Whether your baby grows up to be a coder, a space traveler, or the person who fixes whatever we break next, a futuristic baby name gives them a running start.
Five names on this list still sit inside the current U.S. top 100 for babies born in 2025: Ava at 11th, Zoe at 31st, Nova at 46th, Genesis at 66th, and Quinn at 97th, according to Social Security Administration birth records (1). Others are genuinely rare. Siri went to 6 U.S. girls in 2025, roughly one in 250,000, and 16 names here fall below the five-births-a-year line the SSA needs before it will publish a name at all.
Below are 100 futuristic baby names for boys and girls, each with its origin, meaning, style, pronunciation, and where it actually stands in the latest U.S. data.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Ava, Zoe, Nova, Genesis and Quinn.
100 Cool Futuristic Baby Names for Boys and Girls
Let’s go through 100 badass future names for your little space traveler on the way!
Aelita
Aelita came out of a novelist’s imagination rather than any naming tradition, coined by Russian author Aleksey Tolstoy for his 1923 science fiction novel of the same name. His Aelita is an alien princess who falls for Los, an engineer who reaches Mars by rocket. The meaning attached to it, starlight seen for the last time, is about as cinematic as a baby name gets. It stays vanishingly rare here, which is the appeal for parents who want a name nobody else in the room will answer to.
- Origin: Literature
- Meaning: Starlight seen for the last time
- Pronunciation: ay-LYEE-tah
- Popularity: Rare in the U.S.: 8 girls in 2025, ranking 10,940th, though that is nearly double the births of the previous decade.
Aeryn
In the series Farscape, Aeryn is the alien who takes in American astronaut John Crichton after a wormhole drops him into her galaxy. On paper it reads as a sleeker respelling of Erin, and it carries that name’s meaning, Ireland. Aeryn has never been a common American pick, so the science fiction association is still the first thing most people hear. Expect to spell it out.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Ireland
- Pronunciation: AIR-in
- Variations: Erin
- Popularity: Peaked at 2,407th in 2005; 12 U.S. girls in 2025 put it at 8,372nd, down about half on the previous decade.
Alita
Alita belongs to the cyborg heroine of the 2019 film Alita: Battle Angel, a fighter who uses everything she has to protect the people she loves. Underneath the armor is a gentle meaning, truth, and a sound that sits close to Alethea and Aletha. It is still rare in the U.S., but a rising one. If you want something soft to say and tough to live up to, this is a fair compromise.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Truth
- Pronunciation: ah-LEE-tah
- Variations: Alethea, Aletha
- Namesakes: Alita Roman, an Argentine film actress who appeared in nearly 50 films during the Golden Age of Argentine Cinema (1940-1960).
- Popularity: 81 U.S. girls in 2025 for a rank of 2,257th, close to seven times the births of the previous decade.
Aloysius
Aloysius is a big, ornate name with a 16th-century Italian saint behind it and a meaning, famous battle, as forceful as the sound. It was popular among American Catholics in the late 1800s before falling out of favor by 1940. Old names have a habit of coming back around, and this one has the texture to suit a generation raised on everything old being new. Al or Lou will carry the daily load.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Famous battle
- Pronunciation: al-oh-ISH-us
- Variations: Aloys
- Namesakes: Aloysius de Gonzaga, an Italian aristocrat and saint who died while caring for epidemic victims.
- Popularity: Its best U.S. rank was 393rd in 1913; today it sits at 4,864th, with 20 boys in 2025.
Ariadne
Ariadne is the daughter of King Minos who handed Theseus the thread that got him out of the Labyrinth and away from the Minotaur, which makes her one of mythology’s great problem solvers. Inception borrowed the name for a film built on technology that lets people walk into another person’s subconscious. Greek gives it the meaning most holy. Four syllables, elegant, and climbing quietly in the U.S.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Most holy
- Pronunciation: A-REE-AD-NEH
- Variations: Ariadna
- Namesakes: Ariadne von Schirach, a German philosopher, writer, journalist, and critic.
- Popularity: 115 U.S. girls in 2025, ranking 1,758th, up about 60 percent on the previous decade.
Artemis
Artemis was the Greek goddess of the moon and the hunt, twin sister to Apollo, god of archery, music, and truth. The name has the odd quality of sounding both very old and very forward-looking, which is exactly why an ancient name earns a place on a futuristic list. American parents have warmed to it quickly. The meaning given here, safe, is quieter than the huntress image suggests.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Safe
- Pronunciation: AR-tuh-mis
- Namesakes: Artemis Pebdani, an American actress, known for her roles as Susan Ross on Scandal, and Artemis on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
- Popularity: 246 U.S. girls in 2025 at 1,017th, more than six times the births of the previous decade.
Ash
Ash works two ways at once. In Alien (1979), Ash is the android sleeper agent quietly working to bring the creature home to the corporation that employs him, which is where the science fiction charge comes from. Away from the film it is simply the ash tree, a short, plain, easygoing word for a child who will not want to explain their name every time they meet someone. That balance, futuristic but not in costume, is harder to find than it sounds.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Ash tree clearing
- Pronunciation: ASH
- Namesakes: Ash Dykes, a Welsh adventurer, and extreme athlete.
- Popularity: 175 U.S. babies in 2025, ranking 1,177th, more than three times the previous decade.
Astrid
Astrid is the modern Scandinavian form of Astrior – an Old Norse name from “áss” (god) and “frior” (beautiful, beloved). Astrid’s futuristic sound and close similarity to “asteroid” make it an excellent option for your tiny space cadet!
- Origin: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
- Meaning: Beautiful god
- Pronunciation: AS-trid or AHS-tree
- Variations: Astride
- Namesakes: Astrid Lindgren, a Swedish writer of fiction known for her children’s book series Pippi Longstocking and Karlsson-on-the-Roof.
- Popularity: At its best U.S. rank ever, 376th in 2025, with 818 girls.
Asuma
This futuristic boy’s name is derived from the Japanese “asu” (tomorrow, future) and “ma” (true, reality). Other possible meanings are “bright jasmine,” “love sea,” or “light horse.”
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Future reality
- Pronunciation: AH-SUU-MAH
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data. The SSA publishes a name only once at least five babies receive it in a year, and Asuma has not crossed that line.
Ava
Beautiful and timeless, Ava has been a favorite in the U.S. since the late 1800s. In the movie Ex Machina, Ava is a highly intelligent AI humanoid who tricks her human captors into freeing her. This elegant palindrome is perfect for all future beings – whether they are robots or humans.
