Edgy baby names trade polish for personality. The 100 picks below run from one-syllable word names like Blade and Storm to myth-heavy choices like Athena and Odin, and every one of them has a real origin behind it.
Popularity here comes from U.S. Social Security Administration birth records, so you can see how common a name actually is before you commit. Olivia and Liam topped the 2025 list for the seventh year running (1), and the fastest-rising boys’ name that year, Kasai, climbed 1,108 spots to #639.
Some names here are already mainstream: Harper ranked #16 and Hudson #17 for 2025. Others, like Falcon at #12,623, are close to unheard of. Both kinds are below, with meanings, pronunciations, namesakes and current U.S. rankings.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Harper, Hudson, Aria, Luna and Scarlett.
- Harper
- Hudson
- Aria
- Luna
- Scarlett
100 Cool Edgy Names for Boys and Girls
Forge ahead with these edgy baby names so your little one blazes their unique path in life.
Ace
Ace is the card at the top of the deck and the word we reach for when someone is simply the best at what they do. That double duty gives it a confident, slightly cocky sound. It is short enough to shout across a playground, and it already works fine as its own nickname.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: One, unity
- Pronunciation: EYZ
- Variations: Acea, Ayce
- Namesakes: Ace Atkins, an American journalist at The Tampa Tribune who was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Ace Rusevski, a Macedonian boxer and bronze medalist at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Ace ranked #164 for boys in the U.S. in 2025, when 2,239 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #152 in 2022.
Adonis
Adonis carries the weight of Greek myth, where the young man loved by Aphrodite became shorthand for beauty itself. The name traces back to the Greek adon, meaning lord, so it is associated with strength as much as with looks. It reads formal on paper and softens fast in speech. For parents who want myth without reaching for Zeus or Apollo, it is the bolder middle path.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Handsome
- Pronunciation: Ah-DAA-nahs
- Variations: Adohnes, Adones
- Namesakes: Adonis (born Michael Smith), an American acid house musician known for the song “No Way Back.” Adonis Del Rosario, a Dominican baseball player for the New York Mets.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Adonis at #241 for boys in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1918. Its best showing was #175 in 2023.
Aja
Aja means goat in Hindi, an earthy meaning that keeps the name grounded even though it sounds airy. It doubles as an African-American girl’s name and as a Czech pet form of Alena, so it moves between cultures easily. Greek myth adds a forest goddess to the mix. It reads equally at home in every one of those cultures, with no obvious nickname trailing behind it.
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: Goat
- Pronunciation: EY-Jhaa
- Variations: Aija, Ajah
- Namesakes: Aja Brown, the former mayor of Compton, California. Aja Huang, a Taiwanese computer scientist who works for DeepMind.
- Popularity: Aja sits at #3,461 among U.S. girls in 2025, roughly one baby in 37,037. Births are down about 38 percent on the previous decade.
Archer
Archer began as a job title, the man with the bow, and it still sounds like someone with steady aim. It has been in use since the 1800s, old enough to feel settled and unusual enough to catch an ear on a class list. Arch and Archie soften it for the toddler years. The sound is calm, but nobody would call it plain.
- Origin: English, Latin
- Meaning: Bowman
- Pronunciation: AARCH-ehr
- Variations: Archar, Archere, Archor
- Namesakes: Archer Maclean, a British video game programmer and author of Dropzone. Archer Martin, a British chemist, and co-winner of the 1952 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
- Popularity: In 2025, Archer ranked #98 for boys in the U.S. Births are up about 341 percent on the previous decade.
Ardan
Ardan comes from the Gaelic ardanach, meaning high aspiration, and Celtic legend gives the name to a son of Usna. It also belongs to the Ardan family of Warwick, so myth and record both back it up. The sound sits close to Arden and Aidan without copying either.
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: Green forest
- Pronunciation: AAR-Dahn
- Variations: Arden, Ardun
- Popularity: Ardan ranked #7,232 for boys in the U.S. in 2025, when 11 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #6,334 in 2012.
Aria
Aria is the solo an opera singer waits all night to deliver, which hands the name a built-in sense of drama. It also reads as lioness in Greek and noble in Persian, so the softness arrives with backbone. Three vowels keep it flowing, and Ari works fine on its own when the full version feels like too much.
- Origin: Latin, Italian
- Meaning: Melody
- Pronunciation: AAR-iy-Ah
- Variations: Ariah, Arya
- Namesakes: Aria de Vries-Noordam, a Dutch Paralympic athlete who competed at the 1972 Summer Paralympics. Aria Dean, an American artist with written work for Artforum and Art in America.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Aria at #26 for girls in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1900. Its best showing was #19 in 2018.
Aries
Aries is the ram of the zodiac, the headfirst, charge-at-it sign, and the name means ram outright. It looks ancient and sounds modern, closer to Ari and Aiden than to anything stuffy. Short, sharp, and hard to forget.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Ram
- Pronunciation: AER-iyz
- Variations: Arese, Aryes
- Namesakes: Aries Spears, an American comedian on the Fox sketch comedy series MADtv.
- Popularity: Aries sits at #661 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 4,098. Births are up about 176 percent on the previous decade.
Asa
In the Bible, Asa is the name of a king, and in Hebrew it carries the sense of healer or doctor. Three letters, two syllables, and it reads clean on a boy or a girl. The Norse connection gives it another layer for parents who like a name with more than one history behind it. It is the kind of choice that still fits at forty.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Healer
- Pronunciation: EY-Sah
- Variations: Ase, Asah
- Namesakes: Asa Candler, the American founder of The Coca-Cola Company in 1892. Asa Andrew, an American author, known for the book Empowering Your Health in 2007.
- Popularity: In 2025, Asa ranked #483 for boys in the U.S. Births are up about 46 percent on the previous decade.
Astrid
Astrid comes from the Old Norse Astridr, built from ass, meaning god, and fridr, meaning beautiful. The readings godly strength and impulsive sit right beside that, which is a lot of personality for six letters. Author Astrid Lindgren gave the world Pippi Longstocking, and Princess Astrid of Norway carries it into European royal circles today. It sounds crisp and a little severe in the best way, like a name that will not be talked over.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Divinely beautiful
- Pronunciation: AAS-Trihd
- Variations: Astrad, Astread, Astred, Astryd
- Namesakes: Astrid Lindgren, a Swedish writer best known for her books featuring Pippi Longstocking. Princess Astrid, the second daughter of King Olav V of Norway.
- Popularity: Astrid ranked #376 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 818 babies were given the name. That is its highest U.S. rank to date.
Athena
Athena is the goddess of wisdom and warfare in Greek mythology, a pairing few names offer. The name and the city of Athens share a root, so there is a map behind the myth. Three syllables give it a formal ring, and Thena cuts it down fast.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Goddess of wisdom
- Pronunciation: Ah-THIY-naa
- Variations: Atheena, Athina
- Namesakes: Athena Manoukian, a Greek-Armenian singer who competed in the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest. Athena Loizides, a Greek-Cypriot TV presenter and cookbook author known for the book Recipes from all Over in 2007.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Athena at #109 for girls in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1902. Its best showing was #76 in 2023.
Atlas
Atlas comes from the Greek Titan who held the sky on his shoulders, and the word still names a book of maps. It also reads as bearer of the heavens, which is about as celestial as two syllables get. The hard consonants keep it from going soft.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: To carry
- Pronunciation: AET-Lahs
- Variations: Atlass, Attlas, Attlass
- Namesakes: Rick Ordonez (known as Atlas), an American graffiti artist known for drawings of stylized cats. Richard Young (ring name Atlas Ortiz), an American wrestler with WWE.
