Interesting but NMS

By mermuse · Updated January 2023

Names124

Pages7

Total Names124

Across 7 pages

Page1

of 7

About this list

Names that I like or at least interest me for some reason, but which I would probably never really use for a child. (Maybe a character, but not a child!)

The names

Showing 1–20 of 124

Ayla
Hebrew or Turkish
"oak tree; halo, moonlight"
Bright, fresh, and sunny, Ayla is a fashionable and exciting international choice for girls. Reminiscent of other trending names such as Layla, Isla, and Ava, Ayla has recently found its place in the…
Hadley
English
"heather field"
Hadley, most famous as the name of Ernest Hemingway's first wife, is more sophisticated, professional, and modern than cousins Harley, Haley, or Hayden. The hit book The Paris Wife , a novel by Paula…
Ozias
Greek, Hebrew
"my strength is God"
A cool Biblical option that entered the US Top 1000 for the first time ever in 2024, Ozias gets extra points for its user-friendly nicknames Oz and Ozzie or Ozzy. Given to around 280 boys in 2024, it…
Aarav
Hindi
"peaceful"
Aarav is derived from the Sanskrit root "rav," which is related to peace and music. Aarav is also associated with the concept of wisdom. It has traditionally been a common name among Hindus, who…
Azaiah
Hebrew
"my strength is Yahweh"
With Azariah and Azriel in the Top 1000, and Ezra, Josiah, and Isaiah in the Top 100, it makes sense that this lesser known Hebrew choice is being revived in the US. Most likely deriving from Uzziah…
Elowen
Cornish
"elm"
A beautiful modern Cornish nature name that is rapidly picking up steam in the States: even spawning variant spellings like Elowyn and Elowynn. In its native region, it wasn't widely used as a name…
Axton
English
"sword stone"
Macho to the max. But with the rise of x as a fashionable letter anywhere it appears in a name, ala Jaxson or Maxon, we may be hearing more of Axton.
Cormac
Irish
"charioteer"
Both offbeat and upbeat, this evocative traditional Irish name that runs through Celtic mythology is known here via award-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy (born Charles). The author's adopted name is…
Calloway
English from Latin
"pebbly place"
Calloway is one of those irresistibly jaunty, animated three-syllable surnames, like Sullivan, Rafferty and Finnegan — but this one has the added attraction of jazzy ties to the immortal "Dean of…
Tariq
Arabic
"the one who knocks at the door"
A strong and confident name growing in popularity, in numerous spellings.
Brisa
Spanish
"breeze"
Brisa is commonly used in Latino families, all but unheard of in others.
Camellia
English flower name from Czech surname
"Kamel's flower"
Camellia is a rare flower name with distinct roots related to the Camille/Camila group and has varied associations to the moon, water, wealth, and perfection. It could be thought of as a floral…
Kenton
English
"the royal settlement"
Although Kenton has the trendy K beginning and on ending, and a jazz reference to Stan Kenton, it still manages to sound stiff and old-fashioned.
Leonora
Italian diminutive of Eleonora or Eleanor, meaning unknown
Its mellifluous sound makes Leonora--which has a rich history and a tie to the popular Leo names-- a keen possibility for revival. Though it's been hiding below the Top 1000 since the 1940s, Leonora…
Holt
English
"son of the unspoiled forests"
Has that blunt masculine feel -- à la Cole and Kyle -- that many modern parents are drawn to.
Sade
Finnish, Nigerian and Yoruba, diminutive of Folashade
"rain; honor bestows a crown"
The one-named singer clarified the confusing pronunciation on this one (in her case, it's shah-DAY), but a number of parents have looked for more phonetic spellings. The Finnish version means "rain."
Banner
English occupational name
"flag bearer"
An undiscovered option among occupational names, as of 2023, Banner has never been used for more than 100 baby boys in a single year. It does have charm however, much due to its associations with…
Buckley
English
"meadow of the deer"
Mama's boy.
Locke
English
"enclosure or fortified place"
Usually adding an e to the end of a name makes it more feminine, but Locke is at most recent count used only for baby boys. Still, this stylishly strong one-syllable name is theoretically…
Uzziah
Hebrew
"my power is Yahweh"
Uzziah was an Old Testament king of Judah, among other personages. The initial U is a bit funky for modern tastes; we don't see this one enjoying a revival ala Isaiah and Noah anytime soon.

Interesting but NMS

About this list

The names

Ayla

Hadley

Ozias

Aarav

Azaiah

Elowen

Axton

Cormac

Calloway

Tariq

Brisa

Camellia

Kenton

Leonora

Holt

Sade

Banner

Buckley

Locke

Uzziah