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Family Names
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Hayden
English place name
"hay valley"
Hayden – a formerly obscure name that's risen to huge popularity – has dipped in this year's ratings. Though Hayden is among the most distinctive of the bunch, it gets lost in the crowd of Jaidens,…
Ivan
Russian variation of John
"God is gracious"
Though some might find it a bit heavy-booted, Ivan is one of the few Russian boys' names to become fully accepted into the American naming pool. Ivan is, of course, ubiquitous in Russian culture.…
Jason
Greek
"to heal"
Jason, the Number 3 name for the entire decade of the 1970s -- thus the title of our original baby-naming book, Beyond Jennifer & Jason -- is more likely to be dad's name now than baby's, but it's…
Tucker
English occupational name
"fabric pleater"
Tucker has more spunk than most last-name-first-names, and also a positive, comforting ("Tuck me in, Mommy") feel. Tucker got something of a preppy image via bow-tied conservative TV commentator…
Ryker
German
"rich"
As a stylish name, Ryker has three big things going for it: its Ry beginning (as in Riley, Ryder, and Rylan), its two-syllable rhythm, and its er ending. A nice surprise for many is it's "rich"…
Bailey
English occupational name
"law enforcer, bailiff"
Bailey — a jaunty surname — was first used for a female TV character in 1978 in the show WKRP in Cincinnaati , then caught on big time. Bailey's still an appealing choice, though, and a celebrity…
Edward
English
"wealthy guardian"
Unlike perennials William, John and James, Edward is a classic that moves in and out of fashion. This royal Anglo-Saxon standard has benefited in recent years from the popularity of the hot hero of…
Justin
Latin
"fair, righteous"
Justin has been widely popular since the 1980s, when parents were seeking a fresher 'J' boys’ name to replace Jason, Jeremy and Jonathan. It's been dipping in popularity a bit in recent years but it…
Mark
Latin
"warlike"
Mark has the rare appeal of a strong, sleek name with a minimalist modern feel and ancient roots. The name Mark is taken from the Roman god of war Mars, also the namesake of the planet. After…
Faith
Virtue name
Faith is one of the most straightforward of the virtue names popularized by the Puritans in the seventeenth century, many parents still choosing it as an indicator of their religious conviction.…
Evie
Diminutive of Eve or Eva, English or Latin
"life"
Evie was derived from the English Eve or the Latin Eva, which in turn come from Chawwah, a Hebrew name related to the concept of life. Evie can be used as a nickname for any name that starts with…
Steven
English variation of Stephen
"garland, crown"
Steven, the phonetic and now predominant spelling of the classier Stephen, has finally dropped out of the Top 100 after seventy years. Steve has become one of the ultimate regular-guy names, right up…
Derek
English from German form of Theodoric
"the people's ruler"
Derek started out as a sophisticated Brit, but the name became so common over the last decades of the twentieth century that it lost much of its English accent, along with its stylish edge. Derek was…
Jeremy
English form of Jeremiah, Hebrew
"appointed by God"
This one-time trendy form of Jeremiah hovered just outside the Top 25 throughout the 1970s and 80s. Though off its peak, it's still in the Top 300 in the US for baby boys, and might be considered a…
Morgan
Welsh
"sea-born, sea-song or sea-circle"
Morgan has long been a traditional Welsh male name, a variant of the Old Welsh name Morcant, from the Welsh elements mor , meaning "sea" and cant , "circle." The female Morgan is unrelated to the…
Brooke
English
"small stream"
Brooke has long projected an aura of sleek sophistication, and can also be seen as a stylish water name. It was Brooke Shields (born Christa) who took it from quietly fashionable to ultra trendy when…
Blake
English
"fair-haired, dark"
Blake -- an early unisex option -- dropped out of the Top 100 in 2017 for the first time since 1988, but remains a sophisticated choice. And yes, both conflicting meanings of Blake are accurate. It…
Kaden
Spelling variation of Kayden, modern invented name
"round or barrel"
A popular member of the -ayden family, Kaden ranks alongside Kaiden, Kayden, Kasen, Kade, Caiden, Cade, and Caden in the US Top 1000. A 90s invention that took off in the 2000s, Kaden is concise and…
Brian
Irish
"strong, virtuous, and honorable"
The origins of the name Brian are not entirely clear, but it is suspected that it evolved from an Old Celtic word related to nobility. In Ireland the name is associated with Brian Boru, the most…
Heidi
Diminutive of Adelheid; German
"noble, nobility"
Heidi became known — and popular — via the 1880 eponymous children's classic by Swiss writer Johanna Spyri and, despite decades of American Heidis of all sizes, shapes, and personalities, the name…