- Popularity: Atlas sits at #75 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 387. Births are up about 1322 percent on the previous decade.
August
August is a short form of the Latin Augustus, meaning exalted and venerable, a title the Roman emperor Augustus Octavian wore first. It is a month and a mood at once, since the adjective august still means dignified. Gus waits in the wings for the playground years. The name reads warm on a boy and works just as well on a girl.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Great, magnificent
- Pronunciation: AW-Guhst
- Variations: Augustus, Augustine
- Namesakes: August Wilson (born Frederick Kittel), an American playwright known for The Pittsburgh Cycle plays. August Lass, an Estonian footballer for the Estonian national team.
- Popularity: In 2025, August ranked #81 for boys in the U.S. Births are up about 256 percent on the previous decade.
Aura
In Greek myth, Aura was the Titan of the breeze, the one tied to early morning air. The soft breeze reading matches the sound, which is all vowels and no edges. It is short enough to survive any surname and unisex without feeling like a compromise.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Wind
- Pronunciation: AO-Raa
- Variations: Aurah
- Namesakes: Maria Joensen (known as Aura Dione), a Danish singer known for the #1 German single I Will Love You Monday (365). Aura Twarowska, a Romanian soloist at the Vienna State Opera from 2007 to 2016.
- Popularity: Aura ranked #817 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 333 babies were given the name. That is its highest U.S. rank to date.
Ayla
Ayla means deer or gazelle, and in Turkish it describes the halo of light around the moon, one of the prettiest images a two-syllable name can carry. Hebrew adds oak tree, so it is delicate and sturdy at once. English speakers get it right on the first try.
- Origin: Hebrew, Turkish
- Meaning: Deer, gazelle
- Pronunciation: EY-Laa
- Variations: Aylah
- Namesakes: Ayla Kazım, the first female member of the House of Representatives of Cyprus. Ayla Brown, the official anthem singer of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Ayla at #77 for girls in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1963. Its best showing was #69 in 2024.
Blade
Blade started as the English surname Blades, carried by families in Yorkshire, and traces to the Old English blaed, meaning sword or tool. It is about as blunt as a name gets and makes no apology for it. Parents who love it usually love it instantly; there is no middle ground with a name that means knife.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Knife
- Pronunciation: BLEYD
- Variations: Blaede, Blayde
- Namesakes: Alfred Dobalo (known as Blade), an American wrestler and one-half of the Master Blasters with Steel in the WCW.
- Popularity: Blade sits at #3,454 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 52,632. Births are down about 34 percent on the previous decade.
Blaze
Blaze comes from the Latin blaesus, which meant stutter or lisp, an origin with nothing to do with fire and everything to do with the French name Blaise. The modern reading is pure flame, though, and that is what parents hear. It is loud, quick, and impossible to mumble.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Fire, flame
- Pronunciation: BLEYZ
- Variations: Blaez, Blaiz
- Namesakes: Blaze Jordan, an American baseball player for the Boston Red Sox. Blaze Bayley (born Bayley Cooke), the English lead singer of the band Wolfsbane from 1984 to 1994.
- Popularity: In 2025, Blaze ranked #781 for boys in the U.S. Its best showing was #707 in 2015.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn traces to the Dutch breukelen, meaning broken land, and to an English surname for someone who lived near a brook. The borough gave it the swagger; the surname gave it roots. Two syllables, one strong stress, and Brook covers it when the full version feels like a mouthful.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: New York City borough
- Pronunciation: BRUW-Klihn
- Variations: Brookelyn, Brooklen, Brooklynne
- Namesakes: Brooklyn Nelson, an American actress appearing in the stage version of Disney’s Frozen in 2018. Brooklyn Decker, the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl.
- Popularity: Brooklyn ranked #118 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 2,300 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #21 in 2011.
Cage
Cage is based on the French cagier and the Latin cavea, both meaning enclosure or container. It once pointed at prisoners, and that shadow is exactly what makes it interesting now. It sounds sturdy on a birth certificate and just as sturdy shouted across a yard.
- Origin: Latin, French
- Meaning: Enclosure
- Pronunciation: KEYJH
- Namesakes: Christian Palko (known as Cage), an American rapper and one of the founders of the hip hop group The Weathermen.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Cage at #7,273 for boys in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1992. Its best showing was #2,185 in 2012.
Callie
Callie is a pet form of the Greek Callista, meaning lovely, and Greek myth gives Callisto as a nymph in the company of Artemis. It also works as a short form of Caroline, so the long version is yours to choose or skip. The double l keeps it bouncy, friendly without being frilly.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Beautiful
- Pronunciation: KAEL-iy
- Variations: Caleigh, Cali, Calli, Calie, Calley
- Namesakes: Callie Granade, the first female judge in the U.S. District Court for Alabama. Callie Crossley, an American radio presenter at WGBH Boston.
- Popularity: Callie sits at #175 among U.S. girls in 2025, roughly one baby in 917. Births are up about 26 percent on the previous decade.
Chance
Chance began as a short form of the English Chauncey and as a surname meaning luck. It is a word name that says something hopeful without tipping into sugary. One syllable, no spelling questions, and it sounds as good on a toddler as it will on a business card.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Good fortune
- Pronunciation: CHAHNS
- Variations: Chanse
- Namesakes: Chance Thomas, an American music composer for video games like The Lord of the Rings Online. Chance Bateman, an Australian rules footballer for the Hawthorn Football Club.
- Popularity: In 2025, Chance ranked #442 for boys in the U.S. Births are down about 20 percent on the previous decade.
Clover
Clover comes from the Old English clafre and points straight at the meadow flower. The four-leaf version is the one everyone pictures, which lends the name a small charm of its own. It reads sweet without being fussy.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Meadow flower
- Pronunciation: KLOW-Vaher
- Variations: Claefer
- Namesakes: Clover Moore, the longest serving Lord Mayor of Sydney, Australia since 2004. Marian “Clover” Adams, an American socialite and the inspiration for Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady.
- Popularity: Clover ranked #517 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 578 babies were given the name. That is its highest U.S. rank to date.
Coal
Coal is the rock that heated houses and ran trains, and it carries the readings swarthy and coal black. It also works as a nickname for Nicholas, which softens it for anyone who finds the word name too stark. It sits one letter from Cole and a world away in tone. In the middle spot it adds grit without taking over.
- Origin: British
- Meaning: Rocky
- Pronunciation: KOWL
- Variations: Coale, Cole
- Popularity: U.S. records put Coal at #9,902 for boys in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1994. Its best showing was #6,101 in 2016.
Crow
Crow began as the Anglo-Saxon surname Crowe, handed to anyone said to resemble the bird. Crows are known for remembering faces, so the name arrives with a reputation for sharpness. It is a cool name with a dark feather on it, short and a little wild.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Bird
- Pronunciation: KROW
- Variations: Crowe
- Namesakes: Little Crow III, a Dakota chief in a five-week war against the U.S. in 1862. David Loiseau (known as The Crow), a Canadian mixed martial artist and the TKO World Middleweight Champion.
- Popularity: Crow sits at #9,911 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 250,000.
Cyrus
Cyrus belongs to the founder of the Persian empire, and the Bible reads the name as heir or throne. Later Persian kings carried it too, so there is a long line of crowns behind it. The sound is regal without being stiff, closer to a title than a casual name. Cyrus Smith led American Airlines for over three decades, and Cyrus Mistry’s DSC Prize winning novel gave the name a literary edge outside the boardroom.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: Sun
- Pronunciation: SAY-Rahs
- Variations: Cirus, Cyress, Cyris
- Namesakes: Cyrus Smith, the CEO of American Airlines from 1934 to 1968. Cyrus Mistry, an Indian author who won the 2014 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer.
