Pagan names come out of the older layer of the calendar: harvest festivals, sun and moon deities, rivers, trees, and the animals people once watched for signs. Some are still in heavy use, and some have been out of circulation for centuries.
About 0.7% of U.S. adults now identify with New Age groups, a category that covers pagans, Wiccans and druids (1), and the names travel a good deal further than the practice does. Four of the 100 below still sit in the U.S. top 100: Aurora at 15th, Luna at 27th, Maeve at 76th and Autumn at 88th in 2025 (2).
The other end of the list is nearly untouched. Twenty-eight of these names go to fewer than five American babies a year, so the federal data publishes no figure for them at all. Every entry below gives you the origin, meaning and pronunciation, plus where the name actually stands in U.S. births today.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Aurora, Luna, Maeve, Autumn and River.
100 Cute Pagan and Wiccan Names for Boys and Girls
The list runs alphabetically, from Achak to Zorya, and mixes gods and goddesses with festivals, plants, weather and animals.
Achak
Achak is the Algonquin word for spirit, and it belongs with the most mysterious names for exactly that reason. Two syllables, no obvious nickname, nothing that needs explaining away. It has also been read as a name meaning star, which sends the sense upward rather than inward. Parents after something Native American and genuinely uncommon tend to stop here.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Spirit
- Pronunciation: AAH-Chak
- Popularity: The SSA does not publish a national figure for Achak, which means it goes to fewer than five U.S. babies in a year.
Aether
Aether comes from the Greek Aither, the bright upper air the gods were said to breathe. In Greek mythology he is that sky made into a person, son of night and brother of day. The name has a clean, high, weightless feel, and it reads as unisex without looking invented.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Bright upper sky
- Pronunciation: EIY-Ther
- Popularity: Aether sat at #10,725 in 2025 U.S. births, against a best of #7,272 back in 2024.
Akasha
Akasha is the Hindi word for ether, the space between what can be seen and what cannot. That makes it one of the few names here that is an element rather than a deity. It also carries the sense of open space, and three open vowels give it a soft landing. Akash is the masculine form.
- Origin: Sanskrit, Hindi
- Meaning: Open air, sky
- Pronunciation: Aa-KAA-Shaa
- Variations: Akacia, Akaesha, Akasa, Akashah, Akasia
- Popularity: About one in every 62,500 U.S. babies is named Akasha, which put it at #5,105 in 2025.
Albus
Albus is Latin for white, shortened from the Roman surname Albinus. It also carries the sense of bright, which is a gentler thing to hand a child than the plain color suggests. Most people will hear Hogwarts before they hear Rome, and that is not a bad trade, since the association is warm and kind rather than dark.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: White
- Pronunciation: AEL-Bahs
- Variations: Albinus
- Popularity: Albus has gone to 89 U.S. babies since 2016, and it ranked #8,943 in 2025.
Alchem
Alchem is built from alchemy, by way of the French alquemie and, further back, the Greek khymatos, that which is poured out. It names the older and stranger version of chemistry, the one done by candlelight with symbols. As a given name it is very new and very rare, which is either the whole appeal or the reason to keep it in the middle slot.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: Medieval chemistry
- Pronunciation: AEL-Kahm
- Variations: Alchemie, Alkemy
- Popularity: Alchem falls below the SSA publication line of five births a year, so there is no U.S. ranking for it.
Alun
Alun is Welsh for harmony and also carries the senses of stone and noble. It traces to the Celtic alouno, read as nourishing or wandering, and it belongs to a river in Wales, which keeps it among earthy boy names. Short, soft, and unmistakably Welsh on paper.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Harmony
- Pronunciation: AEL-ahn
- Variations: Alan
- Namesakes: Alun Cairns, the Secretary of State for Wales from 2016 to 2019. Alun Owen, a Welsh screenwriter, known for the screenplay of The Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night (1964).
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists for Alun. The federal data lists a name only once it reaches five births in a year.
Amaya
Amaya works in two languages at once. In Spanish it points to a village near Castile and Leon and is read as mother city; in Japanese it is night rain. It also carries the senses of the end and of a heavenly valley. It travels well across families, which is rare for a name that means something in two languages at once.
- Origin: Spanish, Japanese
- Meaning: Mother city
- Pronunciation: Aa-MAA-Yaa
- Variations: Amaia, Amaiah, Amayah, Ammaya
- Namesakes: Amaya Álvarez, a Spanish Paralympic swimmer who competed at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Paralympics. Amaya Barry, a Chilean actress and pop singer, appearing on El Baile en TVN.
- Popularity: Amaya ranked #180 in the U.S. in 2025, with 1,723 babies given the name that year.
Angus
Angus is the English spelling of the Scottish Gaelic Aonghas, from aon, one, and ghus, choice. In Celtic myth Aengus is the god of love, humor and youth, which is a friendlier resume than most gods on this list can manage. The name itself is plain-spoken and slightly gruff in the best way.
- Origin: Celtic
- Meaning: One strength
- Pronunciation: AENG-Gahs
- Variations: Aengus, Anngus, Aonghas, Aonghus
- Namesakes: Angus King Jr., the 72nd governor of Maine from 1995 to 2003. Angus Young, an Australian musician and founder of the hard rock band AC/DC.
- Popularity: Angus sat at #2,363 in 2025 U.S. births, against a best of #659 back in 1914.
Aradia
Aradia is described as a daughter of Artemis and is known as a goddess of witches. The name is traced to the Greek heros, to watch over, and oide, tale, which together give the reading the heroic tale. Ara works as an easy short form for the days when the full name feels like too much to introduce.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Goddess of witches
- Pronunciation: Ah-REY-Diy-ah
- Variations: Aradea, Aradeah, Aradiah
- Popularity: About one in every 166,667 U.S. babies is named Aradia, which put it at #9,517 in 2025.
Ariadne
Ariadne is built from the Greek ari, most, and adnos, holy. In the myth she is the Cretan princess who helps Theseus escape the Minotaur, which makes her the one with the plan rather than the sword. The name has a formal, slightly antique ring, and Ari is the short form waiting inside it.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Most holy
- Pronunciation: Aer-iy-AED-Niy
- Variations: Ariadna, Ariane
- Namesakes: Ariadne Getty, an Italian-American philanthropist and CEO of her son’s fashion line August Getty Atelier. Ariadne Welter, a Mexican actress known for the Luis Buñuel film The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955).