- Origin: German, Persian, English
- Meaning: Desired, voice, to breath
- Pronunciation: AY-vah
- Variations: Avah
- Namesakes: Ava Gardner, an American actress who first gained attention with her performance in Robert Siodmak’s Hollywood crime drama, The Killers.
- Popularity: One of the most popular girls’ names in the country: 11th in 2025 with 7,732 U.S. girls, about one in 208.
Ayala
Ayala is traditionally feminine and means doe, a soft image for a name that lands on this list through Star Trek, where Ayala serves as a male lieutenant aboard the raider craft Val Jean. Boy names ending in A are less unusual than they once were, so it is a workable pick either way. Ayelet and Ayal are the related forms. Still rare in the U.S., though its use is growing.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Doe
- Pronunciation: ie-ah-LAH
- Variations: Ayelet, Ayal
- Namesakes: Ayala Procaccia, a retired Israeli Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel.
- Popularity: Its best U.S. showing yet, 2,359th in 2025, with 77 babies, roughly double the previous decade.
Azriel
This Old Testament name belongs to three minor figures in the Bible, including the chief of Manasseh, and means my help is God. It carries religious weight and a science fiction edge at once, which is a rare combination. Its U.S. use is climbing fast. Azarel is the alternative spelling if the Z feels too sharp.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: My help is God
- Pronunciation: AZ-ree-el
- Variations: Azarel
- Popularity: A record high: 529th in 2025, with 566 U.S. boys, more than triple the previous decade.
Baron
Baron is a title before it is a name, French in origin, carrying the sense of man or warrior. It echoes barren, a word for bleak, infertile land, which hands the name an accidental environmental streak: a Baron who fights for the ground under his feet rather than a dystopian version of it. Its American use has held steady in recent years. Barron, Baran and Barren are all out there.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Man, warrior
- Pronunciation: BAIR-un
- Variations: Barren, Barron, Baran
- Namesakes: Baron Davis, an American former professional basketball player, and two-time NBA All-Star.
- Popularity: 135 U.S. boys in 2025 at 1,370th, steady over the past decade; its best rank was 589th in 1966.
Beatrice
In the Divergent series, Beatrice is a strong-willed 16-year-old girl who lives in a futuristic society where people are divided into factions based on their skills. If this retro-futuristic name isn’t doing it for you, consider badass Beatrix instead. Cute nickname options are Tris or Bea.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Traveler, voyager
- Pronunciation: BEE-uh-tris
- Variations: Beatrix
- Namesakes: Beatrice
- Popularity: Ranked 37th in 1913 and 508th in 2025, with 583 U.S. girls, up about half on the previous decade.
Bellatrix
This unique girl’s name has a bad rep, associated with the villainous witch from Harry Potter. But Bellatrix also has a beautiful side, belonging to one of the stars in the Orion constellation. Your little Bellatrix’s future could be as bright as the stars in the sky.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Female warrior
- Pronunciation: BEHL-ah-tricks
- Popularity: 29 U.S. girls in 2025, ranking 4,674th, more than triple the previous decade.
Beta
Beta is the second letter of the Greek alphabet, and the second of most things that follow it: the second compound in a series, the second brightest star in a constellation, the version that comes before release. As a given name it is almost unused, which is why it reads as engineered rather than inherited. The meaning listed for it is house. Short, flat, and modern.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: House
- Pronunciation: BAY-tah
- Popularity: Has not appeared in U.S. data since 1993, when it ranked 11,948th; its best year was 1955, at 5,903rd.
Bhavishya
Bhavishya means future outright, in Sanskrit, and is used almost exclusively in India, mostly among Hindu families. That directness is the draw. No metaphor, no constellation, no character from a film, just the word itself. It is a mouthful for American ears, which is worth thinking through, though it shortens easily enough for a family that knows the language.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Future
- Pronunciation: ba-VISH-yah
- Popularity: Appears in U.S. birth data only once, in 2017, at 14,420th.
Blaze
Blaze is a cool option on our list of futuristic baby names, used as a modern variant of Blaise – a Roman name derived from the Latin “blaesus” (stutter, lisp). It was inspired by the English word blaze, referencing a fiercely burning fire. With this name, nothing will put out your little Blaze’s flame!
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Lisping
- Pronunciation: BLAYZ
- Variations: Blaise
- Namesakes: Blaze Bayley, an English singer who led Wolfsbane from 1984 to 1994.
- Popularity: 326 U.S. boys in 2025 at 781st, near its best rank of 707th in 2015.
Bokamoso
Bokamoso is a Setswana name meaning future, from the Bantu language spoken by the Tswana people of South Africa, and it is rarely heard outside Botswana. It has a rolling four-syllable rhythm and states its meaning plainly, with no film or metaphor behind it.
- Origin: Setswana
- Meaning: Future
- Pronunciation: boh-kah-MOH-soh
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists. Bokamoso has never reached the five-births-a-year minimum the SSA needs to publish a name.
Cael
Cael belongs to Irish legend, a warrior who won over the most beautiful woman in Ireland with his poetry rather than his sword. The meaning is narrow or slender, and the name is one syllable, easy to say, and hard to shorten. It had a real American moment in the early 2000s and has cooled since, which puts it in a good spot: familiar enough to pronounce, uncommon enough to notice.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Narrow, slender
- Pronunciation: KAY-EL
- Namesakes: Cael Sanderson, an American former freestyle wrestler and head coach for Penn State University’s wrestling team.
- Popularity: Peaked at 778th in 2002; 79 boys in 2025 put it at 1,945th, down about 70 percent on the previous decade.
Carbon
Carbon forms more compounds than every other element combined, which is a solid foundation for a name to be built on. Element names sit naturally beside the space and tech picks here, and unlike character names they will not date when the film does. American use is minimal but real. Choosing it says you expect your son to be fundamental to something.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Coal, charcoal
- Pronunciation: KAR-bun
- Popularity: 8 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 9,055th, flat over the past decade.
Clu
Clu is the Codified Likeness Utility from TRON, the program written to stand in for its creator, Kevin Flynn. As a name it is three letters, no pronunciation trouble, and almost certainly no one else in the class. Cherokee gives it a second life as purple martin. If you have no clue where to start with futuristic names, the joke writes itself, and the name still holds up afterward.
- Origin: Cherokee
- Meaning: Purple martin
- Pronunciation: KLOO
- Namesakes: William “Clu” Gulager, an American TV and film actor known for his roles in The Tall Man and The Virginian.
- Popularity: Appears in U.S. birth data only for 1962, at 4,150th.
Coda
A coda closes a piece of music, and Coda is also the name of a web development tool, which is where the tech reading comes from. It sits close to Cody and Koda in sound, so it will not strike anyone as foreign on first hearing. The Sioux meaning, friend, is warmer than the software association suggests. Koda is the variant spelling.