- Popularity: In 2025, Cyrus ranked #268 for boys in the U.S. Births are up about 88 percent on the previous decade.
Dagger
Dagger comes from the Old French dague, meaning knife, and arrived in England with the Norman invasion. It was given to the men who made blades rather than the men who used them. As a first name it is pure bravado; as a middle name it is a private joke that ages well.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: Knife
- Pronunciation: DAEG-er
- Popularity: Dagger ranked #12,441 for boys in the U.S. in 2025, when 5 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #6,567 in 2022.
Dante
Dante is a short form of the Italian Durante, from the Latin duras, meaning steadfast. The poet who wrote The Divine Comedy is the reason most people know it, so a two-syllable name comes with a whole literary shelf behind it. It is smooth, warm, and confident, needing no dressing up. Cinematographer Dante Spinotti earned a BAFTA for his camera work, and Dante Caputo served as Argentina’s foreign minister through the 1980s. U.S. use goes back to 1908 and peaked at #200 in 1997, and it sits at #308 for boys in 2025.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Enduring
- Pronunciation: DAAN-Tey
- Variations: Dantae, Donte, Daunte
- Namesakes: Dante Spinotti, an Italian cinematographer and a BAFTA Award recipient. Dante Caputo, the Argentine foreign minister from 1983 to 1989.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Dante at #308 for boys in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1908. Its best showing was #200 in 1997.
Dax
Dax names a town in southwestern France and also began as a German surname from dachs, meaning badger. It sounds like the kid who talks first in a room, and nobody stumbles over how to spell it.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Leader
- Pronunciation: DAHKS
- Variations: Dacks, Daxx
- Namesakes: Daniel Nwosu Jr. (known as Da), a Nigerian-Canadian rapper whose single Dear Alcohol was rated in the top ten Billboard charts. Dax Dellenbach, an American football player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Popularity: Dax sits at #692 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 4,348. Births are up about 99 percent on the previous decade.
Declan
Declan is the Anglicized form of the Irish Deaglan, and in Gaelic it reads as man of prayer alongside full of goodness. St. Declan founded a monastery in Ireland, so the name has been in service a very long time. It sounds friendly rather than solemn, which is why it crosses over so easily. Dec covers it when something shorter is wanted.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Full of goodness
- Pronunciation: DEH-Klaen
- Variations: Declyn, Deklan
- Namesakes: Declan Curry, a Northern Irish journalist for BBC Breakfast. Declan Glass, a Scottish footballer for Derry City.
- Popularity: In 2025, Declan ranked #139 for boys in the U.S. Births are up about 83 percent on the previous decade.
Delaney
Delaney comes from the Gaelic surname O Dubhshlaine, built from dubh, meaning black, and slaine, the name of an Irish river. The reading from the alder grove sits beside dark challenger, a wide range for one name. Three syllables trip along nicely, and Laney trims it neatly.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Dark challenger
- Pronunciation: Deh-LEY-niy
- Variations: Delanie, Delany
- Namesakes: Delaney Jane, a Canadian singer. Delaney Miller, an American rock climber, and the 2014 Sports Climbing Series National Champion.
- Popularity: Delaney ranked #242 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 1,283 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #169 in 2004.
Dinah
Dinah means God will judge and belongs to a biblical figure, the daughter of Jacob. It is also the name of Alice’s cat in Alice in Wonderland, a lighter association for anyone who wants one. It is vintage without being fragile, and that long first syllable gives it a drawl.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Judged, vindicated
- Pronunciation: DYE-Nah
- Variations: Dina
- Namesakes: Dinah Shore (born Frances Shore), the top-charting American female vocalist of the 1940s. Dinah Craik, an English writer, known for the novel John Halifax, Gentleman.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Dinah at #4,198 for girls in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1880. Its best showing was #488 in 1955.
Drago
Drago is one of the short forms given to Slavic names built on the root drag, meaning dear one, as in Dragan. The Latin draconis sits behind it too, which is where the dragon reading comes from. Two syllables, a rolled r, and a fair amount of fire.
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Dragon
- Pronunciation: DRAA-Gow
- Variations: Draco
- Namesakes: Drago Jurak, a Croatian painter with works in the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art in Zagreb. Drago Grubelnik, a Slovenian alpine skier who competed at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics.
- Popularity: Drago sits at #9,964 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 250,000. Births are up about 23 percent on the previous decade.
Ember
Ember is the glow that outlasts the flame, from the Old English aemerge and the Germanic aima, meaning ashes. In Hungarian the same spelling means man or person, an odd twist for a name usually given to girls. Warm, quiet and a little dangerous is a hard combination to find in two syllables.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Spark
- Pronunciation: EHM-Ber
- Variations: Embir, Embyr
- Namesakes: Ember Junge, a former Minnesota state senator who created the first charter school law in the U.S. Ember Oakley, a member of the Wyoming House of Representatives since 2020.
- Popularity: In 2025, Ember ranked #154 for girls in the U.S. Births are up about 305 percent on the previous decade.
Emrys
Emrys is the Welsh form of the Greek Ambrose, built on ambrosia, the food of the gods, and it carries the meaning immortal. To American ears it lands between Emery and Ellis, familiar enough to wear and rare enough to notice.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Immortal
- Pronunciation: EHM-Rihs
- Variations: Emris
- Namesakes: Emrys Hughes, a Welsh Labor MP for South Ayrshire in Scotland from 1946 to 1969. Emrys Jones, a Welsh Professor at the London School of Economics specializing in urban planning.
- Popularity: Emrys ranked #1,260 for boys in the U.S. in 2025, when 157 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #1,141 in 2024.
Everly
Everly means woodland clearing in Old English, from eofor, meaning boar, and leah, meaning clearing. The grazing meadow reading gives a gentler picture for anyone put off by the boar. It is melodic, three syllables running downhill, with Evie waiting in the wings if something shorter is wanted.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Boar
- Pronunciation: EH-ver-Liy
- Variations: Everley, Everli, Everlie
- Popularity: U.S. records put Everly at #91 for girls in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1944. Its best showing was #42 in 2019.
Falcon
Falcon began as the English surname faucon and belongs to a 12th-century saint. Falconry gave the bird its noble reputation long before anyone used it as a name, and that is still what people hear. British photographer Falcon Stuart worked with the 1980s group Adam and the Ants, giving the name a small foothold in music history. Bold on a birth certificate and surprisingly easy to say despite how unusual it looks on paper.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Hawk
- Pronunciation: FAHL-Kaan
- Namesakes: Falcon Stuart, a British photographer for the 1980s group Adam and the Ants.
- Popularity: Falcon sits at #12,623 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 333,333. Births are up about 28 percent on the previous decade.
Gunnar
Gunnar is built from the Old Norse gunnr, meaning war, and arr, meaning army, so battle is baked in twice over. A 10th-century Icelandic chieftain is its most famous bearer. The double n gives it a thud you can hear across a yard, and Gunn works as a short form.
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Meaning: Bold warrior
- Pronunciation: GUHN-aar
- Variations: Gunar, Gunner
- Namesakes: Gunnar Berge, the Norwegian Minister of Finance from 1986 to 1989. Gunnar Uusi, an Estonian chess player who won the Chess Championship six times.
- Popularity: In 2025, Gunnar ranked #612 for boys in the U.S. Use has held about steady over the past decade.
