User-created list
GP Names
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Hawk
Nature name
"hawk, a bird"
Animal names are on the rise, especially more of the aggressive Hawk-Fox-Wolf variety than cute little Bunnys or Robins, and Hawk is a prime example. Hawk is more commonly heard as a surname,…
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…
Genesis
Word name, Biblical
"the origin and formation of something; The First Book in The Bible"
Though Genesis is a Top 100 girls' name in the US, it's by all rights a unisex choice. Derived from Greek, it means "birth" or "origin", making it a word name and a Biblical name, Genesis also shares…
Treat
English word and nickname
One of the magical words of childhood (and beyond), and associated with actor Treat (born Richard) Williams, whose nickname came from ancestor Robert Treat Williams, a signer of the Declaration of…
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…
Lake
Nature name
Evocative modern unisex choice brought into the spotlight by actress Lake Bell.
Calypso
Greek
"she who hides"
This hyper-rhythmic name has two evocative references. In Greek mythology, she was an island nymph, a daughter of Atlas, who delayed Odysseus from returning home. It is also a genre of West Indian…
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.
Wolfgang
German
"traveling wolf"
A name with plenty of grandeur, but a playful nickname, Wolfgang blends sophistication, wildness, and gothic imagery. While it may feel surprising in this century, it does have an allure for those…
Oswald
English
"divine power"
Despite the success of so many O-starting boys names --Oliver, Owen, Otis, Oscar--Oswald has not yet shown any signs of resurrection, though he does have the animating nicknames Ozzie/Ozzy and Oz.…
Traveler
Occupational name
One of the less obvious newly plausible occupational names, could instill a sense of adventure in a child.
Brutus
Latin
"heavy, dull"
Brutus is the quintessential brute--far too close to the word brutal. And any child with this name would spend much of his life hearing "Et tu." Originally an old Roman family name, borne by Marcus…
Hannibal
Punic and Assyrian
"grace of Baal, god of fertility and fortune"
These days, it's thought of less as the name of the great general and more as the first name of Lecter the fictional cannibal. Either association is too heavy for a child to bear.
Bayou
Nature name
A slow and sultry southern choice that's definitely cool for babies of either gender.
Huckleberry
Word name and literary name
Everybody knows Huckleberry Finn, the Mark Twain character named, Twain said, for the 19th century slang term for "humble." A few modern parents have put it on a birth certificate, including "Man Vs.…
Woodrow
English
"row of houses by a wood"
Aside from President Wilson (born Thomas), most Woodrows, including Herman, Guthrie, and Harrelson, have chosen to be known as Woody, which says it all.
Field
Nature name
More unusual than Forest or Forrest, Field is a nature name that is simple, evocative, and fresh--sort of the male equivalent of Meadow. Field and Fields are both relatively common surnames, noted…
Taliesin
Welsh
"shining brow"
Poetic and handsome with a hint of mystique and magic around it, this rugged Welsh name may appeal as an alternative to Tristan or Taran. Meaning "shining, radiant brow", the name is associated with…
Silver
English word name
This shimmery Age of Aquarius unisex flower child name is making a comeback, along with metal and gem names like Steel, Jade, and Ruby.
Reason
English word name
"a statement offered in explanation or justification"
A provocative word name that may strike the right chord for an adventurous baby namer, Reason has begun to sound, well, more reasonable as a name in recent years. While it did first feature in the US…