- Origin: Sioux
- Meaning: Friend
- Pronunciation: KO-DAH
- Variations: Koda
- Popularity: 49 U.S. boys in 2025 at 2,650th, up about three quarters on the previous decade.
Cosmo
Cosmo means order, and it is one letter from the cosmos, so it does double duty as a space name and an old Italian one. Seinfeld fans will remember it as Kramer’s rarely used first name. It had a brief American run in the 1910s and 1920s and is climbing again now, still nowhere near common. Cosimo and Cosma are the softer alternatives.
- Origin: Italian, English
- Meaning: Order
- Pronunciation: KOZ-moh
- Variations: Cosimo, Cosma
- Namesakes: Cosmo Jarvis, an American-born British actor known for his role as Sebastian in the film Lady Macbeth (2016).
- Popularity: 80 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 1,934th, more than triple the previous decade; its best rank was 933rd in 1913.
Cressida
Cressida is truly “out of this world,” associated with one of the moons of Uranus. This space name was used by Boccaccio in his poem Il Filostrato and later by Shakesphere for his play Troilus and Cressida (1602). Cressida’s elegant sound and literary significance will help it thrive for generations.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Gold
- Pronunciation: KREHS-i-dah
- Variations: Criseida
- Namesakes: Cressida Dick, a British retired senior police officer and the first female to lead the Metropolitan Police Service in London.
- Popularity: 11 U.S. girls in 2025 at 8,987th, little changed over the past decade.
Cypher
Cypher is an Americanized form of the German surname, Seifer. Cypher is also a variation of cipher – a secret, encoded message. Technology will be a big part of the future, making Cypher the perfect name for your little code-cracker.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Peace and victory
- Pronunciation: cy-FER
- Popularity: 16 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 5,656th, about two and a half times the previous decade.
Data
Data is the android from Star Trek, remembered for computational abilities no crewmate could match. The word itself, facts and figures gathered for later analysis, is about as plainly futuristic as English gets. Georgian gives the name a second and much gentler meaning, beloved, along with the forms Davit and Datua. It stays below the SSA’s five-births-a-year publication line, so your Data would be a rare one indeed.
- Origin: Georgian
- Meaning: Beloved, uncle
- Pronunciation: DAY-tah
- Variations: Davit, Datua
- Popularity: Unranked in the U.S. Federal data begins at five births in a single year, and Data has never reached it.
Deckard
Deckard is the Americanized version of the German surname Deckert. Using surnames as given names is an up-and-coming trend, so Deckard has a bright future ahead. In the dystopian film Bladerunner, Rick Deckard is a police officer who arrests rogue androids.
- Origin: English, German
- Meaning: Day strong
- Pronunciation: DEK-ard
- Popularity: 17 U.S. boys in 2025 at 5,438th, more than triple the previous decade.
Delphia
Delphia traces back to Delphi, the ancient Greek city that housed the famous seer and oracle of Apollo. The play The Prophetess put a sorceress named Delphia on stage, foretelling who the next king would be. It is a fluid, feminine name with a long American history and a very quiet present. If your daughter turns out to have a sense of what is coming, the name will have called it first.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Womb
- Pronunciation: del-FEE-ah
- Popularity: Ranked 619th in 1913, then faded; 10 U.S. girls in 2025 put it at 9,611th.
Delta
Delta is the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet. In math, the delta symbol represents a change in a certain quantity. Delta also has associations with nature, referring to a land mass that forms where a river meets the sea. Delta honors the past while looking toward the future.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Greek letter, river mouth
- Pronunciation: DEL-tah
- Namesakes: Delta Burke, an American actress, producer, and writer known for her role as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the sitcom Designing Women.
- Popularity: 78 U.S. girls in 2025 at 2,337th, more than six times the previous decade.
Dorian
Oscar Wilde invented Dorian in 1891 for The Picture of Dorian Gray, and a certain elegance has clung to it ever since. The Tomorrow War gave it a science fiction turn, casting Dorian as the mysterious war veteran fighting off an alien invasion. It has been in steady American use for decades, which makes it one of the safer picks here: futuristic in feel, unremarkable on a class roster.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Of Doris
- Pronunciation: DOR-ee-an
- Namesakes: Dorian Harewood, an American actor best known for his role as Jesse Owens in The Jesse Owens Story and Paul Strobber on Strike Force.
- Popularity: 557 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 539th, steady over the past decade.
Eames
Eames comes to the list through Inception, where he is the charismatic conman who spends the film wearing other people’s faces inside a dream. As a name it is a surname first, sleek and closed, with the meaning uncle or friend behind it. One syllable, nothing to argue about, and almost no competition in the U.S. Ames is the softer version if the E is doing too much.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Uncle, friend
- Pronunciation: EEMZ
- Variations: Ames
- Popularity: 7 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 9,971st.
Echo
In Greek myth, Echo is the nymph Hera cursed to repeat only the last words spoken to her. Star Wars borrowed the name for the clone trooper known as the Hero of Anaxes. The word meaning, reverberating sound, gives it a resonance few nature names have. It had a small American moment in the 1980s and is used quietly today for boys and girls alike.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Reverberating sound
- Pronunciation: EKO
- Namesakes: Echo Kellum, an American actor and comedian known for his role as Curtis Holt in the drama series Arrow.
- Popularity: 78 U.S. babies in 2025 at 2,339th; its best rank was 845th in 1983.
Eli
Eli is short, biblical, and about as established as an American boy’s name gets, which makes its appearance here useful. The Book of Eli is what earns it the spot: a post-apocalyptic story about a man carrying the last copy of the Bible across the country to safety. The meaning, ascension, points upward. If you want the futuristic association without the futuristic name, this is the one to take.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Ascension
- Pronunciation: EH-lee
- Namesakes: Eli Whitney, an American inventor known for creating the cotton gin.
- Popularity: A U.S. mainstay: 104th in 2025 with 3,418 boys, about one in 500.
Eon
An eon runs to a billion years, which is a lot to hang on two syllables. Greek gives it the meaning age, and there are very few modern bearers, so it arrives with no baggage attached. It sounds like Ian with the edges filed off. Rare, though it has roughly doubled in a decade.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Age
- Pronunciation: EE-on
- Namesakes: Eon de L’Etoile, a Breton religious leader and “messiah” who opposed the Roman Catholic Church.
- Popularity: 13 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 6,567th, about double the previous decade.