Harley
Harley comes from the Old English hara, meaning hare, and leah, meaning meadow, a soft picture for a name most people connect with motorcycles. That contrast is the whole appeal: pasture on paper, chrome in conversation. It suits boys and girls equally.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Hare’s meadow
- Pronunciation: HHAAR-Liy
- Variations: Harlie, Harleigh, Harly
- Namesakes: Harley Riley (known as Harley Bird), an English actress and the voice of Peppa Pig from 2007 to 2020. Harley Flanagan, an American musician and founder of New York hardcore band Cro-Mags.
- Popularity: Harley ranked #418 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 748 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #202 in 2017.
Harper
Harper comes from the Middle English harpere, someone who plays the harp, which makes it one of the few musical trade names in regular use. American writer Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, put it in front of a whole generation of parents. It is polished, works on either gender, and nobody misspells it. Artist Harper Goff helped plan Disney theme parks, and basketball player Harper Williams has played in Spain’s Liga ACB, showing the name’s range beyond literature.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Harp player
- Pronunciation: HHAAR-Per
- Variations: Harpur, Harpyr
- Namesakes: Harper Goff, an American artist who worked with The Walt Disney Company as a planner for Disney theme parks. Harper Williams, an American basketball player with Spain’s Liga ACB.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Harper at #16 for girls in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1971. Its best showing was #9 in 2018.
Hendrix
Hendrix began as a surname from the Old Germanic Heimrich, meaning ruler of the home. The guitarist is the reason it sounds like an amplifier rather than an estate, a nod to the music as much as the name. That x on the end does a lot of the work.
- Origin: English, German
- Meaning: Estate ruler
- Pronunciation: HEHN-Dricks
- Namesakes: Hendrix Fowler, an American politician and a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
- Popularity: Hendrix sits at #354 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 1,832. Births are up about 361 percent on the previous decade.
Hera
In Greek myth, Hera is queen of the Olympian gods and the protector of women in childbirth, a fitting patron for a birth certificate. It is a powerful name in four letters, with protectress and hero behind it. It stays dignified without a nickname trailing behind it.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Protectress, hero
- Pronunciation: HHEHR-ah
- Variations: Herah
- Namesakes: Hera (born Hera Hjartardóttir), an Icelandic singer-songwriter named Best Female Singer at the 2002 Icelandic Music Awards. Hera Þórhallsdóttir, an Icelandic singer who competed at the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest.
- Popularity: In 2025, Hera ranked #2,730 for girls in the U.S. Births are up about 175 percent on the previous decade.
Hiram
Hiram comes from the Hebrew Hiram, read as high-born and exalted, and belongs to an Old Testament king. Phoenician gives it the sense of benevolent brother. It is a stern, old-fashioned choice that sounds like a man who owns a workshop.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Elated brother
- Pronunciation: HHAY-Rahm
- Variations: Hyrum
- Namesakes: Hiram Walker, the American founder of the Hiram Walker and Sons Ltd. distillery, which makes Canadian Club. Hiram McCallum, the mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 1948 to 1951.
- Popularity: Hiram ranked #1,639 for boys in the U.S. in 2025, when 103 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #363 in 1913.
Hudson
Hudson means son of Hudd in Old English and also draws on the Germanic hug, meaning heart, mind, spirit. It carries no spelling questions, and Huddy covers the toddler years.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Son of Hugh
- Pronunciation: HHAHD-Sehn
- Variations: Hudsen, Hudsun
- Namesakes: Hudson Lowe, an Anglo-Irish soldier and the Governor of St Helena. Hudson Stuck, a British mountain climber in the first expedition to climb Mount McKinley in 1913.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Hudson at #17 for boys in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1880. That is its highest U.S. rank to date.
Huxley
Huxley was a place in Cheshire, England, before it was a surname, and it also carries the reading outdoorsman. The x gives it the same modern snap as Maddox and Jax while the ley ending keeps it soft. Hux is the common short form.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Hugh’s meadow
- Pronunciation: HUKS-Lee
- Variations: Huxlee
- Popularity: Huxley sits at #736 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 4,785. Births are up about 531 percent on the previous decade.
Indigo
Indigo is the deep blue at the end of the rainbow, from the Greek Indikon, meaning from India. It is also the name of a gorgeous flower that produces the dye. Three syllables of color, unisex, and easy to shorten to Indie.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Indian dye
- Pronunciation: EHN-dih-Gow
- Variations: Indego, Indygo
- Namesakes: Indigo Phillips, the daughter of American actor Lou Diamond Phillips. Indigo (born Alyssa Nichols), an American actress known for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
- Popularity: In 2025, Indigo ranked #854 for girls in the U.S. Births are up about 246 percent on the previous decade.
Jago
Jago is the Welsh and Cornish form of the Hebrew name Jacob, read as supplanter or holder of the heel from akev, meaning heel. That makes it a cousin to James, which is where the charm sits: same roots, completely different sound. Playful, quick, and almost never heard on an American playground.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Supplanter
- Pronunciation: YAAH-Gow
- Namesakes: Jago (born Jago Silver), a British children’s book illustrator known for The Jesus Storybook Bible. Jago Cooper, a British archaeologist and Curator of the Americas at the British Museum.
- Popularity: Jago has not turned up in U.S. birth records since 2023, when it ranked #9,261 for boys.
Jericho
Jericho is the city at the center of the famous biblical battle where the walls came down, and the name itself means moon city. It is ancient and powerful in a way most people can picture immediately. It carries a drumbeat rhythm that suits a boy who needs a name with some size to it. Jeri or Rico work as shorter options when the full version feels heavy for everyday use.
- Origin: Greek, Arabic
- Meaning: Moon city
- Pronunciation: JHEHR-ih-Kow
- Variations: Jerricho, Jerycho, Jerico
- Namesakes: Jericho Shinde, a Zambian footballer known as the “Russian Tank.” Jericho Brown, an American poet, published by The New Yorker.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Jericho at #886 for boys in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1970. Its best showing was #884 in 2023.
Jet
Jet comes from the French jeter, meaning to throw, and the Latin iectare, to toss about. It is also the black stone the name literally means, which adds depth under all that speed. Bring in the plane and you have three good reasons for one short syllable.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Black stone
- Pronunciation: JHEHT
- Variations: Jett, Jette
- Namesakes: Brian Duffy (known as Jet Black), an English drummer and founding member of The Stranglers band.
- Popularity: Jet sits at #1,246 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 10,638. Births are up about 28 percent on the previous decade.
Juniper
Juniper is the evergreen tree, from the Latin juniperus, and its meanings combine youth with evergreen. It smells like gin and Christmas and reads botanical without being fussy. June and Junie both hide inside it, an easy sell to grandparents who want something familiar.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Young
- Pronunciation: JHUW-nay-Per
- Variations: Junipyre, Junyper
- Namesakes: Juniper Shuey (pen name of Margaret Wise Brown), an American children’s book writer best known for Goodnight Moon.
- Popularity: In 2025, Juniper ranked #100 for girls in the U.S. Births are up about 555 percent on the previous decade.
Juno
In Roman myth, Juno is the goddess of women and marriage, and her month is why June weddings became a tradition. The name comes from the Latin iuvenis, meaning youth. Two syllables, a hard opening and a soft finish, a rare balance.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Heavenly
- Pronunciation: JHUW-Now
- Variations: Juneau, Juneaux, Junot
- Namesakes: Juno Mak, a Hong Kong singer and winner of Best Record at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards. Juno Temple, a British actress, appearing in Atonement (2007).
- Popularity: Juno ranked #1,252 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 179 babies were given the name. That is its highest U.S. rank to date.
