each year.
Haines
English, German
"enclosure, hedge"
A preppy surname of hidden German origin that would fit right in with currently trendy s-ending boy names like Brooks and Hayes, Haines ultimately comes from the name Hagen. Also spelled as Haynes,…
Craig
Scottish
"from the rocks"
Craig is a single-syllable baby-boomer name, still common in its native Scotland, but most modern Americans would prefer something like Kyle.
Diamond
Word name, English from Greek
"diamond"
Diamond sparkled all through the nineties--reaching as high as Number 150 in 1999. Although its shine has diminished quite a bit, it remains in use. Followers of the British royal family may know…
Hooper
English occupational name
"hoop-maker"
Lively, friendly surname that might appeal to basketball fans.
Bay
English word, Old English
"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice. This name is also associated with bay leaves, the bay laurel, the contemporary term of endearment, "bae", and the Old English word…
Delta
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,…
Cove
English
"small bay"
Cove is an up-and-coming nature name whose cool sound and peaceful image saw it rising for both sexes... until COVID-19 hit. It remained steady in use for boys in 2021, but actually increased for…
Fox
Animal name
Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files . Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting…
Happy
English word name
"happy, joy"
Many virtue names have long been in style or have seen a resurgence in recent years. Happy, however joyous, seems unlikely to join this trend. This could be because it doesn't have a solid history of…
Sun
Korean
"good, kind, virtuous"
A simple and appealing unisex Korean name with many possible meanings, depending on the hanja characters used. Coincides with the English word "sun", which is a nice bonus.
Yuma
North American Indian
"son of a chief"
The a ending gives it a feminine feel.
Rock
Word name or diminutive of Rocco
"rock or rest"
Rock definitely has a macho image, if a somewhat caricatured one, ala The Rock. But with the rise of word names and also of tough guy names, Rock feels more plausible than it did a generation ago.