Ezri
Give your little one a bright future with an adorable name like Ezri! This traditional Hebrew name was used for a humanoid woman in Star Trek, giving it a sci-fi feel. Your little space alien will genuinely feel out of this world with a name like Ezri.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: To help
- Pronunciation: EZ-ree
- Namesakes: Ezri Konsa, a professional soccer player for the Premier League club Aston Villa.
- Popularity: 51 U.S. babies in 2025 at 3,142nd, up about 60 percent on the previous decade.
Fio
Fio is usually short for Fiona or Fiorella, but it stands up better on its own than most nicknames do. Two beats of sound, a bright vowel, and meanings that run to fair, white, and flower. Short names have been gaining for years, and Fio is about as short as a name gets before it stops being one.
- Origin: English, Irish, Italian
- Meaning: Fair, white, flower
- Pronunciation: FEE-oh
- Popularity: Fio does not appear in U.S. birth records at all, which takes at least five babies in one year.
Four
Four is a number used as a name, in the company of Gravity, Pilot, and Blue on celebrity birth certificates. The Divergent series is what gives it a future: Four is the nickname of Tobias Eaton, the sharp, capable fighter at the center of the story. It is direct, unisex, and impossible to shorten. There is no American data for it, which is what you would expect of a name that is really a numeral.
- Origin: English, Literature
- Meaning: Four
- Pronunciation: FOR
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists. Four has never reached the five-births-a-year minimum the SSA needs to publish a name.
Furiosa
Furiosa is Latin for full of rage, and Mad Max: Fury Road built a warrior around it, the driver who turns against the villainous Immortan Joe. Nothing about the name is subtle, and that is the point. For a family that wants some fight in a name, there is no ambiguity here at all.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Full of rage
- Pronunciation: fyoo-ree-OH-sah
- Popularity: Appears in U.S. birth data once, in 2016, at 12,141st.
Futura
Futura comes from the Italian word “futuro” (future). This forward-looking name could be perfect for a little girl with a bright future! Futura and Future could be an excellent combo for boy-girl twins.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Future
- Pronunciation: foo-TOO-ra
- Namesakes: Futura, born as Leonard Hilton McGurr, an American graffiti artist.
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which publishes a name only once at least five babies receive it in a year.
Future
Future is a word name that skips metaphor entirely and states the thing outright. The rapper Future, born Nayvadius Wilburn, has carried it into wide use as a stage name, which will be most people’s first association. As a given name it stays rare, though it is more common than it was a decade ago. It will be read as a statement, which may be exactly the intention.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: A period of time yet to come
- Pronunciation: FYOO-chur
- Namesakes: Future, born as Nayvadius Dumun Wilburn, an American rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his singles Turn on the Lights, Honest, and Wait for U.
- Popularity: 22 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 4,590th, more than three times the previous decade.
Gaius
Gaius is Roman, means to rejoice, and was borne by Gaius Julius Caesar, which is a heavy inheritance for anyone. Battlestar Galactica put it back in play with Dr. Gaius Baltar, the brilliant scientist who ends up President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. Ancient and futuristic at the same time, it suits a child expected to lead something. Still rare in the U.S.
- Origin: Roman, Latin
- Meaning: To rejoice
- Pronunciation: GUY-US
- Namesakes: Gaius Marius, a Roman general, and Statesman who held the position of consul unprecedentedly seven times during his career.
- Popularity: 31 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 3,598th.
Genesis
Genesis is a Greek word referencing new beginnings and rebirth. It is the name of the first chapter of the Old Testament, which includes significant events like the creation of the world and the great flood. Genesis is a modern girl’s name with ancient roots, bringing your futuristic babe back to where it all began.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Birth, origin
- Pronunciation: JEN-uh-sis
- Namesakes: Genesis Rodriguez Perez, an American actress and model with leading roles in the telenovelas Prisionera, Dame Chocolate, and Dona Barbara.
- Popularity: 66th in 2025 with 3,527 U.S. girls, about one in 456.
Hal
Hal’s was the supercomputer’s name in the movie Space Odyssey, making it a perfect choice for technology lovers. Although Hal was originally a short form of Harry, it took off as an independent name in the early 20th-century. We predict Hal’s simplicity and warmth will make it a favorite among future generations.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Home ruler
- Pronunciation: HAL
- Namesakes: Hal Roach, an American film and TV producer who founded the famous Hal Roach Studios.
- Popularity: Best rank 305th in 1956; 38 U.S. boys in 2025 put it at 3,151st, about double the previous decade.
Helix
A helix is the spiral, the shape DNA takes, so the name arrives with the whole idea of genetics already attached. There is little precedent for it as a given name, which suits parents who want something engineered rather than handed down. Easy to say, impossible to mistake for anything else.
- Origin: Latin, Greek
- Meaning: Something twisted or spiral
- Pronunciation: hee-licks
- Popularity: 16 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 5,692nd.
Holden
Holden means deep valley and reads as a modern surname name, though its literary weight comes from The Catcher in the Rye and Holden Bowler, the athlete who inspired the character. Blade Runner is what puts it on this list: Holden is the Blade Runner assigned to test Tyrell Corporation employees for signs that they are replicants. It climbed hard through the 2000s and has eased back slightly since 2018. Warm, a little formal, and unlikely to date.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Deep valley
- Pronunciation: HOHL-den
- Namesakes: Holden Bowler, an American athlete, singer, and businessman who inspired Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye.
- Popularity: 1,140 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 297th.
Irene
Irene comes from Eirene, the Greek goddess of peace, which makes it one of the most classical names here. Gattaca supplies the futuristic tie: Irene lives in a society sorted by genetics, where the naturally conceived rank below the engineered. The name was enormously popular in the U.S. a century ago and is much quieter now, which is often where a name sits shortly before it returns.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Peace
- Pronunciation: eye-REEN
- Namesakes: Irene of Athens, a Byzantine empress consort to Emperor Leo IV who eventually became the sole ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire.
- Popularity: Ranked 16th in 1918 and 651st in 2025, with 442 U.S. girls.
Jinx
Jinx started as jyng, a 17th-century word for a spell, and traces back further to the Latin iynx. Space Camp gave it a robot: Jinx is the overly literal machine that takes a request too seriously and sends a group of teenagers into orbit. The name is playful and a little mischievous, which not every parent wants and some very much do. Jynx and Jinks are the alternatives.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: A spell
- Pronunciation: JINGKS
- Variations: Jynx, Jinks
- Namesakes: Jinx Falkenburg, an American actress and model who popularized the talk show format with her husband, Tex McCrary.
- Popularity: 8 U.S. girls in 2025 at 11,363rd; its best rank was 2,386th in 1950.