Kai
Kai means sea in Hawaiian and also means warrior, victory, and willow tree depending on which language you follow. Few three-letter names carry that much range. It is easy to say in almost any accent, which is part of why it travels so well.
- Origin: Welsh, Scandinavian
- Meaning: Keeper of the keys and earth
- Pronunciation: KAIY
- Variations: Kaie, Kaii, Kye
- Namesakes: Kai Cipot, a Slovenian footballer for NŠ Mura in the Slovenian PrvaLiga. Kai Gehring, a Member of the German Parliament since 2005.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Kai at #93 for boys in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1926. Its best showing was #59 in 2022.
King
King started as cyaning, meaning ruler, and it may connect to the German surname Koenig. As a first name it is pure declaration, and there is no polite version of it, which is rather the point.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Monarch
- Pronunciation: KIHNG
- Variations: Kyng
- Namesakes: King Floyd, a New Orleans singer/songwriter known for his top 10 1970 hit “Groove Me.” John King Fisher, an American gunslinger from Texas in the Old West.
- Popularity: King sits at #405 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 2,174. Births are up about 83 percent on the previous decade.
Lark
Lark may seem bohemian, but it belongs to a bird known for singing at first light. It was also the nickname for Cosette in Les Miserables, so a literary footnote comes free. It reads cultured and light, and it never needs explaining twice.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Songbird
- Pronunciation: LAARK
- Variations: Larche, Larke
- Namesakes: Lark Pien, an American cartoonist for Long Tail Kitty, winner of the Friends of Lulu Kimberly Yale Award in 2004. Lark Voorhies (born Lark Holloway), an American actress known for the NBC series Saved by the Bell (1989 to 1993).
- Popularity: In 2025, Lark ranked #4,416 for girls in the U.S. Births are up about 107 percent on the previous decade.
Laurent
Laurent points back to the Latin phrase from Laurentium, an ancient Italian city, and to the laurel crown that marked a victor. It is French to its bones, elegant on the tongue and a little formal on paper. The silent t is the only thing Americans stumble over.
- Origin: French, Latin
- Meaning: Crowned with laurel
- Pronunciation: Laa-RAON
- Variations: Lauren
- Namesakes: Laurent Fignon, a French road bicycle racer who won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984. Prince Laurent of Belgium, the second son of King Albert II and Queen Paola.
- Popularity: Laurent ranked #6,024 for boys in the U.S. in 2025, when 15 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #1,155 in 1927.
Leon
Leon means lion, and the same animal turns up as the French Lyon, the Irish Leon, and the Spanish Leon. A lion on a crest stands for strength and pride, which is a lot to hand a small boy and exactly why parents do it. French statesman Leon Gambetta proclaimed the Third Republic in 1870, and basketball player Leon Radosevic has carried it onto Italian courts. Vintage, short, and impossible to mispronounce, it wears well at any age.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Lion
- Pronunciation: Liy-AHN
- Variations: Leo
- Namesakes: Léon Gambetta, a French lawyer who proclaimed the French Third Republic in 1870. Leon Radošević, a Croatian basketball player for Derthona Basket of the Italian LBA.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Leon at #138 for boys in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1880. Its best showing was #73 in 1926.
Lilah
Lilah means delicate night and night beauty in Arabic, and it began life as a short form of Delilah. Leila is its close cousin, so the whole family honors the same dark sky. It is soft without being sugary, and the h on the end adds a small flourish.
- Origin: Arabic, Hebrew
- Meaning: Night
- Pronunciation: LIE-Laa
- Variations: Lila
- Namesakes: Lilah Fear, an American-English-Canadian ice dancer and a two-time Grand Prix bronze medalist. Lilah Parsons, an English TV presenter for MTV’s Capital Breakfast show.
- Popularity: Lilah sits at #179 among U.S. girls in 2025, roughly one baby in 926. Births are up about 68 percent on the previous decade.
Lincoln
Lincoln means lake or pool colony and comes from the English city long before it crossed the Atlantic. The American president is the association nobody escapes, which gives the name a steady, dependable feel. Link is the modern short form and does most of the cool work.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Town by the pool
- Pronunciation: LIHNGK-ahn
- Variations: Linken, Lyncoln
- Namesakes: Lincoln Chafee, the mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island, from 1993 to 1999. Lincoln dos Santos, a Brazilian footballer for Cruzeiro.
- Popularity: In 2025, Lincoln ranked #69 for boys in the U.S. Births are up about 144 percent on the previous decade.
Livi
Livi is a nickname for Olivia, tied to the olive tree and everything peace has meant since antiquity. It may also mean elf army in English. Used on its own it is lighter than Olivia and far less expected, which is the whole appeal.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Olive tree
- Pronunciation: LIH-Viy
- Variations: Livy
- Popularity: Livi ranked #3,278 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 48 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #2,365 in 2020.
Lucky
Lucky wears its meaning on the outside, and it also works as a nickname for Luke or Lucius. The Latin Lucius meant born at daybreak. Whether you use it up front or save it for the middle, it reads as a wish rather than a description.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Fortunate
- Pronunciation: LUH-kiy
- Namesakes: Lucky Igbinedion, the governor of Edo State in Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. Lucky McKee, an American filmmaker, known for the 2002 cult film May.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Lucky at #1,580 for boys in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1912. Its best showing was #935 in 1945.
Luna
In Roman myth, Luna was the personification of the Moon, and the name still means moon in Italian. It carries a clean vowel at each end and a picture every single person recognizes.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: The moon
- Pronunciation: LUW-Naa
- Variations: Lunah
- Namesakes: Gertrude “Luna” Vachon, an American-Canadian wrestler inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Park Sun-Young (known as Luna), a South Korean singer and originally a member of the girl group f(x).
- Popularity: Luna sits at #27 among U.S. girls in 2025, roughly one baby in 265. Births are up about 463 percent on the previous decade.
Luther
Luther comes from the Germanic Luther, built from liut, meaning people, and heri, meaning army. As an English surname it read as lute player, a much gentler job description. The name carries weight and a little thunder.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Soldier of the people
- Pronunciation: LUW-Ther
- Variations: Luthor
- Namesakes: Luther Vandross, an American singer/songwriter who has sold over 40 million records worldwide. Luther Robinson, an American football player for the Green Bay Packers.
- Popularity: In 2025, Luther ranked #1,464 for boys in the U.S. Births are up about 48 percent on the previous decade.
Lyric
Lyric comes from the Greek lyrikos, meaning song-like, and points at the words rather than the tune. It is a modern word name that sounds like it has been around longer than it has. Most parents use it in full.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Lyre
- Pronunciation: LEE-Rayk
- Variations: Lyrick, Lyrik
- Namesakes: Lyric Benson, an American actress appearing in the film Modern Love.
- Popularity: Lyric ranked #640 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 451 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #271 in 2014.
Maddox
Maddox comes from Madoc, carried in a 7th-century Welsh poem about a famous warrior, and it worked as a Welsh surname meaning fortunate. Angelina Jolie’s son made it familiar to American parents. The double d and the x give it a snap older Welsh names do not have.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Son of Madoc
- Pronunciation: MAA-Daacks
- Variations: Maddex, Maddux, Madox
- Namesakes: George Ouzounian (known as Maddox), an American author best known for The Alphabet of Manliness (2006), a New York Times bestseller.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Maddox at #210 for boys in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1995. Its best showing was #136 in 2017.