- Popularity: Ariadne has gone to 4,824 U.S. babies since 1960, and it ranked #1,758 in 2025.
Arnrun
Arnrun joins the Old Norse orn, eagle, to run, secret. It is rarely seen outside Scandinavia and has also been read as a name for Iceland itself. A bird and a hidden thing in one word is about as Norse as a girl’s name gets.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Eagle secret
- Pronunciation: AHRN-rune
- Variations: Árún
- Popularity: Arnrun falls below the SSA publication line of five births a year, so there is no U.S. ranking for it.
Aspen
Aspen is the tree before it is the ski town, the one with heart-shaped leaves that move in the smallest wind. It comes from the English aspo and reads as a new-world nature name rather than an old European one. It works on any gender, and Pen is there if a nickname is wanted.
- Origin: American, English
- Meaning: Shaking tree
- Pronunciation: AEZ-Pehn
- Variations: Aspine, Aspyn, Aspyna, Aspyne
- Namesakes: Aspen Vincent, an American voice actress in the Nickelodeon series As Told by Ginger. Aspen Ladd, an American mixed martial artist in the Bantamweight division of the UFC.
- Popularity: Aspen ranked #266 in 2025 in the U.S., up about 131% on the previous decade of births.
Astral
Astral comes from the Latin astralis, of the stars. It is one of the rare occult words that stayed a word instead of becoming a name, so choosing it now feels deliberate. Astra is the tidier form if the full version is more than you want on a birth certificate.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Star-like
- Pronunciation: AES-Trahl
- Variations: Astra
- Popularity: The SSA does not publish a national figure for Astral, which means it goes to fewer than five U.S. babies in a year.
Aurora
Aurora is the Roman goddess of sunrise, and the same word names the aurora borealis, the color that runs across a northern winter sky. That is a great deal of light for one name to carry, and it explains why so many parents have landed on it. It suits a baby born at either end of the day.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Dawn
- Pronunciation: Ah-ROWR-ah
- Variations: Arora, Aurorah, Aurore
- Namesakes: Aurora Galli, an Italian footballer for the Italian national team. Aurora Ljungstedt, a Swedish writer, called Sweden’s Edgar Allan Poe.
- Popularity: Aurora ranked #15 in 2025 among U.S. births, the best showing it has on record.
Autumn
Autumn comes from the Latin autumnus and has been read as of the woods as well as the season. It is harvest, turning leaves and the last warm week of the year. Nothing about it needs explaining, which is a large part of the appeal.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Fall (season)
- Pronunciation: AAW-Tahm
- Variations: Autom, Autum
- Namesakes: Autumn Simunek, an American beauty contestant named Miss South Dakota 2015. Autumn Bailey, a Canadian volleyball player on the Canadian women’s national volleyball team.
- Popularity: About one in every 573 U.S. babies is named Autumn, which put it at #88 in 2025.
Boaz
Boaz is a biblical name that also carries the sense of swiftness and, in Hebrew, of magic. It stands on both sides of the line this list walks, which is unusual and rather useful: devout to one grandparent, faintly occult to another. It needs no nickname to soften it, which suits parents who want one name and nothing left to shorten.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Swiftness
- Pronunciation: BOW-aez
- Variations: Boase, Boaze, Boz
- Namesakes: Boaz Ellis, an Israeli foil fencer, and a five-time Israeli national champion. Boaz Kofman, an Israeli footballer, and manager for the Israel national football team.
- Popularity: Boaz has gone to 3,476 U.S. babies since 1928, and it ranked #891 in 2025.
Branwen
Branwen is the Welsh blessed raven, from bran, raven, and wen, blessed. In Celtic myth she is a goddess of love and beauty. Bronwen is the version most people have met, but Branwen keeps the raven in plain sight, and that is the point of choosing it.
- Origin: Celtic
- Meaning: Blessed raven
- Pronunciation: BRAEN-Wehn
- Variations: Branwenne, Branwyn, Branwynn
- Namesakes: Branwen Gwyn, a Welsh TV presenter for the S4C children’s program Planed Plant.
- Popularity: Branwen last appeared in the U.S. data in 2019 at #15,940 and has not been recorded since.
Brenin
Brenin is Welsh for king and a cousin of the Irish Brennan. It goes back to the Celtic braon, a drop of water, and was used as a title meaning prince or chief. Water and royalty inside six letters is a good trade.
- Origin: Welsh, Celtic
- Meaning: King
- Pronunciation: BREH-Nahn
- Variations: Brennan
- Popularity: Brenin ranked #12,318 in 2025 in the U.S., down about 5% on the previous decade of births.
Cabal
Cabal belongs to Arthur’s hound in the old legends and turns up as a medieval Spanish surname. It shares a sound with Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition, and a spelling with the English word for a secret group. That gives the name an edge that some parents will want and others will not.
- Origin: French, Spanish
- Meaning: Powerful, wealthy
- Pronunciation: KAO-Bawl
- Popularity: The SSA does not publish a national figure for Cabal, which means it goes to fewer than five U.S. babies in a year.
Calliope
Calliope joins the Greek kalos, fair, and ops, voice. She is the muse of poetry credited with inspiring Homer, so the name is literally beautiful-voiced. Callie is the nickname most families reach for once the full name gets long for daily use.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Beautiful voice
- Pronunciation: Kah-LAY-ah-Piy
- Variations: Caliope, Caliopi, Calliopy
- Namesakes: Calliope Tatti, a Greek revolutionary who helped organize the 19th-century Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. Calliope Thorne, an American actress known for the USA Network series Necessary Roughness.
- Popularity: Calliope ranked #451 in 2025 among U.S. births, the best showing it has on record.
