User-created list
Cigar-chomping, brandy-swilling future generation
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Valdemar
Nordic variation of Vladimir
Ten years ago we would have advised people to steer clear of this name (and maybe choose the similar sounding Walter instead); but with the rise of other Nordic and Eastern European names like Viggo…
Dasha
Diminutive of Dariya or Darya, Russian
"possessing goodness"
An energetic — dare we say dashing — Russian diminutive of Darya that hasn't caught on in the same way as Sasha has in the English speaking world. Singer Dasha (born Anna Dasha Novotny) , actress,…
Lowell
French
"young wolf"
Lowell is an upstanding and somewhat conservative name that calls to mind the genteel patrician families of nineteenth century New England, such as the one poet Robert Lowell was born into. Two other…
Tennyson
English
"son of Dennis"
Few people would have considered the surname of this famous Victorian poet as a first name until Russell Crowe chose it for his son in 2006. But, as a rhythmic three-syllable patronymic, Tennyson has…
Elspeth
Scottish variation of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Elspeth is one of those names that never quite made it out of the British Isles--particularly Scotland, but possesses a winningly childlike charm. Elspeth was used by Sir Walter Scott for several of…
Winslow
English
"friend's hill"
Winston meets Marlow in this surname-style choice, blending old-fashioned charm and a hint of stuffiness with a bit of modern edge and breeziness too. Borne by the distinguished American landscape…
Tarquin
Latin, Roman clan name
One of the few ancient Roman names that doesn't end in us, the rarely heard Tarquin has a decidedly creative, even dramatic flair, which could appeal to the parent looking for a strikingly original…
Yale
Welsh
"vigorous, fertile"
Ivy League choice many will mistake for the Israeli favorite Yael, which has a different root and meaning.
Fallon
Irish
"leader"
Fallon was one of the first of the unisex surname names, but thanks to "Dynasty" in the 1980s it now has a feminine image. For a boy, try Phelan instead.
Afton
Place-name
"Æffa's farmstead"
A Scottish town and river name, Afton has a cool, contemporary sound, similar to Alden, Austen, Effie, and Aspen. Derived from Old English, it could mean "Æffa's farmstead", Æffa being an Anglo-Saxon…
Harvard
English
"army guard"
With Yale and Brown in the mainstream, why not this upscale college name and surname as well.
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…
Carlton
See CARLETON.
Lavinia
Latin, from ancient place name Lavinium
Lavinia is a charmingly prim and proper Victorian-sounding name which actually dates back to classical mythology, where it was the name of the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was considered the…
Wylie
English, Scottish
"from the Wylye River, from the willow clearing; resolute protection"
Wylie is a friendly rodeo name with the unisex vibe of Riley and the cowboy air of Wesley and Wyatt. Also spelled as Wiley, two forms have been out of the US charts since the 1940s and 1970s…
Wynn
Welsh
"fair, blessed"
Wynn is an attractive Welsh name, originally male but now also used for girls outside of Wales. The authentic feminine version would be Gwen, which derives from the same very productive gwyn element,…
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…
Rush
English
"basket weaver"
Might suggest speed, excitement, even danger, were it not for its best-known bearer, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh.
Stellan
Swedish, meaning unknown, possibly "calm"
"calm"
Stellan is a strong, attractive, Scandinavian possible up-and-comer, known through actor Stellan Skarsgard, and his namesake, the son of Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany. Its trendy 'an' ending and…
Keats
English literary name
"kite"
Poetic and easy to pronounce (it's keets), this is one of many poets' names to consider, such as Auden, Eliot, Frost, Byron, Lorca, Marlowe, Blake, Emerson and Tennyson. Likely meaning "kite", in…