Mason
Mason comes from the French masson and named anyone who worked in stone. It is a trade name with real weight behind it, the kind that sounds solid on a grown man. Rutgers President Mason Gross carried it into academia, and footballer Mason Mount has carried it onto the pitch for England. Mace works as a shorter nickname for parents who want more edge than the full version gives.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Stone worker
- Pronunciation: MEY-Sahn
- Variations: Maison, Masun
- Namesakes: Mason Gross, the President of Rutgers University from 1959 to 1971. Mason Mount, an English footballer for Chelsea and the England national team.
- Popularity: Mason sits at #39 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 272. Births are down about 26 percent on the previous decade.
Maverick
Maverick is the word for someone who refuses to follow the herd, and for most parents today the association is the fighter pilot from Top Gun. It is long, loud, and completely unambiguous about what it means. Mav is the shortcut, and most kids have it by kindergarten.
- Origin: American
- Meaning: Nonconformist
- Pronunciation: MEYV-eh-Riyk
- Variations: Mavarick, Maverik, Maveryk
- Namesakes: Maverick McNealy, an American golfer and the number one ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Maverick Morgan, an American basketball player for the St. John’s Edge in Canada.
- Popularity: In 2025, Maverick ranked #49 for boys in the U.S. Births are up about 581 percent on the previous decade.
Mila
Mila means gracious or dear in Slavic and miracles in Spanish, and it doubles as a nickname for Slavic girl names like Ludmila and Milena. Four letters, two syllables, easy in almost any language. That combination is why it spread so fast.
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Gracious, dear
- Pronunciation: MIY-Laa
- Variations: Milah, Milla
- Namesakes: Mila Horvat, a Croatian TV host appearing on Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT). Mila Kunis, an American actress, best known for the Fox TV series That ’70s Show.
- Popularity: Mila ranked #43 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 4,796 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #14 in 2018.
Monroe
Monroe means mouth of the River Roe, a river in Northern Ireland, and it likely began as Munro. The surname turned first name route gives it a polished, faintly cinematic feel. Roe works as a shorter nickname for families who want it, though most keep the full name for a birth certificate. Journalist Monroe Karmin won a Pulitzer in 1967, and Monroe Baker became one of the first African-American mayors in the U.S. as the mayor of St. Martinville, Louisiana.
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: By the red moss
- Pronunciation: Mahn-ROW
- Variations: Monrow, Munro, Munroe
- Namesakes: Monroe Karmin, an American journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner in 1967. Monroe Baker, the mayor of St. Martinville, Louisiana, and one of the first African-American mayors in the U.S.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Monroe at #467 for girls in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1928. That is its highest U.S. rank to date.
Nero
Nero means black in Italian and stern in Latin, and the notorious Roman emperor is the association it will never shake. That is either the reason to use it or the reason not to. Short, dark, and unmistakably deliberate.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Stern
- Pronunciation: NIH-Row
- Variations: Neroh, Niro, Nyro
- Namesakes: Nero Hawley, a former African-American slave who earned his freedom in the Continental Army.
- Popularity: Nero sits at #4,815 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 83,333. Births are up about 99 percent on the previous decade.
Nila
Nila means blue, and in Sanskrit it reads as sapphire. It also serves as a short form of Danila, which carries the sense God is my judge. In India the name is tied to the moon, so one small shift gives you a gemstone and a night sky.
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: Blue
- Pronunciation: NIY-Laa
- Variations: Nilah, Nilla
- Namesakes: Nila Moeloek, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia from 2014 to 2019. Nila Håkedal, a Norwegian beach volleyball player who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: In 2025, Nila ranked #1,754 for girls in the U.S. Births are up about 48 percent on the previous decade.
Nova
Nova comes from the Latin novus, meaning new, and in astronomy a nova is a star that suddenly flares. It refers to bright stars and also reads as chaser of butterflies in Hopi. TV presenter Nova Meierhenrich has covered the Oscars and the Grammys, and author Nova Suma landed on the New York Times best-seller list with The Walls Around Us. It carries a very big picture behind a very small word, with no spelling trouble along the way.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: New
- Pronunciation: NOW-Vaa
- Variations: Novah
- Namesakes: Nova Meierhenrich, a German TV presenter who covered the Oscars, the Golden Globes, and Grammys. Nova Suma, an American #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Walls Around Us.
- Popularity: Nova ranked #46 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 4,657 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #32 in 2021.
Odin
Odin is the Norse god of art, culture, wisdom and law, and the name reads as poetic fury and god of the sky. It is heavy with myth and light on syllables, a hard trick to pull off. Politician Odin Langen served in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1960s, while footballer Odin Patino has played for Mexico’s UNAM Pumas, so the name carries a modern record alongside the mythology. Parents who want that Norse weight without the comic book usually land here.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: God of frenzy
- Pronunciation: OW-Dihn
- Variations: Oddin, Oden, Odyn
- Namesakes: Odin Langen, an American politician in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1959 to 1971. Odín Patiño, a Mexican footballer for UNAM Pumas and the Mexico national team.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Odin at #502 for boys in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1884. Its best showing was #327 in 2021.
Onyx
Onyx originally meant nail or claw in Greek and names a form of agate that can show red tones. The stone is the draw: black, glossy, hard. That x ending puts it in the same family as Jax and Phoenix, and it works on any child.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Black gemstone
- Pronunciation: AAN-Ihks
- Variations: Onix, Onyxx
- Namesakes: Kyle McNeely (known as Onyx), an American wrestler who appeared in NWA Total Nonstop Action from 2003 to 2004.
- Popularity: Onyx sits at #365 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 1,938. Births are up about 926 percent on the previous decade.
Philippa
Philippa means lover of horses and is built on the male Philip, whose most famous bearer was King Philip, the father of Alexander the Great. It is long, British, and genuinely elegant, the kind of name that reads well on a diploma. Novelist Philippa Gregory made it familiar to American readers through The Other Boleyn Girl, and politician Philippa Whitford carries it in the UK’s House of Commons. Pippa and Pip both hide inside it, giving parents a built-in shorter option.
- Origin: Greek, English
- Meaning: Lover of horses
- Pronunciation: FIH-ihp-Ah
- Variations: Philipa, Phillipa, Phillippa
- Namesakes: Philippa Gregory, an English novelist known for The Other Boleyn Girl (2001). Philippa Whitford, a Scottish politician in the House of Commons.
- Popularity: In 2025, Philippa ranked #2,808 for girls in the U.S. Births are up about 96 percent on the previous decade.
Phoenix
Phoenix is the bird that burns down and comes back, and the Greek root means crimson. Rebirth is the whole story, which is why the name lands so hard for parents who have been through something. Linkin Park bassist Phoenix, born David Farrell, and Australian hacker Nahshon Even-Chaim, who also went by Phoenix, show how far the name has traveled from myth into modern use. Unisex, dramatic, and spelled the way it looks once you learn it.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Dark red
- Pronunciation: FIY-Nihks
- Variations: Phoenyx
- Namesakes: David Farrell (known as Phoenix), an American musician and the bassist for Linkin Park. Nahshon Even-Chaim (known as Phoenix), an Australian computer hacker.
- Popularity: Phoenix ranked #329 for boys in the U.S. in 2025, when 1,027 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #236 in 2020.
Presley
Presley is an English and Irish surname, possibly a form of Priestley, from the Old English preost, meaning priest, and leah, meaning forest clearing. Elvis turned it into a first name and it has kept the rock and roll association ever since. It reads sweet on a girl and a little swaggering on a boy.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Priest’s meadow
- Pronunciation: PREHZ-Liy
- Variations: Presleigh, Preslie, Presly
- Namesakes: Presley Chweneyagae, a South African actor known for the film Tsotsi, which won the Oscar for Foreign Language Film. Presley Wood, a Honduran football player for F.C. Motagua.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Presley at #225 for girls in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1977. Its best showing was #188 in 2015.