Castor
Castor is one of the twins who make up the constellation Gemini. In ancient Greece he and Pollux were the pair sailors called on when they wanted a favorable wind. The name is blunt, old and unfussy, and it has not been worn thin by use.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Pious one
- Pronunciation: KAES-Tahr
- Variations: Castar, Caster
- Namesakes: Castor “Cass” McCord, an American jazz saxophonist who played with Louis Armstrong early in the 1930s. Castor Cantero, a Paraguayan footballer for the Paraguay national football team in the 1950 FIFA World Cup.
- Popularity: About one in every 83,333 U.S. babies is named Castor, which put it at #4,734 in 2025.
Celeste
Celeste comes from the Latin caelestis, heavenly. It began as a surname and has stayed in steady use since, which makes it an easy name to wear every day. Soft opening, firm finish, no spelling trouble.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Heavenly
- Pronunciation: Sah-LEHST
- Variations: Celest, Celleste
- Namesakes: Celeste Dandeker, the British co-founder of the Candoco Dance Company featuring disabled dancers. Celeste Buckingham, a Slovak-Swiss-American singer, and finalist on the Czech reality series SuperStar (2011).
- Popularity: Celeste has gone to 65,621 U.S. babies since 1881, and it ranked #188 in 2025.
Cernunnos
Cernunnos is the horned Gaelic deity called lord of wild things. He was read as male while holding fertility power usually assigned to goddesses, which is why the name keeps turning up on gender-neutral lists. It is a mouthful, and it is meant to be one.
- Origin: Celtic
- Meaning: Horned one
- Pronunciation: Sir-NONNE-Ohs
- Variations: Carnonos
- Popularity: Cernunnos falls below the SSA publication line of five births a year, so there is no U.S. ranking for it.
Chatan
Chatan is a Dakota and Lakota word for hawk. It has also served as a surname in France, though the Plains meaning is the one doing the work here. Short, level, easy to say, with a bird built into it.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Hawk
- Pronunciation: Chah-TAAN
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists for Chatan. The federal data lists a name only once it reaches five births in a year.
Circe
Circe is based on the Greek Kirke, read as bird. In Greek myth she is a sorceress and a daughter of the sun, which is a rare combination of dark and bright in one figure. Few names here are this openly witchy while still being easy to spell.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Bird, sorceress
- Pronunciation: SAHR-Siy
- Variations: Circee, Circey, Circi, Circie
- Popularity: Circe ranked #4,792 in the U.S. in 2025, with 28 babies given the name that year.
Demeter
Demeter is the Greek goddess of grain, agriculture and the harvest, which ties her to autumn and to everything that grows on a schedule. The name is read as earth mother. It has gained ground on Wiccan lists for obvious reasons, and it wears better than it looks, even though the SSA has not recorded it since 2020.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Earth mother
- Pronunciation: Dih-MIYT-ahr
- Variations: Demetre, Demetria
- Namesakes: Demeter Koko, an Austrian graphic artist with work in the Upper Austrian State Museum. Demeter Hunyadi, the second superintendent of the Hungarian Antitrinitarian Church in the 16th-century.
- Popularity: Demeter last appeared in the U.S. data in 2020 at #15,723 and has not been recorded since.
Desmond
Desmond is the English form of the Irish Deas-Mhumhna, South Munster. It is a place before it is a person, which is a quietly pagan thing for a name to be. It carries a mid-century warmth and shortens to Des without losing anything.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: From South Munster
- Pronunciation: DEHZ-Mahnd
- Variations: Desmonde, Desmund, Dezmond
- Namesakes: Desmond Kelly, a British journalist and chief interviewer for the British broadcaster BT Sport. Desmond Tutu, a famous South African Anglican bishop known as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist.
- Popularity: About one in every 2,037 U.S. babies is named Desmond, which put it at #376 in 2025.
Dragomir
Dragomir joins the Slavic drag, dear, and mir, peace, giving the reading he to whom peace is precious. It is long, formal and unmistakably Eastern European. Drago holds the weight if the full name is too much for daily use.
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Old peace
- Pronunciation: DRAEG-ow-Mihr
- Variations: Drahomír, Drogomir
- Namesakes: Dragomir Jovanović, a Serbian politician and mayor of Belgrade from 1941 to 1944. Dragomir Hurmuzescu, a Romanian physicist and collaborator of Marie Curie.
- Popularity: The SSA does not publish a national figure for Dragomir, which means it goes to fewer than five U.S. babies in a year.
Echo
In Greek myth Echo is the nymph left with no voice of her own, able only to return the last words she hears. That is a heavy story for a light name, and most people never get past the sound, which is clean, short and slightly uncanny. It works at the front and even better in the middle.
- Origin: Latin, Greek
- Meaning: Reflected sound
- Pronunciation: EH-koh
- Variations: Ecco, Ecko, Eco
- Namesakes: Echo Chernik, an American artist known for fantastical and mythologically-inspired prints. Echo Kellum, an American actor, known for the CW drama series Arrow.
- Popularity: Echo first appeared in the U.S. data in 1888 and stands at #2,339 as of 2025.
Erenay
Erenay joins the Turkish eren, saint, and ay, moon. It is also read as dervish, for the practitioners known for turning as a form of prayer. It travels well outside Turkey too, since the sounds are familiar to English speakers even though the name itself is not.
- Origin: Turkish
- Meaning: Saintly like the moon
- Pronunciation: Eh-REH-nay
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists for Erenay. The federal data lists a name only once it reaches five births in a year.
Evander
Evander is the English form of the Latin Evandrus and the Gaelic Iomhar, and it may run back to the Norse Ivor, bow warrior. It has the shape of an old family name without actually being one in most families. Evan is sitting right there if you want the shorter road.
- Origin: Latin, Gaelic
- Meaning: Good man
- Pronunciation: Eh-VAEND-er
- Variations: Evandor
- Namesakes: Evander Wall, a New York City socialite and American expatriate in France during the Belle Époque period. Evander Holyfield, an American boxer and heavyweight champion in the early 1990s.
- Popularity: Evander ranked #698 in the U.S. in 2025, with 389 babies given the name that year.
Ezrulie
Erzulie names a family of loa, the spirits of the Vodou faith, and in particular a goddess tied to love, beauty, dancing and flowers. It is one of the few entries here that belongs to a living religion rather than a retired mythology, which is worth knowing before you use it. The spelling varies; Ezrulie, Erzili and Ezili are all in circulation.
