2014 ABC Names List

  1. Magnolia
    • Origin:

      Flower name, from French surname
    • Meaning:

      "Magnol's flower"
    • Description:

      Magnolia, a sweet-smelling Southern belle of a name made famous via the iconic Edna Ferber novel and musical Showboat, is one of the latest wave of botanical names, along with unexpected blossoms Azalea and Zinnia. It is named for French botanist Pierre Magnol.
  2. Rhett
    • Origin:

      English from Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "advice"
    • Description:

      Rhett has been more tied to Gone with the Wind than even Scarlett, but now we're hearing rumblings of its finding new and independent favor among parents, perhaps emboldened by the growing popularity of Scarlett.
  3. Nash
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "by the ash tree"
    • Description:

      Nash is an English surname whose sound puts it right in step with currently trendy names like Cash, Dash and Ash. It first came to prominence via TV character Nash Bridges, portrayed by Don Johnson in the late nineties, and also via mathematician John Nash, played by Russell Crowe in the acclaimed film A Beautiful Mind.
  4. Holden
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "hollow valley"
    • Description:

      Holden is a classic case of a name that jumped out of a book and onto birth certificates--though it took quite a while. Parents who loved J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye are flocking to the name of its hero, Holden Caulfield -- not coincidentally in tune with the Hudson-Hayden-Colton field of names.
  5. Vaughn
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "small"
    • Description:

      Vaughn, also commonly spelled Vaughan, has been used quietly over the years, reaching a peak of Number 349 in 1949. It is now in the process of rediscovery, being seen as a good Sean alternative or an updated way to honor an ancestral Paul (which also means small).
  6. Ivan
    • Origin:

      Russian variation of John
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      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.
  7. Juliette
    • Origin:

      French diminutive of Julia, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "youthful or sky father"
    • Description:

      Juliette, pronounced with the emphasis on the last syllable, adds a little something extra to Juliet. In the past years it has been rising up the chart.
  8. Ford
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller at the ford"
    • Description:

      The long association to the Ford Motor Company doesn't stand in the way of this being a strong, independent, single-syllable name.
  9. Deacon
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "messenger, servant"
    • Description:

      This name was transposed from the word for a church officer to a baby name when Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe chose it for their son, after a baseball player ancestor, and Don Johnson followed suit. Its popularity also got a boost from Nashville character Deacon Claybourne -- only to fall a bit in recent years.
  10. West
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      West is the most fashionable of what you might call the direction names, with North and East (or Easton and Easter) coming up behind, and South not yet on the map.
  11. Zachariah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, form of Zechariah
    • Meaning:

      "the Lord has remembered"
    • Description:

      This distinguished name still feels a bit ancient, but with the rise of such former graybeards as Jeremiah and Elijah, it also sounds child-friendly again, as does the Latin-Greek form Zacharias.
  12. Viveca
    • Origin:

      Swedish, Nordic
    • Meaning:

      "alive, life; place of refuge"
    • Description:

      This is one of the most vibrant and feminine of the names meaning life, and it's sure to gain more attention as the whole sisterhood of Viv- names rise.
  13. Thane
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "clan chieftain"
    • Description:

      This early Scottish title -- known to us via Shakespeare's Macbeth -- has recently surfaced as a baby name possibility, familiar sounding through its similarity to names like Zane and Wayne.
  14. Sutton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from the southern homestead"
    • Description:

      Swanky sound via New York's ritzy Sutton Place. It fits with current popular boys’ names, due to its two syllables and -on ending. It debuted in the US Top 1000 for boys in 2015, though it is currently more popular for girls.
  15. Ulla
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "will, determination"
    • Description:

      Ulla, the beautiful Swedish secretary in The Producers (played by Uma Thurman in the movie) who purrs, "Ven you got it, flaunt it," has changed the image of this name forever. Ulla may stand on its own or be an abbreviation of Ursula or Ulrika; Ula may be seen as another spelling.
  16. Xia
    • Origin:

      Chinese dynastic name
    • Description:

      This name of the first recorded dynasty of ancient China is short and simple enough to make a possible Asian-American alternative to Mia and Tia. British-Filipino child star Xia Vigor has invigorated the name in the Philippines.
  17. Rowen
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Rowan, Scottish and Irish
    • Meaning:

      "rowan tree; little redhead"
    • Description:

      With its soft sounds, its unisex appeal, and its nature connection, Rowan has become a very popular name for both boys and girls, given to nearly four boys for every girl. The Rowen variation maintains the same gender split but is much less popular for both sexes, with nearly four times as many babies named Rowan as Rowen.
  18. Linden
    • Origin:

      English tree name
    • Meaning:

      "tree of the genus Tilla"
    • Description:

      Though this name of a sturdy tree that can live for centuries was quite popular for boys in the first half of the twentieth century, at this point in time we can see Linden as a fresh-sounding possibility for a little girl named to honor an Aunt Linda. Early pagans and Christians embraced the Linden as a holy tree, thought to aid healing and often planted near churches. The Linden is the mythological symbol of truth, peace, and justice; court cases and marriage ceremonies were often held beneath Linden trees. The Linden tree is associated with the goddess Freya.
  19. Justus
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "just"
    • Description:

      More unusual than Justin, less word-like than Justice, this New Testament name could make an intriguing choice. After being off the popularity lists from 1904 to 1993, it is now being used in steady numbers.
  20. Zahra
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "flower"
    • Description:

      Abbreviated form of Zahara that was used by Chris Rock for his daughter and as a middle name by both Eddie Murphy and David Bowie. Compared with the even-more-abbreviated Zara, Zahra may create more spelling problems but clarify pronunciation.

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