User-created list
By jaesep20 · Updated May 2023
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German occupational name
"roofer"
Brawny name chosen for his son by rocker Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue.
English
"loyal one"
Truman is an upstanding presidential name that radiates an aura of integrity and moral truth, values any parent would want for a child. It seems definitely headed for a revival. Also associated with…
Hebrew
"servant of God"
For the seriously audacious biblical baby namer who wants to move beyond Elijah and Josiah, this name has considerable old-fangled charm. Obadiah, who gave his name to one of the shortest books in…
"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.
"oak tree"
The boys' name Elon is best known today as the name of Elon Musk, eccentric billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX. With Canadian singer Grimes, Elon Musk has a son with an even more unusual name, X…
German
"farmer, tiller of the soil"
A surname name with an occupational background, but although it derives from the German language it is not used as a first name there as it has pejorative connotations – sometimes used as slag for an…
American place-name
"Charles' town"
Lovers of the languid South Carolina city might be attracted to this rich-sounding name. Could make an interesting update on Charles -- and can certainly work for a girl too. Actor Joey Lawrence used…
English from German
"territory"
Lander is a name that straddles two trends. It's an er-ending surname name, ala Cooper and Carter. And it's also, more subtly, a green name, in the manner of Fielder or Reed.
Slavic
"to fight"
Boris is one of the old Russian names being revived by chic Europeans; it hasn't quite made a comeback yet in the U.S., but it does have potential. For a long time the name has been associated with…
"valley of the Welsh"
Walden is a recent entrant to the en-ending boys' names trend, a name that summons up placid images of Thoreau's two-year stay contemplating nature near Walden Pond. A quite different image came into…
"Ella's hill; old friend"
A name with old-fashioned charm, akin to Elton, Elwin, and Elwood, Elden is a variation of two Old English names, Eldon or Alden. Meaning "Ella's hill" or "old friend", it combines strength and…
English surname and occupational name
"shoemaker"
Sutter is a new entry to the fashionable class of occupational surnames, brought to the fore by the hero of the 2013 indie film The Spectacular Now. More masculine than Sutton and more distinctive…
"dweller on burnt land"
Less commercial-sounding than Brand.
Irish variation of Raymond
"wise protector"
We love this partly for purely personal reasons, since it is one of our surnames. We used it as the middle name of a son –and it can make a good first choice too. Redmond – also found as Reamann or…
"red ford"
An unusual surname-style choice with a strong meaning and potential for nicknames Ford and Red. Associated with the actor Robert Redford, it was also used for a one of the main characters in the 2019…
"dweller by the wood"
With the current taste for last names first, this sounds a lot cooler than Shawn; it also has creative connections to the great Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, novelist Irwin Shaw, and Big…
French variation of Taylor
"tailor"
Thayer is an affable, less-common alternative to Taylor, with a much more indirect connection to its occupational source. Actor Thayer David (born David Thayer: Thayer was his father's first name)…
French
"gold town"
Only if you're an aviation buff or seriously addicted to popcorn.
English occupational name
"weaver"
Webster is one of several W-starting surname names back on the drawing board, now that it has recovered from its childlike eighties sitcom identity. Webster was used in respectable numbers in the…
"marshy land near the sea"
Out playing shuffleboard at his condo and not expected back for several generations -- unless it morphs into a girls' name, a la Sydney.