- Origin: Haitian, African
- Meaning: Voodoo goddess
- Pronunciation: Ehz-ROOL-ee
- Variations: Erzili, Èzili
- Popularity: Ezrulie falls below the SSA publication line of five births a year, so there is no U.S. ranking for it.
Fae
Fae comes from the Middle English faie, fairy, and from the Latin fatum, fate. It also carries the senses of trust and belief. It works either as a full name or as the short form of Faye, without asking a family to pick a side.
- Origin: Irish, French
- Meaning: Fairy
- Pronunciation: FEY
- Variations: Faye, Faie, Fay
- Namesakes: Fae Ellington, a Jamaican host of the TV series Morning Time on JBC.
- Popularity: About one in every 41,667 U.S. babies is named Fae, which put it at #3,794 in 2025.
Fianait
Fianait is the Irish for deer, and it also carries the sense of a wild thing. It is one of the rarest entries here and one of the hardest to spell on a first attempt, which is the trade you make for a name almost nobody shares.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Deer
- Pronunciation: Fiy-AH-Neyt
- Variations: Feenat
- Popularity: The SSA does not publish a national figure for Fianait, which means it goes to fewer than five U.S. babies in a year.
Forrest
Forrest comes from the Latin foreste, from foris, outside, and reached England as a Norman surname. It is read as one who lives near the woods. The double r is the traditional given-name spelling; a single r reads as the plain noun.
- Origin: French, Latin
- Meaning: Of the woods
- Pronunciation: FAOR-ehst
- Variations: Forreste, Forrestt, Forest
- Namesakes: Forrest Mars Sr., an American businessman who founded the Mars candy empire. Forrest Aguirre, an American fantasy author and winner of the 2003 World Fantasy Award.
- Popularity: Forrest first appeared in the U.S. data in 1880 and stands at #374 as of 2025.
Gaia
Gaia is the Earth itself, personified, and the oldest thing in the Greek family tree. Mother earth is her usual English title. Parents drawn to nature names but not to the more common Willow or River set often land here instead.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Earth
- Pronunciation: GEY-ah
- Variations: Gaea
- Namesakes: Gaia Gozzi, an Italian singer and winner of the talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi in 2020. Gaia Weiss is a French actress in the Vikings TV series (2014 to 2015).
- Popularity: Gaia ranked #1,392 in 2025 in the U.S., up about 206% on the previous decade of births.
Galilahi
Galilahi is Cherokee and is read as an attractive young woman. Beyond that the record is thin, which leaves the name unusually open: no famous bearer to compete with, no fixed story to live up to.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Attractive
- Pronunciation: GAE-Lah-LAEH-hay
- Variations: Galilahee, Galilahey, Galilahie, Galilahy
- Popularity: The SSA does not publish a national figure for Galilahi, which means it goes to fewer than five U.S. babies in a year.
Gawain
Gawain belongs to one of Arthur’s knights, the one known as the maiden’s knight. The name is read as May hawk and as white hawk. Gavin is the same name worn smooth by centuries of use, so Gawain is the version that still sounds like the legend it came from.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Little hawk
- Pronunciation: Gah-WEYN
- Variations: Gavin
- Namesakes: Gawain Vincent, a British handball player who competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Gawain Bell, the British Governor of Northern Nigeria.
- Popularity: Gawain sat at #12,658 in 2025 U.S. births, against a best of #3,406 back in 1974.
Glinda
Glinda is the Good Witch, and there is no getting around it. It also carries the senses of fair and good and stands as a form of the Welsh Glenda. If you want a witchy name that nobody will find sinister, this is the one.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Pretty
- Pronunciation: GLIHND-ah
- Variations: Glenda
- Popularity: Glinda last appeared in the U.S. data in 2008 at #18,486 and has not been recorded since.
Grian
Grian is the Irish sun, with the related senses of to burn and to be hot. It belonged to a pre-Christian king as well, so there is a crown behind it. It pairs naturally with a longer, quieter middle name to balance the short, bright sound.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: The sun
- Pronunciation: GREE-ahn
- Namesakes: Charles Batchelor (known as Grian), a British Minecraft YouTuber famous for instructional gaming videos.
- Popularity: The SSA does not publish a national figure for Grian, which means it goes to fewer than five U.S. babies in a year.
Hecate
Hecate is the goddess of witchcraft, and also of fertility, the moon and storms, which is a wider portfolio than her modern reputation suggests. Hekate is the older spelling. It is unmistakably occult and asks for a plain middle name to balance it out.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Far-reaching
- Pronunciation: HHEHK-ah-Tiy
- Variations: Hekate
- Popularity: Hecate last appeared in the U.S. data in 2022 at #16,223 and has not been recorded since.
Herne
Herne is the Old English pagan hunter deity. The name also comes down as the Gaelic surname O’hEachthigheirn, built from each, steed, and thighearna, lord, which gives the reading descendant of the horse lord. It reads more like a surname than a first name today, which some families use to their advantage.
- Origin: Celtic, English
- Meaning: Mythical hunter
- Pronunciation: HHERN
- Variations: Hearn
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists for Herne. The federal data lists a name only once it reaches five births in a year.
Hestia
Hestia holds the hearth, the home and the fire at the center of it. She is the least dramatic of the Greek gods and the one most people would actually want living in the house. The name is warm without tipping into sweet, and it has no shortage of nicknames.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Hearth, fireside
- Pronunciation: HHS-Tiy-ah
- Variations: Hestea, Hesteah, Hestiah, Hestya
- Popularity: About one in every 166,667 U.S. babies is named Hestia, which put it at #9,701 in 2025.
Isaura
Isaura is read as one from the land of Isauria, a region of what is now Turkey. It is used mostly across Spanish and Portuguese speaking families today. The sound is all air, which suits the gentle breeze reading the name also carries.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Gentle breeze
- Pronunciation: Iy-SAWW-Raa
- Variations: Isaure, Isaurea, Isauria
- Namesakes: Isaura Espinoza, a Mexican actress who won an Ariel Award for Best Actress for the film El Tigre de Santa Julia in 2003. Isaura Santos, a Portuguese singer who wrote the song “O jardim” for the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest.