Priscilla
Priscilla began as another form of Prisca, from the Roman family name Priscus, meaning venerable. The plain readings, old and archaic, undersell it; this is a name with a long spine. Cilla is the usual short form.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Ancient
- Pronunciation: Prih-SIHL-ah
- Variations: Pricilla, Priscila
- Namesakes: Priscilla Presley, an American actress and the former wife of American singer Elvis Presley. Priscilla Chan, an American philanthropist, married to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
- Popularity: Priscilla sits at #544 among U.S. girls in 2025, roughly one baby in 2,899. Births are down about 20 percent on the previous decade.
Raven
Raven comes from the Old English hraefn, and the Old Norse hrafn points at the blackbird Edgar Allan Poe made permanently gothic. It was once given to people with very dark hair, though nobody checks anymore. It works on boys and girls and sounds finished without a nickname.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Blackbird
- Pronunciation: REY-Vahn
- Variations: Raeven, Raiven, Ravenne, Ravyn
- Namesakes: Raven-Symoné, an American actress on VH1’s list of “100 Greatest Child Stars of All Time.” Scott Levy (known as Raven), an American wrestler and former ECW World Heavyweight Champion.
- Popularity: In 2025, Raven ranked #404 for girls in the U.S. Births are up about 45 percent on the previous decade.
Raze
Raze comes from the French rasen, meaning to scrape or erase, and the English word razor grew out of the same root. That gives it a sharp edge in the most literal way. One syllable, unisex, and about as uncompromising as a name gets.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: Scraped, shaved
- Pronunciation: REYZ
- Variations: Raise
- Popularity: Federal birth data does not list Raze: the U.S. Social Security Administration publishes a name only when at least five babies were given it that year.
River
River comes from the Latin ripa, meaning riverbank, and it is one of the calmest nature names in circulation. Actor River Phoenix gave it a first wave of attention, and it has stayed unisex ever since.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Flowing body of water
- Pronunciation: RIYV-er
- Variations: Rivor, Ryver
- Namesakes: River Viiperi, a Spanish-Finnish model, ranked in the top 50 male models in the world. River Alexander, an American actor, known for The Way Way Back (2013).
- Popularity: U.S. records put River at #111 for boys in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1971. Its best showing was #105 in 2022.
Saber
Saber is the sword itself, and the name also comes from the Occitan saber, meaning to know. Wise man and swordsman in five letters is an unusual pairing. It leans masculine in sound while staying open to anyone.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Sword
- Pronunciation: SEY-Ber
- Variations: Sabre
- Namesakes: Saber Abar, an Iranian actor known for the 2009 film About Elly. Saber Khalifa, a Tunisian footballer for Club Africain.
- Popularity: Saber sits at #10,484 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 250,000. Births are up about 27 percent on the previous decade.
Sable
Sable was once a topographic name for someone who lived in a sandy place, from the French sable, meaning sand. It is also the dark fur, which is where the shadowy reading comes from. Sand and shadow in one word gives it more range than most color names.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Black
- Pronunciation: SEY-Bahl
- Variations: Sabel, Sabele, Sabelle
- Namesakes: Rena Lesnar (known as Sable), an American wrestler and the second WWF Women’s Champion.
- Popularity: In 2025, Sable ranked #2,717 for girls in the U.S. Births are up about 126 percent on the previous decade.
Salem
Salem means peace, safe and complete, and it refers to Jerusalem in the Bible. The New England witch trials are the other association, and the two pull hard in opposite directions. That tension is exactly what makes it interesting.
- Origin: Arabic, Hebrew
- Meaning: Peace
- Pronunciation: SEY-Lehm
- Variations: Seleme
- Namesakes: Salem Chalabi, an Iraq-British lawyer and the first General Director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal in 2003. Salem Poor, a formerly enslaved African-American who became a hero during the American Revolutionary War.
- Popularity: Salem ranked #436 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 711 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #417 in 2023.
Scarlett
Scarlett was an occupational name given to fabric dyers. Red stands for love, anger and passion all at once, a lot of feeling for one name. The double t is the spelling most parents choose, and Lettie hides inside it.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Crimson color
- Pronunciation: SKAAR-Leht
- Variations: Scarlet, Scarlette
- Namesakes: Scarlett Johansson, an American actress and the world’s highest-paid actress in 2018 and 2019. Scarlett Moffatt, an English TV personality appearing in the Channel 4 program Gogglebox.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Scarlett at #32 for girls in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1937. Its best showing was #14 in 2022.
Shadow
Shadow refers to the dark space where light cannot reach. It turns up on pets more often than on people, which is the main thing to weigh before using it. Israeli rapper Yoav Eliasi performs as The Shadow, and Mexican wrestler Alejandro Ortiz fought under the ring name Black Shadow, so the word has a real performance history behind it. Shad and Shada work as shorter nicknames if the full word feels like a lot for daily use.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Shade from sun
- Pronunciation: SHAA-Dow
- Variations: Shaddo, Shadoe
- Namesakes: Yoav Eliasi (known as The Shadow), an Israeli rapper featured in the documentary Channels of Rage. Alejandro Ortiz (known as Black Shadow), a Mexican wrestler and part of a tag team called “Los Hermanos Shadow.”
- Popularity: Shadow sits at #6,091 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 111,111. Births are up about 38 percent on the previous decade.
Sia
Sia comes from the Old Norse sigr, meaning victory, and also reads as six in Gaelic. In Egyptian mythology, Sia was the god of wisdom and knowledge, so there is more behind it than the sound suggests. It reads as a single confident breath and stands fine without a shortened form.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Victory
- Pronunciation: SIY-Ah
- Variations: Siah, Syah
- Namesakes: Sia Koroma, the First Lady of Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018. Sia Berkeley, an English actress, known for the TV series Skins.
- Popularity: In 2025, Sia ranked #1,107 for girls in the U.S. Births are up about 189 percent on the previous decade.
Smoke
Smoke began as a German surname for the smiths who worked at the forge, and it plainly names what rises off a fire. It is mysterious enough for a child who refuses to be pinned down. Most families use it in the middle spot, where it does its work quietly.
- Origin: English, German
- Meaning: To emit smoke
- Pronunciation: SMOWK
- Variations: Smoky
- Popularity: Federal birth data does not list Smoke: the U.S. Social Security Administration publishes a name only when at least five babies were given it that year.
Snow
Snow means frozen rain and light-haired in Old English, from snou, meaning pale complexion. It is a one-syllable weather name that stays cool in every sense. It sits well in the middle spot and works for either gender.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Snow (Winter)
- Pronunciation: SNOW
- Variations: Sno
- Namesakes: Snow Freeman, a Canadian politician in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1843 to 1855. Albert “Snow” Bowman, a New Zealand rugby union player for the All Blacks.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Snow at #4,056 for girls in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1894. Its best showing was #2,346 in 2014.
Sol
Sol means sun in Spanish and works as a Hebrew short form of Solomon, which carries the meaning peace. It also connects to the Latin Soledad and the French Solange. Three letters, warm as the thing it names, and easy anywhere.
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Sun
- Pronunciation: SAOL
- Namesakes: Sol Gabetta, an Argentine cellist, awarded the Herbert von Karajan Prize in 2018. Sol Bloom, an American politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1923 until 1949.
- Popularity: Sol sits at #722 among U.S. girls in 2025, roughly one baby in 4,132. Births are up about 195 percent on the previous decade.