Jonas
Jonas is the Hebrew Jonah in a different coat, meaning dove, and it has been in continuous American use for well over a century. The Giver is what earns it a place here: Jonas is the boy chosen to receive the memories of everyone who came before him. Classic on the surface, unsettling underneath, which is a good combination for a name.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Dove
- Pronunciation: JOH-nus
- Variations: Jonah
- Namesakes: Jonas Bjorkman, a former Swedish professional tennis player who was a former world No.1 in doubles and No.4 in singles.
- Popularity: 476 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 599th.
Jupiter
This cool space name is associated with the largest planet in our solar system. Jupiter was also the supreme sky god in Roman mythology, who protected the Roman state. This powerful title is perfect for a future galactic traveler!
- Origin: Roman
- Meaning: Sky father
- Pronunciation: JOO-pih-ter
- Namesakes: Jupiter Maca, a Brazilian singer, songwriter, and filmmaker.
- Popularity: 84 U.S. boys in 2025 at 2,205th, roughly six times the previous decade.
Katniss
Elegant and bold, Katniss is derived from an edible aquatic flowering plant from the Sagittaria family. Katniss took off as a given name from the dystopian book and movie series, The Hunger Games. In the series, Katniss is a fearless young woman who volunteers to fight in a televised battle in place of her sister. Perhaps your Katniss will be as bold and courageous as this literary hero.
- Origin: English, Literature
- Meaning: Sagittaria
- Pronunciation: KAT-nis
- Popularity: Peaked at 3,960th in 2014; 7 U.S. girls in 2025 put it at 12,531st, down about half on the previous decade.
Khanyisa
Khanyisa is Xhosa, spoken by South Africans from the Eastern Cape Province, and it means giving light to the future. The sound is soft and open across three easy syllables. Kanyisa is the alternate spelling. It has not yet crossed the SSA’s five-births-a-year publication line.
- Origin: Xhosa
- Meaning: Giving light to the future
- Pronunciation: khan-YEE-sah
- Variations: Kanyisa
- Namesakes: Khanyisa Jaceni, a South African social media personality who gained recognition through her TikTok content.
- Popularity: Unranked in the U.S. Federal data begins at five births in a single year, and Khanyisa stays below it.
Kirk
Kirk means church, plainly, and had a serious American run through the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s before fading in the early 2000s. Star Trek is the reason it belongs here, and the association is total: for most people the name simply is the captain. Short, blunt, and slightly retro, which now counts as a style rather than a drawback.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Church
- Pronunciation: KURK
- Namesakes: Kirk Douglas, a prominent American actor and filmmaker who made his film debut in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946).
- Popularity: Ranked 138th in 1962; 52 U.S. boys in 2025 put it at 2,551st.
Kitai
After Earth gives Kitai his story: the son of legendary ranger Cypher Raige, stranded when their ship goes down on an abandoned Earth and his father is left with two broken legs, leaving the boy to make the journey for help alone. The name is Japanese for expectation or hope, which suits that arc exactly. Two syllables, easy to say, and rare in the U.S.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Expectation, hope
- Pronunciation: ki-TIE
- Popularity: 15 U.S. boys in 2025 at 6,015th, down about half on the previous decade.
Kylo
This powerful boy’s name is associated with the villain Kylo Ren from Star Wars, later known as Ben Solo. Although Kylo went to the dark side, he was still a powerful and formidable foe. Choosing Kylo could give your son the strength he needs to prosper in the future world.
- Origin: English, Popular Culture
- Meaning: Unknown
- Pronunciation: KIE-loh
- Popularity: The fastest riser on this list: 797 U.S. boys in 2025 at 402nd, about 35 times the births of the previous decade.
Lynx
Lynx is a constellation in the northern sky and a piece of software, which covers both halves of this list in one word. The Greek and Latin roots point to white or light. As a name it is sharp, single-syllable, and unmistakably modern. Its American use has multiplied several times over in a decade, from a very small base.
- Origin: Greek, Latin
- Meaning: White, light
- Pronunciation: LINKS
- Popularity: 45 U.S. boys in 2025 at 2,823rd, nearly five times the previous decade.
Lystra
Lystra was an ancient town in Asia Minor, named in the New Testament, and it has the melodic, slightly antique sound that old places tend to leave behind. It has not yet crossed the SSA’s five-births-a-year publication line. Ancient names have a way of returning long after everyone has forgotten them, and this one has never yet had its turn.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Unknown
- Pronunciation: LIS-trah
- Namesakes: Lystra Adams, a reality star on the Real Housewives of Cheshire.
- Popularity: Lystra does not appear in U.S. birth records at all, which takes at least five babies in one year.
Malcolm
In the futuristic space western series, Firefly, Malcolm is the captain of a “Firefly-class” spaceship called Serenity. Malcolm is straightforward, loyal, and noble – three great traits for your future son to inherit! A cute nickname is Mal.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Disciple of Saint Columba
- Pronunciation: MAL-kum
- Variations: Malcom
- Namesakes: Malcolm X, an American civil rights leader and advocate for black empowerment.
- Popularity: 1,257 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 272nd, about double the previous decade.
Max
In the post-apocalyptic film series Mad Max, Max Rockatansky is a police officer living in dystopian Australia. As society starts to experience societal collapse from war and resource shortages, Max helps others survive in the increasingly brutal world. Max is short and powerful, offering your son a cool name that’ll fit into any period.
- Origin: Roman
- Meaning: Greatest
- Pronunciation: MAKS
- Namesakes: Max Weber, a German sociologist, historian, and political economist regarded as one of the fathers of sociology.
- Popularity: Max ranked 180th in 2025, with 2,025 U.S. boys.
Mirai
Mirai means future in Japanese, and depending on the kanji it can also read as beautiful thunder or to see thunder. It is used primarily in Japan and stays rare in the U.S., though it is more common than it was. Three syllables with the vowels doing all the work and not a hard consonant anywhere. Of every name here that means future, it may be the prettiest to say.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Future
- Pronunciation: MEE-RIE
- Namesakes: Mirai Yamamoto, a Japanese actress known for her roles in the films Who Am I? (1998), Jigoku Kozo (2004), and Villon’s Wife (2009).
- Popularity: 20 U.S. girls in 2025, ranking 6,048th, about two and a half times the previous decade.
Muri
Muri is a habitational name from a farmstead in Sunnmore, Norway, meaning glorious meadow. The Tomorrow War moved it into science fiction with Muri Forester, the military scientist working to save humanity from an alien species called the Whitespikes. Soft, short, and easily mistaken for a nickname, which some parents will count as a feature.