- Popularity: Isaura sat at #7,633 in 2025 U.S. births, against a best of #2,209 back in 1983.
Janus
Janus is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions and endings, the one who looks both ways at once. The name comes from the Latin ianus, archway. In Denmark it turns up as Jan or Johannes, which are the everyday forms of a very ceremonial word.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Doorway
- Pronunciation: JHAEN-ahs
- Variations: Janiusz, Jannus, Janusz, Januus
- Namesakes: Janus van de Gijp, a Dutch footballer for SC Emma. Janus Friis, the Danish co-founder of the file-sharing application Kazaa.
- Popularity: Janus last appeared in the U.S. data in 2019 at #12,967 and has not been recorded since.
Jupiter
Jupiter comes from the Latin Iuppiter, built from dyeus, Zeus, and pater, father. He rules the sky and the light, and by extension Rome. The planet keeps the name in front of children who have never met the god, which is a large part of why it has moved the way it has.
- Origin: Greek, Latin
- Meaning: Father Zeus
- Pronunciation: JHUW-pih-Tahr
- Variations: Juppiter, Juppyter, Jupyter
- Namesakes: Flávio Basso (known as Jupiter Apple), a Brazilian musician and member of the band TNT. Jupiter Hammon, an American writer, considered a founder of African-American literature with a poem published in 1761.
- Popularity: Jupiter has gone to 1,099 U.S. babies since 2012, and it ranked #2,205 in 2025.
Kaida
Kaida is read as a small dragon and also appears as a Japanese surname. Two syllables, a hard start and a soft finish. It lands somewhere between Kayla and Ida without sounding like either one.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Little dragon
- Pronunciation: KIY-Dah
- Variations: Kaeda, Kaidah, Kayda, Kaydah
- Popularity: Kaida first appeared in the U.S. data in 2002 and stands at #3,359 as of 2025.
Kali
Kali is the Hindu goddess of time, death and change, and also the divine mother. The name is read as the black one and as force of time. It belongs to a living object of worship rather than a retired myth, so it carries real weight, and it is also short, blunt and easy for a child to learn to write.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: The black one
- Pronunciation: KAA-Liy
- Variations: Kaly
- Namesakes: Carlos Alonso (known as Kali), an Angolan footballer for the Angola national team. Kalidas Chattopadhyay (known as Kali Mirza), an 18th-century composer of tappā music in Bengal.
- Popularity: Kali ranked #323 in 2025 in the U.S., up about 61% on the previous decade of births.
Khonsu
Khonsu is the Egyptian god of the moon, tied as well to time and fertility. The name is built from kh, placenta, and nesu, king. Khonshu is the alternate spelling, and either version looks striking written down.
- Origin: Egyptian
- Meaning: Traveler
- Pronunciation: KAHN-suw
- Variations: Khonshu
- Popularity: The SSA does not publish a national figure for Khonsu, which means it goes to fewer than five U.S. babies in a year.
Larissa
Larissa is the capital of the Thessaly region of Greece before it is a person, and it carries the senses of citadel and cheerful too. It has the long, even rhythm of names that were everywhere for a while and are now quietly available again. Lara is the short form.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Laurel
- Pronunciation: Laa-RIHS-aa
- Variations: Larisa, Larrisa, Laryssa, Laurisa, Laurissa
- Namesakes: Larissa-Antonia Marolt, winner of the first round of Austria’s Next Topmodel. Larissa Iapichino, an Italian long jumper and gold medalist at the 2019 European Athletics U20 Championships.
- Popularity: Larissa sat at #1,646 in 2025 U.S. births, against a best of #363 back in 1994.
Leaf
Leaf is an English spelling of lief, from the Old English leof, dear one. Spelled Leif it is Scandinavian and read as heir, which is the version most people know. The English spelling turns it into a plain nature word, which is either charmingly direct or slightly too much, depending on the day.
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: Beloved
- Pronunciation: LEYF
- Variations: Leef, Lief, Leif, Leiff
- Namesakes: Leaf Daniell, a British fencer and silver medalist at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Leaf Huang, an American Distinguished Professor in Biomedical Engineering known for researching gene therapy.
- Popularity: Leaf last appeared in the U.S. data in 2021 at #13,282 and has not been recorded since.
Leigh
Leigh is a meadow, and an English surname, and one of the few single-syllable names that fits the middle slot for almost anybody. It also carries the senses of delicate and weary, and it has been read as true love. Lee is the same name with the ornament taken off.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Meadow
- Pronunciation: LIY
- Variations: Lee
- Namesakes: Leigh Bardugo, an Israeli-American fantasy author known for young adult Grishaverse novels. Leigh Francis, an English comedian, and creator of Channel 4’s Bo’ Selecta! (2002 to 2009).
- Popularity: Leigh has gone to 40,242 U.S. babies since 1912, and it ranked #4,504 in 2025.
Litha
Litha is the pagan midsummer festival, from the Old English Litha, the name once given to the June and July months. It also carries the sense of to shine. Of all the festival words on this list, it is the one that already sounds like a name.
- Origin: Old English
- Meaning: Mid-summer
- Pronunciation: LIY-Thaa
- Variations: Letha
- Popularity: Litha last appeared in the U.S. data in 1964 at #7,351 and has not been recorded since.
Llyr
Llyr is the Welsh god of the sea, and the name may trace back to the Irish Lir with the same meaning. In English it comes through as Lear. The Welsh spelling is harder on a form and far better looking on a page, which is the whole argument for it as a nature name.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: The sea
- Pronunciation: LIHR
- Variations: Lir
- Namesakes: Llŷr Ifans, a Welsh actor known for the film Twin Town in 1997. Llŷr Gruffydd, a Welsh politician and Member of the Senedd (MS) since 2011.
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists for Llyr. The federal data lists a name only once it reaches five births in a year.
