Hello, my name is badass.
- Jericho
Origin:
Biblical place-nameDescription:
A biblical place name with trumpeting verve and strength.
- Monroe
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"mouth of the Roe river"Description:
Monroe is a presidential name which, thanks to the immortal beauty of Marilyn Monroe, is catching on fast for baby girls. Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon chose it for their twin daughter, honoring Marilyn Monroe. Their use of Monroe as a girls’ name did much to revive this Old Man name, a la Sydney, as a newly fashionable choice for girls.
- Fitz
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"son of"Description:
Any number of Fitz names -- Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Fitzroy, Fitzwilliam -- have been used as Christian names, in fact Fitzwilliam was the given name of the dashing Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. Fitz can be a short form of any of them and is often, like Mac, a nickname drawn from a surname.
- Onyx
Origin:
Word nameMeaning:
"gem stone; claw, nail"Description:
Onyx is a fresh and trending gemstone name for boys, currently in the US Top 500, having climbed the charts rapidly since 2018. Now, an increasing number of girls are receiving the name, with a recent count revealing nearly 200 baby girls were called Onyx in 2023.
- Sloan
Origin:
Spelling variation of SloaneDescription:
Less popular than the Bueller-inspired Sloane but following on its coattails, this name ranks toward the middle of the Top 1000, but we see both spellings sticking around for years to come.
- Tate
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"cheerful"Description:
Though Tate is used almost exclusively for boys, we can see Tate as a stronger surname alternative to Kate or a clipped form of Tatum.
- Sterling
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"of the highest quality"Description:
A name with some sterling qualities, most associated with the British currency and silver markets. Sterling is more commonly a male name or surname, but is occasionally used for girls as well.
- Obsidian
Origin:
English word nameDescription:
This rarely used boys name is one of the few gem names for a boy. Obsidian is actually a type of volcanic glass, formed when lava cools very quickly. This ultra-cool name might spark a love of volcanoes and geology in a little boy.
- Jones
Origin:
English surname derived from JohnMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
This quintessentially common last name makes a distinctive if first, given to more than 230 babies in the US in the most recent year counted. It has doubled in use over the last decade.
- Locke
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"enclosure or fortified place"Description:
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 gender-neutral.
- Tempest
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"turbulent, stormy"Description:
Tempest is one of those names that could go either way. Cool, evocative modern word name? Or asking for trouble? Your call, but if you decide the former image is dominant, be warned that some people will see it as the latter.
- Kitana
Origin:
Video game nameDescription:
Kitana is the name of a character in Mortal Kombat II -- she's a princess who looks young but is actually 10,000 years old. It may be related to the male Persian name Katana, which means honorable, or even more likely to the Japanese word katana which means sword.
- Loki
Origin:
Norse mythological nameMeaning:
"lock"Description:
Loki is the shape-shifting, gender-bending god of mischief in Norse mythology. Taking several animal forms, from a salmon to a seal to a fly, Loki is alternately friend and foe of the gods.
- Eos
Origin:
Greek; WelshMeaning:
"dawn; nightingale"Description:
Eos -- that's pronounced with a short e like eros without the r -- is the Greek Titan of the dawn. Any ancient name with a sleek modern feel has definite revival possibilities. Eos could be an inventive way to honor grandma Dawn.
- Frost
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"freezing"Description:
Long heard as a last name, as in venerable poet Robert, U.K. talk show host David, British actress Sadie and old Jack Frost, Frost has suddenly entered the scene as a possible first, along with other seasonal weather names like Winter and Snow.
- Frost
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"freezing"Description:
Frost is a name parents are beginning to warm to, appreciating its icy simplicity and connection with the venerable poet Robert. Frost, along with Winter, Snow, and January, are also perfect names for winter babies.
- Loki
Origin:
Norse mythological nameMeaning:
"lock"Description:
While god of mischief Loki is usually depicted as a male -- sometimes in animal form -- he gives birth as a mare to the eight-legged horse Sleipnir and also appears in some stories as an elderly woman. The name Loki, in contemporary American, will feel more feminine based solely on its sound.
- Forbes
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"field"Description:
Forbes is a business magazine in the U.S., long led by Malcolm Forbes, with a buttoned-down Brooks Brothers image. If you name your son Forbes, you're definitely implying a connection to the prominent and wealthy family -- which may be exactly what you're intending. But if you have a more down-to-earth image in mind, try Field.
- Norris
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"northerner"Description:
Somehow more modern and likable than Morris or Doris.
- Broderick
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"brother"Description:
Despite its brotherly meaning, sounds rather formal and cold.