- Origin: Norwegian
- Meaning: Glorious meadow
- Pronunciation: MOO-ree
- Namesakes: Muri Eniko, a Hungarian singer, and theater actress, noted for earning 2nd place in the second season of the X-Faktor.
- Popularity: Appears in U.S. birth data once, in 2022, at 16,995th.
Murphy
Murphy was a surname and a boy’s name first, Irish, meaning sea warrior. Interstellar changed its trajectory by handing it to the intelligent daughter of astronaut Cooper, and the name overall has grown more than 11 times over on the previous decade since. It is now a genuinely established girls’ name with a tomboy history behind it. Murph is right there when she needs it.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Sea warrior
- Pronunciation: MUR-fee
- Namesakes: Murphy Jensen, an American former professional tennis player and Gram Slam doubles champion.
- Popularity: A record high: 397th in 2025 with 783 U.S. babies, more than 11 times the previous decade.
Nebula
In astronomy, a Nebula is a cloud of dust in outer space, creating a visible bright patch in the night sky. Your little Nebula could also be a bright light, even when surrounded by darkness.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Mist
- Pronunciation: NEB-yoo-lah
- Popularity: 9 U.S. girls in 2025, ranking 10,677th.
Niander
Blade Runner gives Niander his shape: the ruthless CEO and scientist obsessed with building perfect and obedient replicants. He is the villain, which is worth knowing going in, but the name itself is clean, Greek, and means new man. Neander is the older form. It stays below the SSA’s five-births-a-year publication line, so it arrives without the film’s weight attached for most people.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: New man
- Pronunciation: NEE-an-der
- Variations: Neander
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists. Niander has never reached the five-births-a-year minimum the SSA needs to publish a name.
Niobe
If you’re looking for future names with ancient origins, you’ll love Niobe – a mythical Greek name for the daughter of Tantalus, the king of Sipylus. In the Matrix, Niobe was a human rebel who used her extraordinary fighting abilities to defend herself against the Machines. Your little Niobe won’t stand for injustice – now or in the future.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Fern
- Pronunciation: NAI-oh-bee
- Namesakes: Niobe Thompson, a Canadian anthropologist and documentary filmmaker.
- Popularity: 7 U.S. babies in 2025, ranking 12,822nd.
Nova
Nova is a relatively modern name, first used in the mid-19th-century. In astronomy, a Nova is a star that suddenly increases in brightness before returning to its original state. Your little Nova’s future could be brighter than all the stars combined!
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: New
- Pronunciation: NOH-vah
- Namesakes: Nova Maree Peris, an Aboriginal Australian athlete and the first Aboriginal person to win an Olympic gold medal.
- Popularity: 46th in 2025 with 4,657 U.S. girls, about ten times the births of the previous decade.
Orion
There’s no “limit” to what your son’s future will hold with a beautiful name like Orion. In Greek mythology, Orion was a legendary hunter who, after his death, was turned into a constellation in the night sky. Celestial names, like Orion, are on the rise. We predict they’ll become even more prominent in future generations.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Boundary, limit
- Pronunciation: o-RIE-an
- Namesakes: Orion Clemes, first and only secretary of the Nevada Territory and brother of famous author Mark Twain.
- Popularity: 1,012 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 334th, up about 80 percent on the previous decade.
Ozara
Ozara is an elegant option among futuristic girl names, derived from the Serbian “ozariti” (to be radiant) or “ozaren” (radiant). In the future, names like Ava, Emma, or Olivia will be considered “old-fashioned.” Exotic names like Ozara, on the other hand, will still be regarded as unique! Ozara can be shortened to Zara for a cool nickname.
- Origin: Serbian
- Meaning: To make radiant
- Pronunciation: AW-zah-rah
- Popularity: 7 U.S. girls in 2025, ranking 12,852nd.
Perl
Perl is a programming language and a Yiddish form of Pearl, an unusual pair of origins for one four-letter name. The gem behind it forms slowly inside the shell of a mollusk, under pressure, which is a decent thing to name a daughter after. For a family in tech the double meaning is the whole appeal.
- Origin: Yiddish
- Meaning: Pearl
- Pronunciation: PURL
- Popularity: 32 U.S. girls in 2025, ranking 4,436th.
Phoenix
The Phoenix was a mythical bird in Egyptian and Greek mythology. It would be consumed by fire and rise from its ashes every 500 years. Today, Phoenix is a trendy name option for girls and boys. We predict this badass name will have an even brighter future ahead!
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Dark red
- Pronunciation: FEE-nuhks
- Popularity: 1,027 U.S. babies in 2025, ranking 329th.
Pris
Blade Runner made Pris a punk: the replicant with the bleached hair and the deadly streak. As a name it is a short form of Priscilla with all the lace taken off, and it means ancient, which is a strange thing for a cyberpunk name to mean. If Priscilla feels heavy, this is the lighter, sharper version of it.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Ancient
- Pronunciation: PRIS
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which publishes a name only once at least five babies receive it in a year.
Pythia
Pythia was Apollo’s master priestess at Delphi, the woman better known as the Oracle of Delphi, and her prophecies made her the most powerful woman in the classical world. The name has not yet crossed the SSA’s five-births-a-year publication line. It is mythic, unusual, and a little severe, which suits a list built around seeing what comes next.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: To decay
- Pronunciation: PITH-ee-ah
- Popularity: Pythia does not appear in U.S. birth records at all, which takes at least five babies in one year.
Quinn
Quinn is Gaelic for sense, reason, or chief, and it is one of five names on this list still inside the U.S. top 100. Sliders supplies the science fiction link: Quinn Mallory is the college student who builds a device that carries him into parallel worlds. One syllable, no nickname required, and it works as well on a grandmother as on a newborn.
- Origin: Gaelic
- Meaning: Sense, reason, chief
- Pronunciation: KWIN
- Variations: Quin
- Namesakes: Quinn Martin, an American television producer, inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1997.
- Popularity: Quinn sits inside the U.S. top 100, 97th in 2025 with 2,634 babies, about one in 610.
Quorra
Quorra is the last ISO, or Isomorphic Algorithm, alive in TRON, a skilled warrior and the confidant of Kevin Flynn, often called The Miracle. The name means maiden and sits a step away from Cora, which gives it a familiar spine under an unfamiliar spelling. Techy but soft enough to say a hundred times a day.
- Origin: English, Popular Culture
- Meaning: Maiden
- Pronunciation: KAWR-ah
- Variations: Cora
- Popularity: Peaked at 3,901st in 2012; 6 U.S. girls in 2025 put it at 14,522nd.