Loki
In Norse myth Loki is the god of mischief, which is either a warning or a promise. As a girl’s name it is also traced to the Old Norse luka. Marvel’s version has made the name familiar well beyond Norse mythology circles.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Airy
- Pronunciation: LOW-Kiy
- Variations: Lokee, Lokey, Lokie, Loky
- Namesakes: Loki Schmidt, the wife of Helmut Schmidt, the Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982. Darren McGarvey (known as Loki), a Scottish rapper and activist during the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.
- Popularity: Loki ranked #1,858 in the U.S. in 2025, with 85 babies given the name that year.
Lumin
Lumin, spelled Lumen, is the unit light is measured in. Older cultures treated light as something closer to a deity than a quantity, and the name sits comfortably between those two readings. It is soft, modern-sounding and almost never used.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Light
- Pronunciation: LUW-Miyn
- Variations: Lumen
- Popularity: Lumin last appeared in the U.S. data in 2021 at #14,548 and has not been recorded since.
Luna
Luna is the moon, and the Roman goddess who drives it across the sky, another name for Diana. It is used heavily in Spanish and Italian families and has become one of the most recognizable nature names anywhere. Nothing about it needs a translation.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Moon
- Pronunciation: LUW-Naa
- Variations: Lunah, Louna
- Namesakes: Park Sun-young (known as Luna), a South Korean singer and member of the girl group f(x). Gertrude Vachon (known as Luna), an American-Canadian wrestler for the World Wrestling Federation.
- Popularity: About one in every 265 U.S. babies is named Luna, which put it at #27 in 2025.
Lysander
Lysander joins the Greek lysis, freedom, and andros, man. Shakespeare hands the name to one of the lovers in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which keeps it romantic rather than martial. Sander and Sandy both work as everyday nicknames if the full name reads too formal for daily use.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Liberator
- Pronunciation: Lay-SAEND-er
- Variations: Lisander
- Namesakes: Lysander Button, the American inventor of early improvements for hand and steam fire engines. Lysander Farrar, an American politician and member of the New York State Senate in 1862 and 1863.
- Popularity: Lysander has gone to 798 U.S. babies since 1931, and it ranked #1,719 in 2025.
Mabon
Mabon is the Welsh god of youth and the son of the earth mother goddess. The Celtic Queen Mab may belong to the same family of names. It is short, oddly modern-looking, and one of the few festival names that reads as a boy’s name first.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Divine son
- Pronunciation: MAEB-aan
- Variations: Maban, Maben
- Namesakes: William Abraham (known as Mabon), a Welsh politician and member of parliament from 1885 to 1920.
- Popularity: Mabon falls below the SSA publication line of five births a year, so there is no U.S. ranking for it.
Maeve
Maeve comes from the Irish Medb, the intoxicating one. She is queen of Connacht in the myths and, in later tellings, queen of the fairies. That combination, plus a near tripling in use over the last decade, explains why this name now sits at #76.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: She who rules
- Pronunciation: MEYV
- Variations: Maive, Mave, Mayve
- Namesakes: Maeve Ingoldsby, an Irish writer on the RTÉ soap operas Glenroe and Fair City. Maeve Quinlan, an American actress, known for the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.
- Popularity: Maeve ranked #76 in 2025 in the U.S., up about 299% on the previous decade of births.
Mage
Mage comes from the Latin magus, a learned magician, and behind that the Persian magush, also a magician. It shares a root with the Magi. As a name it is a job title, which is unusual, and it reads more like an occupation than a name meant to soften with age.
- Origin: Greek, Latin
- Meaning: Magician
- Pronunciation: MAYGE
- Popularity: The SSA does not publish a national figure for Mage, which means it goes to fewer than five U.S. babies in a year.
Marzanna
Marzanna is the Slavic goddess of death, winter and the turning of the seasons, also called Morana. The name is built on the Indo-European mar or mor, death. The meaning is dark, softened considerably by how pretty the word itself is.
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Death
- Pronunciation: Maar-ZAENN-Ah
- Variations: Marzena, Marzannah
- Popularity: Marzanna falls below the SSA publication line of five births a year, so there is no U.S. ranking for it.
Medea
Medea is based on the Greek Medeia, cleverness, and she is the sorceress who helps Jason take the Golden Fleece. The name also carries the senses of ruler and protector. Her story goes somewhere very dark, so this is a name for parents who want the whole myth rather than the first half of it.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Ponder, cunning
- Pronunciation: Mah-DIY-ah
- Variations: Medeah, Medeia, Mediah, Mediya
- Namesakes: Medea Amiranashvili, a Georgian opera singer and People’s Artist of USSR in 1976. Medea Benjamin (born Susan Benjamin), an American political activist who helped create the fair trade advocacy group Global Exchange.
- Popularity: Medea last appeared in the U.S. data in 2008 at #14,863 and has not been recorded since.
Moon
Moon began as a surname from the French moun, monk, and it carries the senses of skinny in Cornish and literate in Korean. Most people will only ever hear the sky. It is the most straightforwardly hippie name on the list and works better in the middle than at the front.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: From the moon
- Pronunciation: MUWN
- Variations: Moone
- Namesakes: Aubrey Mullican (known as Moon Mullican), an American country and western singer/songwriter known as “King of the Hillbilly Piano Players.” Moon Unit Zappa, an American actress, and daughter of musician Frank Zappa.
- Popularity: Moon has gone to 465 U.S. babies since 1972, and it ranked #3,123 in 2025.
Morgana
Morgana carries the senses of sea circle in French and great brightness in Welsh, and it comes down from the Old Welsh Morcant. It is the fuller, more feminine form of a shapeshifting Welsh goddess’s name. Morgan is the everyday version; Morgana is the one that keeps the magic in.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Bright sea dweller
- Pronunciation: Maor-GAA-Naa
- Variations: Morganna
- Namesakes: Morgana Gmach, a Brazilian rhythmic gymnast and gold medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games. Morgana Robinson, an Australian-English impressionist comedian, known for her comedy sketch program The Morgana Show.
- Popularity: Morgana first appeared in the U.S. data in 1962 and stands at #6,261 as of 2025.
Mystic
A mystic is someone looking for the deeper meaning of things, and the word also carries the sense of one who has been initiated. As a name it is a statement rather than a story, with no myth attached to it. That makes it flexible, and it makes it very obvious.