Sparrow
Sparrow is the small brown bird that lives wherever people do, and it began as a surname in Norfolk, England. The bird is common and the name is not, which is a pleasing inversion. Cute without being babyish.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Sparrow (bird)
- Pronunciation: SPEH-Row
- Variations: Sparow, Sparowe
- Popularity: In 2025, Sparrow ranked #4,157 for girls in the U.S. Births are up about 89 percent on the previous decade.
Storm
Storm is the plain English word and also comes from the Old Norse stormr, meaning gale wind. It once described a fiery temper, though today it reads more like weather than warning. One syllable, unisex, and it needs no explanation in any room.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Tempest
- Pronunciation: STAORM
- Variations: Storme, Stormm
- Namesakes: Storm Weinholdt, a Norwegian resistance member during World War II. Storm Sanders, an Australian tennis player with a mixed doubles title at the 2022 US Open.
- Popularity: Storm ranked #1,442 for girls in the U.S. in 2025, when 150 babies were given the name. That is its highest U.S. rank to date.
Tempest
Tempest means turbulent and comes from the French tempeste, a violent storm. Shakespeare’s play is the reason it sounds literary rather than merely stormy. It is dramatic on purpose, which is either the reason to use it or the reason to keep it in the middle spot.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: Stormy
- Pronunciation: TEHM-Pest
- Variations: Tempeste, Tempestt
- Namesakes: Tempest Storm (born Annie Banks), an American burlesque star called “The Queen Of Exotic Dancers.” Tempest Anderson, an English surgeon and photographer known for his book Volcanic Studies in Many Lands.
- Popularity: U.S. records put Tempest at #7,103 for girls in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1915. Its best showing was #1,566 in 1990.
Thorn
Thorn is based on the Old English thorne and was originally a surname for someone living beside a thorny hedge. It names the spike on a branch, about as blunt as nature names get. It carries no softness at all, and it pairs well with a longer middle name.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Prickle
- Pronunciation: THAORN
- Variations: Thorne
- Popularity: Thorn sits at #8,189 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 166,667. Births are up about 25 percent on the previous decade.
Trix
Trix means happy and bringer of joy in Latin, and it once carried the sense voyager through life. It works as a short form of Beatrice or Trixie, so you can start long and end short or skip straight to the fun part. The x makes it snap.
- Origin: Latin, English
- Meaning: Happy
- Pronunciation: TRIKS
- Variations: Trixy
- Namesakes: Trix Worrell, St Lucian writer who created the Channel 4 TV series Desmond’s. Trix Heberlein-Ruff, the former president of the National Council of Switzerland.
- Popularity: Federal birth data does not list Trix: the U.S. Social Security Administration publishes a name only when at least five babies were given it that year.
Valor
Valor is the English word for courage and comes from the Latin valor, meaning value. It is usually reserved for war heroes, which is a big coat to grow into. In the middle spot it reads like a quiet instruction rather than a brag.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Worthiness, bravery
- Pronunciation: VAEL-er
- Variations: Valer
- Popularity: Valor ranked #1,254 for boys in the U.S. in 2025, when 159 babies were given the name. That is its highest U.S. rank to date.
Vane
Vane was an English surname from fein, meaning glad, given to the cheerful, happy-go-lucky sort. The weather vane is the other picture, which suits a kid who turns with the wind. Unisex, one syllable, and rarely seen on paper.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Banner
- Pronunciation: VEYN
- Variations: Vain
- Namesakes: Vane Featherston, an English actress in Broadway plays from 1905 to 1922. Vane Pennell, an English tennis player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Vane has not turned up in U.S. birth records since 1960, when it ranked #4,566 for boys.
Wolfe
Wolfe comes from the German surname that began as Wolfgang and connects to the Scandinavian ulfr. The animal is the whole meaning and the whole appeal. That e on the end makes it look like a family name rather than a costume.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Wolf
- Pronunciation: WAHLF
- Variations: Wolf, Wolffe, Wolff
- Namesakes: Wolfe Bowart, an Australian comedic actor with the physical theater production LaLaLuna. Wolfe Tone, an Irish revolutionary figure and a founding member of the United Irishmen.
- Popularity: Wolfe sits at #2,879 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 38,462. Births are up about 327 percent on the previous decade.
Wyatt
Wyatt comes from the Old English Wyot, another version of Wigheard, built from wig, meaning war, and heard, meaning brave. Wyatt Earp is the American association, all dust and frontier justice. Hockey player Wyatt Johnston plays for the Dallas Stars, and Wyatt Roy served in the Australian House of Representatives from 2010 to 2016, giving the name a wider modern range. It is a western name that went mainstream without losing its grit.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Brave at war
- Pronunciation: WEY-aet
- Variations: Wyat, Wyatte, Wyett
- Namesakes: Wyatt Johnston, a Canadian ice hockey player with the Dallas Stars. Wyatt Roy, a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2010 to 2016.
- Popularity: In 2025, Wyatt ranked #38 for boys in the U.S. Use has held about steady over the past decade.
Zephyr
In Greek mythology, Zephyr is the breeze controlled by the god Zephyrus, the west wind itself. It sounds like what it means, which is rarer than you would think. That z opening puts it at the far end of the alphabet and the far end of ordinary.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: West wind
- Pronunciation: ZEHF-ihr
- Variations: Zefir
- Namesakes: Zephyr Teachout, an American professor of law who ran for the Democratic Party nomination for New York governor in 2014.
- Popularity: Zephyr ranked #1,203 for boys in the U.S. in 2025, when 169 babies were given the name. Its best showing was #1,097 in 2021.
Zinnia
Zinnia is named after the flower, sometimes called Zinn’s flower after Johann Zinn. The blooms come in loud colors, which suits a name with a z and two n’s. Botanical without being delicate.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Flower
- Pronunciation: ZIHN-iy-Ah
- Variations: Ziniah, Zinnya
- Namesakes: Zinnia Barnes, an English actress known for Nanny McPhee (2005).
- Popularity: U.S. records put Zinnia at #1,290 for girls in 2025, and the name has appeared in the data since 1917. That is its highest U.S. rank to date.
Zion
Zion refers to the city of Jerusalem in the Bible and derives from the Hebrew siyon, meaning mountain in Israel. It also carries the sense of paradise on earth. Two syllables, a z at the front, and a great deal of meaning packed behind it.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Highest point
- Pronunciation: ZIY-aan
- Variations: Zione, Zyon
- Namesakes: Zion Tzemah, an Israeli footballer for Hapoel Rishon LeZion. Zion Levy, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Panama for 57 years.
- Popularity: Zion sits at #142 among U.S. boys in 2025, roughly one baby in 684. Births are up about 78 percent on the previous decade.
Zora
Zora means light or dawn, the Slavic word for sunrise, and it connects to the aurora. Pure is the Greek reading, so the name carries both a sunrise and a clean slate in one word. Slovenian photographer Zora Plešnar became one of the most prominent names in her field during the 1970s and 1980s, and basketball player Zora Brziaková competed at the 1988 Olympics. Short, bright, and that z gives it a modern kick vintage names usually lack.
- Origin: Greek, Slavic
- Meaning: Light, Dawn
- Pronunciation: ZAOR-aa
- Variations: Zorra, Zorrah
- Namesakes: Zora Plešnar, the most prominent Slovenian photographer of the 1970s and 1980s. Zora Brziaková, a Slovak basketball player who competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: In 2025, Zora ranked #969 for girls in the U.S. Births are up about 192 percent on the previous decade.