Regan
Regan means king, which is a lot of authority for a name used mostly for girls. A Quiet Place II is what earns it a spot here: Regan is the deaf girl who walks out among sound-sensitive aliens to find help for her family. It peaked in the U.S. in the early 2000s and has been quiet since. Reagan is the more common spelling.
- Origin: English, Irish
- Meaning: King
- Pronunciation: REE-gan
- Variations: Reagan
- Namesakes: Regan Farquhar, better known by his stage name Busdriver, is an American rapper and producer from LA.
- Popularity: Peaked at 391st in 2001; 80 U.S. babies in 2025 rank it 2,295th.
Ripley
Ripley is a surname first, from the Old English ripel, a strip of land, and leah, a clearing. Ellen Ripley, lieutenant aboard the Nostromo, is one of science fiction’s most durable feminist icons, and the name has never really belonged to anyone else since. It reached its best American showing in 2025, which puts it on the way up rather than the way down. Rip is the obvious short form.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Strip of land clearing
- Pronunciation: RIP-lee
- Popularity: Its best U.S. rank yet, 1,032nd in 2025, with 243 babies, roughly four times the previous decade.
River
River is the name of characters in the space series Firefly and Doctor Who, making it an excellent option for your future intergalactic traveler. River also has a natural side, given its connection to the flowing body of water. River is calm but has the strength to endure future challenges.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Riverbank
- Pronunciation: RIV-er
- Namesakes: River Jones, an American producer, musician, and owner of River Jones Music.
- Popularity: 111th in 2025 with 3,139 U.S. babies, nearly four times the births of the previous decade.
Ryker
Ryker is German by origin, meaning rich, and it belongs to the wave of hard-consonant boy names that have taken over American nurseries. It sits close to Ryan and Ryder without being either, which is most of its appeal. Riker is the listed variant. Ry makes a sweet nickname for a name that otherwise gives no ground.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Rich
- Pronunciation: RIE-ker
- Variations: Riker
- Popularity: Ryker ranked 183rd in 2025, with 2,003 U.S. boys.
Sakito
Sakito is built from the Japanese saki, future, and to, person, which makes it a name built directly from the word for future itself. Blossom person is another possible reading. Three open syllables, easy for English speakers once they have heard it said. It has not yet crossed the SSA’s five-births-a-year publication line.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Future person
- Pronunciation: SAH-KEE-TO
- Namesakes: Sakito, born Takahiro Sakaguchi, a Japanese guitarist, and songwriter for the band NIGHTMARE.
- Popularity: Unranked in the U.S. Federal data begins at five births in a single year, and Sakito stays below it.
Scorpius
Scorpius is the constellation, known for its bright stars and distinctive shape, and it is also the name given to Draco Malfoy’s only son in Harry Potter. Greek supplies the plain meaning, scorpion. It has yet to cross the SSA’s five-births-a-year publication line, which is part of the appeal for a family that wants their son unmistakable.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Scorpion
- Pronunciation: SKOR-pee-us
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists. Scorpius has never reached the five-births-a-year minimum the SSA needs to publish a name.
Sibyl
The Sibyls were the female prophets of the ancient world, stationed at holy sites and consulted on what was coming. Christian writers later treated them as carriers of divine knowledge, close cousins to the prophets. The name means prophetess outright. It was a genuine American favorite a century ago and is barely used now, which is exactly where the good revivals come from.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Prophetess, sibyl
- Pronunciation: SIB-il
- Popularity: Ranked 376th in 1919; 23 U.S. girls in 2025 put it at 5,537th.
Sil
Sil comes from the Old High Germanic sigu, meaning victory, and it is about as compact as a name gets. Species gave it a darker turn, casting Sil as the alien and human hybrid who outthinks the people holding her. Unisex, blunt, and modern, with nothing decorative anywhere in it.
- Origin: Dutch
- Meaning: Victory
- Pronunciation: SIL
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which publishes a name only once at least five babies receive it in a year.
Siri
Siri was initially a Scandinavian nickname for Sigrid. Nowadays, people associate Siri with the virtual assistant on Apple devices. Siri could be the perfect futuristic name if you are a tech nerd!
- Origin: Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
- Meaning: Beautiful victory
- Pronunciation: SEER-ee
- Namesakes: Siri Hustvedt, an American novelist known for her books The Blindfold (1992) and What I Loved (2003).
- Popularity: The lowest-ranked name here still in the published data: 6 girls in 2025, a rank of 14,700th, or about one in 250,000.
Takeshi
Takeshi Kovacs carries the name through Altered Carbon, adapted from the cyberpunk novel, in a world where bodies are swapped and identity is anything but fixed. The name itself reads as military, martial, strong, or healthy depending on the characters used to write it. It appeared in American records for decades before falling away. For a Japanese family it is a strong traditional choice that happens to sound entirely futuristic.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Warrior
- Pronunciation: TA-KEH-SHEE
- Namesakes: Takeshi Kitano, a Japanese comedian, TV presenter, and filmmaker.
- Popularity: Last appears in 2024, at 14,006th; its best U.S. rank was 1,116th in 1924.
Tau
Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet and turns up constantly in biology, mathematics, physics, and astronomy, which is a lot of range for three letters. As a given name it is minimal to the point of being a symbol. If you want a name that looks like it belongs on a whiteboard, this is the one.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Letter of the Greek alphabet
- Pronunciation: TAW
- Popularity: 5 U.S. boys in 2025, the fewest the SSA will publish, ranking 13,675th.
Thanos
Thanos is the cosmic supervillain of the Marvel comics and films, and the name was built on Thanatos, the Greek personification of death and oblivion. That is a heavy association to hand a child and there is no getting around it. The sound itself is clean and strong. It has only ever been recorded in very small numbers here.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Death
- Pronunciation: THAN-ohs
- Popularity: Last appears in 2023, at 13,976th; its best rank was 5,321st in 2019.
Tove
Tove is drawn from the Old Norse, joining Thor, god of storms, with frior, beautiful. The pronunciation, TOO-veh, is worth teaching early, because most Americans will guess wrong on the first try. Mythological names have been gaining ground for years and this one has the rhythm to travel. Tuva is the alternative if the V lands too hard.
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: Beautiful Thor
- Pronunciation: TOO-veh
- Variations: Tuva
- Namesakes: Tove Jansson, a Finnish author and novelist known for her children’s books The Moomins and the Great Flood, Comet in Moominland, and Finn Family Moomintroll.
- Popularity: 17 U.S. girls in 2025 at 6,807th, about two and a half times the previous decade.