- Origin: English, Latin
- Meaning: Spiritually gifted
- Pronunciation: MIHS-Tihk
- Popularity: Mystic last appeared in the U.S. data in 2024 at #14,736 and has not been recorded since.
Neptune
Neptune is the Roman god of the sea and the planet named for him, with Poseidon as his Greek counterpart. The name is heavy at the front and light at the end.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Sea god
- Pronunciation: NEHP-Tuwn
- Variations: Neptoon, Neptoone, Neptun
- Popularity: Neptune sat at #9,453 in 2025 U.S. births, against a best of #8,785 back in 2022.
Nikan
Nikan is associated with kindness in Persian and read as one who brings good things. It also means friend across several Native American languages. It carries its meaning up front, so no one needs the translation.
- Origin: Persian
- Meaning: One who brings good things
- Pronunciation: Nih-KAHN
- Variations: Niken, Nikon, Nikun
- Popularity: Nikan sat at #6,061 in 2025 U.S. births, against a best of #5,893 back in 2020.
Omen
Omen carries the sense of to be faithful and has Arabic roots as well. It has also served as an English surname. The word does most of the talking here, and the connotation is not necessarily dark, just watchful.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Faithful
- Pronunciation: Ow-MEHN
- Namesakes: Sidney Brown (known as Omen), an American record producer for artists like Drake, Beyoncé, and Ludacris.
- Popularity: Omen has gone to 41 U.S. babies since 1921, and it ranked #13,373 in 2025.
Ondine
Ondine is the water spirit of French folktale, built on onde, wave. The name has the shape of an older European import and the sound of something much newer. Ondin and Ondyne are the alternate spellings, though the original is the one worth keeping.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Little wave
- Pronunciation: OWN-Diyn
- Variations: Ondin, Ondyne
- Namesakes: Robert Olivo (known as Ondine), an American actor known for mid-1960s films by pop artist Andy Warhol. Ondine Miller, the founder of The Alchemists blog on modern-day alchemy.
- Popularity: Ondine last appeared in the U.S. data in 2024 at #14,843 and has not been recorded since.
Ostara
Ostara is the Germanic goddess of springtime, fertility and dawn, also known as Eostre, which is where the modern name for Easter comes from. That makes it a festival name and a goddess name at the same time. It works best on a spring baby, tying the name to a birth season rather than only a myth.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Spring, dawn
- Pronunciation: Ahs-TAA-rah
- Variations: Astra
- Popularity: Ostara last appeared in the U.S. data in 2024 at #9,415 and has not been recorded since.
Pagan
Pagan comes from the Late Latin paganus, which the Romans used for rural people who kept the old gods after the cities had moved on. It also reads plainly as villager. Using it as a name is a direct statement, and it is the only entry here that names the entire list.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Country dweller
- Pronunciation: PEY-Gaen
- Variations: Pagen, Pagin, Pagun, Pagyn
- Namesakes: Pagan Kennedy, an American journalist and design columnist for the New York Times Magazine.
- Popularity: Pagan last appeared in the U.S. data in 2022 at #17,162 and has not been recorded since.
Pan
Pan is the goat-legged god of shepherds who plays the pipes and causes trouble wherever he goes. The name also carries the senses of feather in Hindi and huge rock in Chinese. Parents who want something short and mythological without a heavy backstory often land here.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Shepherd, protector
- Pronunciation: PAN
- Variations: Pann
- Namesakes: Pan Cheng-tsung, a Taiwanese golfer on the PGA Tour. Pan Sutong JP, a Hong Kong billionaire founder of Matsunichi Digital Holdings Limited.
- Popularity: The SSA does not publish a national figure for Pan, which means it goes to fewer than five U.S. babies in a year.
Percival
Percival belongs to one of Arthur’s knights, and the name originally read as one who pierces the valley. The pierce the veil reading is what earns it a place on a list like this. It is long and formal; Percy is the release valve.
- Origin: French, Welsh
- Meaning: Pierce the veil
- Pronunciation: PEHR-Sih-Vahl
- Variations: Perceval, Percevall, Percivale
- Namesakes: Percival Baldwin, an American politician in the Illinois Senate from 1915 to 1919. Percival Lowell, an American astronomer whose efforts led to the discovery of Pluto.
- Popularity: Percival ranked #1,536 in 2025 among U.S. births, the best showing it has on record.
Rain
Rain’s older reading is an abundant blessing from above, which is roughly how every farming culture treated it. It may also come through German surnames such as Ragin. Today it reads as a hippie nature name, and the spellings Raine and Rayne give it more weight on paper.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Raindrops (literal)
- Pronunciation: REYN
- Variations: Raine, Rayne, Reign, Rein, Reyne
- Namesakes: Rain Karlson, an Estonian boxer and gold medalist at the World University Championships. Rain Epler, the Estonian Minister of the Environment from 2020 to 2021.
- Popularity: About one in every 8,850 U.S. babies is named Rain, which put it at #1,239 in 2025.
Raven
Raven comes from the Old English Hraefn and the Old Norse Hrafn, both for the blackbird. The bird has carried an eerie reputation for centuries, and it is the subject of Poe’s most famous poem. The name manages to be dark without being grim, and it holds up equally well for a boy or a girl.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Raven (bird)
- Pronunciation: REY-Vahn
- Variations: Raeven, Ravenne, Ravin, Ravinn, Ravon
- Namesakes: David Petruschin (known as Raven), an American drag queen who appeared in RuPaul’s Drag Race. Raven-Symoné, an American actress and singer on VH1’s list of “100 Greatest Child Stars of All Time.”
- Popularity: Raven has gone to 44,920 U.S. babies since 1941, and it ranked #404 in 2025.
Rhan
Rhan is the Welsh for fate, or one’s own destiny. As a German surname it reads as thin man, which is considerably less inspiring. Stick with the Welsh: it is a name that hands a child their own road.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Fate
- Pronunciation: RAEN
- Variations: Rhane, Rhann, Rhanne
- Popularity: Rhan falls below the SSA publication line of five births a year, so there is no U.S. ranking for it.