Trinity
The Matrix put Trinity at the center of things: the computer programmer and hacker who gets other people out. The name means threefold and carries obvious religious weight alongside the leather coat. It was a top 50 American girls’ name in the mid-2000s and has come a long way down since, which leaves it recognizable without being everywhere. Trin is the natural short form.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Threefold
- Pronunciation: TRIN-ih-tee
- Namesakes: Trinity Fatu, an American professional wrestler and dancer currently signed to WWE.
- Popularity: Peaked at 48th in 2004; 725 U.S. girls in 2025 rank it 428th, down about 60 percent on the previous decade.
Uhura
Uhura means freedom in Swahili, which is fitting for a character who changed what American television was willing to show. As the intelligent Starfleet officer with an aptitude for math and language, she was among the first Black characters on U.S. television placed in a role of real standing rather than a menial one. The name has almost no history of its own in American birth records. It is a name with a case to make.
- Origin: Swahili
- Meaning: Freedom
- Pronunciation: oo-HOO-rah
- Popularity: Recorded in U.S. data only in the 1970s, at best 6,597th in 1971.
Uriah
Uriah comes from the Hebrew name Uriyah, from the root “ur” (light flame) and “yah” (referencing the Hebrew God). In the Bible, Uriah was an elite warrior in the army of David. Uriah was also a character in Veronica Roth’s dystopian novel, Insurgent. Uriah’s power will resonate with the generations to come.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Yahweh is my light
- Pronunciation: yur-AI-uh
- Namesakes: Uriah Shelton, an American actor and singer known for his television roles as Jeff Cargill on The Glades and Joshua Matthews on Girl Meets World.
- Popularity: 427 U.S. boys in 2025, ranking 650th.
Vincent
Vincent means to conquer, has been in English use since the Middle Ages, and did not become genuinely popular until the 19th century. Gattaca is what puts it here: Vincent is conceived without genetic selection in a society that sorts people by their DNA, and he borrows a better genotype to reach his goal of becoming an astronaut. It has been an American favorite for well over a century. Vince and Vinnie are both waiting if you want them.
- Origin: Roman
- Meaning: To conquer
- Pronunciation: VIN-sent
- Namesakes: Vicent van Gogh, a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter and one of the most influential figures in Western art history.
- Popularity: Vincent ranked 107th in 2025, with 3,267 U.S. boys, about one in 523.
Weilai
Looking for future names to honor your Chinese heritage? Consider Weilai, derived from the Chinese “wei” (not yet) and “lai” (to come, to arrive). Another possible meaning is “blue sky coming.” Weilai is bright and pleasant, showing hope for a better tomorrow.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Future, tomorrow
- Pronunciation: WAY-LIE
- Popularity: Weilai does not appear in U.S. birth records at all, which takes at least five babies in one year.
Xenon
Xenon is a heavy, rare gas from the periodic table that glows blue when you run a current through it, which is a good origin story for a name. Greek gives it the meaning foreigner or guest. It has been recorded in American births exactly once. Element names carry no cultural baggage at all, which is rarer and more useful than it sounds.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Foreigner, guest
- Pronunciation: ZEE-naan
- Popularity: Appears in U.S. birth data once, in 2017, at 14,163rd.
Xiomara
Xiomara is an awesome cyberpunk name featured in the novel Bleeding Edge. You can shorten it to Xio or Mara for two badass nicknames. Your little Xiomara will be as tough as nails!
- Origin: Spanish
- Meaning: Battle famous
- Pronunciation: see-oh-MARA
- Namesakes: Xiomara Castro, a Honduras first female president.
- Popularity: 665 U.S. girls in 2025, ranking 463rd, more than double the previous decade.
Zak
Zak is Zachary stripped to the bone, Hebrew in origin, meaning Yahweh remembers. The K ending is what makes it read as current rather than traditional. It is rarer in the U.S. now than it was in the late 1980s, so it lands as fresh rather than overused. Pair it with Zakarya for boy-girl twins if you want the set.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Yahweh remembers
- Pronunciation: ZAK
- Namesakes: Zak Starkey, an English rock drummer for the band The Who.
- Popularity: 12 U.S. boys in 2025 at 7,181st; its best rank was 1,948th in 1988.
Zelda
Zelda was the name of an American socialite who was the wife of author F. Scott Fitzgerald. She was the inspiration for the princess character in the video game series, Legend of Zelda. This exotic “Z” name sounds very futuristic, and we predict it’ll be a top pick in the next generation.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Gray battle
- Pronunciation: ZEL-dah
- Namesakes: Zelda Fitzgerald, an American socialite, novelist, and painter dubbed “the first American flapper.”
- Popularity: 328 U.S. girls in 2025, ranking 832nd, more than triple the previous decade.
Zephyr
Zephyr is the Greek god of the west wind, and the word still means a light breeze. It has never reached the U.S. top 1,000, so a Zephyr will not be sharing the name with anyone in the room. The Z start does most of the futuristic work and the rest of the name is soft. Zeph is the short form.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: West wind
- Pronunciation: ZEHF-er
- Popularity: 169 U.S. boys in 2025 at 1,203rd, more than double the previous decade.
Zero
Your little one will go from Zero to hero with this cool, futuristic name! Zero is popular in Japan, often given to heroic characters in manga and anime. Although Zero means “empty,” we predict your cyber baby will be full of life.
- Origin: Italian, Japanese, Arabic, Sanskrit
- Meaning: Empty
- Pronunciation: ZEER-oh
- Namesakes: Samuel “Zero” Mostel, an American actor, comedian, and singer, known for his comic portrayal of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, and Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
- Popularity: Its best U.S. showing yet, 6,444th in 2025, with 14 babies.
Zhora
In Armenia, Zhora is a masculine short form of Yegor, George, or Georg, and it means earthworker. Blade Runner uses it very differently, casting Zhora as the replicant who returns to Earth to try to extend her lifespan. It has never made the American charts. The Zh opening is unusual in English and will need saying twice, which some parents count as a feature.
- Origin: Armenian, Russian
- Meaning: Earthworker
- Pronunciation: ZHOR-ah
- Namesakes: Zhora Harutyunyan, an Armenian writer, playwright, and theater director.
- Popularity: Unranked in the U.S. Federal data begins at five births in a single year, and Zhora stays below it.
Zoe
Zoe is a modern English name, only in use since the 19th-century. It’s simple but stylish – the perfect formula for a futuristic name! In a 2018 romantic sci-fi film, Zoe is the name of an android who falls in love with a human named Cole.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Life
- Pronunciation: ZO-ee
- Variations: Zoey, Zoie, Zowie
- Namesakes: Zoe Kravitz, an American actress, singer, and model who made her acting debut in the romantic comedy film No Reservations.
- Popularity: 31st in 2025 with 5,646 U.S. girls, about one in 285.