River
River comes from the Latin ripa, riverbank, and became a bohemian nature name in the 1960s alongside Rainbow, Summer and Moon. The whole idea behind it is water moving freely. It is one of the very few nature names that has stayed genuinely unisex instead of drifting one way.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Flowing body of water
- Pronunciation: RIYV-er
- Variations: Rivar, Rivor, Ryver
- Namesakes: River Cracraft, an American football player for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. River Phoenix, an American actor, best known for 1986’s Stand by Me.
- Popularity: River ranked #111 in 2025 in the U.S., up about 290% on the previous decade of births.
Roisin
Roisin is the little rose, and it has stood in for Ireland itself since the sixteenth century. The folk song Roisin Dubh, the black rose, is the reason it carries that weight. It is pronounced far more softly than the spelling suggests, which is worth warning relatives about in advance.
- Origin: Irish
- Meaning: Little rose
- Pronunciation: Roy-SHEEN
- Variations: Rois
- Namesakes: Roisin Conaty, an English actress known for the Channel 4 sitcom Man Down from 2013 to 2017. Roisin McAuley, an Irish radio host for BBC Radio Ulster’s Sunday Sequence.
- Popularity: Roisin ranked #2,716 in the U.S. in 2025, with 64 babies given the name that year.
Rowena
Rowena joins the Germanic hrod, fame, and wynn, joy. She appears in the old chronicles as the daughter of an Anglo-Saxon king of the Britons. The name has an old-world, faintly literary air, and Ro handles the everyday work.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Fame, happiness
- Pronunciation: Row-WIY-Naa
- Variations: Rhowena, Roweena, Rowenna, Rowinna, Rowynna
- Namesakes: Rowena Morrill, an American illustrator and one of the first female artists to create paperback cover illustrations. Rowena King, a British actress, known for the film Wide Sargasso Sea.
- Popularity: Rowena sat at #4,441 in 2025 U.S. births, against a best of #429 back in 1917.
Rune
Rune comes from the Old Norse Runi and points at the rune stones people once read to tell the future. It pairs cleanly with almost any middle name, since there is no rhythm to fight against.
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Meaning: Secret
- Pronunciation: RUWN
- Namesakes: Rune Ericson, a Swedish cinematographer who won the Special Achievement award at the 20th Guldbagge Awards. Rune Kölsch, a Danish electronic dance musician, and DJ who worked with artists like Coldplay.
- Popularity: About one in every 18,868 U.S. babies is named Rune, which put it at #1,789 in 2025.
Sage
Sage comes from the Latin sagus, prophetic, and is also tied to the Irish Savage, an untamed man of the woods. The herb burns in half the rituals this list draws on, which does the name no harm at all. Short, calm and completely unisex.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Prophet
- Pronunciation: SEYJH
- Variations: Saeg, Saege, Saige, Sayge
- Namesakes: Sage Walker, an American science-fiction writer who won the Locus Award in 1997 for her novel Whiteout. Sage Watson, a Canadian athlete and reigning Pan American champion in 400-meter hurdles.
- Popularity: Sage has gone to 30,454 U.S. babies since 1963, and it ranked #160 in 2025.
Sahale
Sahale has been read as a high place and as something sacred, and it names a mountain in Washington State. The sound is open and unhurried. It suits a child who is going to end up outdoors more often than not.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Like a falcon
- Pronunciation: Saa-HAA-Leh
- Variations: Sahaele
- Popularity: Sahale falls below the SSA publication line of five births a year, so there is no U.S. ranking for it.
Scryer
A scryer is a crystal gazer, someone who looks into a surface to see what is coming. As a name it is an occupation rather than a person, which puts it in the same family as Mage and Weaver. It is very rare, and it reads as invented even though it is not.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Diviner, seer
- Pronunciation: SCRIY-ehr
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists for Scryer. The federal data lists a name only once it reaches five births in a year.
Selene
Selene is the Greek moon goddess, whose Roman counterpart is Luna. Selena is the spelling most families reach for, so Selene keeps the myth closer to the surface. It pairs with almost any surname.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Moon goddess
- Pronunciation: Sah-LIYNE
- Variations: Selena
- Namesakes: Selene Luna, a Mexican-American actress appearing on the reality TV series The Cho Show. Selene Vigil, an American singer who co-founded the grunge band 7 Year Bitch.
- Popularity: Selene ranked #623 in the U.S. in 2025, with 469 babies given the name that year.
Silvanus
Silvanus is the Roman god of the woods, called the sylvestris deus, protector of the forest. He had charge of the wild edges rather than the farmed middle, which is a distinction the old Romans cared about. The name is long and formal, and Van does the daily work.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Woods
- Pronunciation: Sihl-VAH-nahs
- Variations: Sylvanus, Silvanos
- Namesakes: Silvanus Bevan, an English medical professional who founded the London firm Allen & Hanburys. Silvanus Otieno, a Nairobian criminal lawyer whose death brought controversy about Nairobi law.
- Popularity: Silvanus sat at #9,588 in 2025 U.S. births, against a best of #8,733 back in 2021.
Soleil
Soleil is the French word for sun, most likely from Sol, the sun god of Roman mythology. It is a cousin of the Greek Solaris and the Spanish Solara, but the French spelling is the one that carries. It is impossible to mistake for anything else.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Sun
- Pronunciation: Sow-LEY
- Variations: Solae, Solay, Sole
- Namesakes: Soleil Moon Frye, an American actress best known for the NBC sitcom Punky Brewster.
- Popularity: About one in every 4,484 U.S. babies is named Soleil, which put it at #758 in 2025.
Solstice
Solstice joins the Latin sol, sun, and sistere, to stand still. It names the two days a year the sun appears to pause before it turns back. A festival word doing duty as a name is exactly the point of a list like this one.
- Origin: Latin, French
- Meaning: When the sun stands still
- Pronunciation: SOWL-Stas
- Popularity: Solstice has gone to 163 U.S. babies since 2005, and it ranked #10,020 in 2025.
Svarog
Svarog is the Slavic god of fire and the forge. The related svar carries the sense of a quarrel or dispute, which suits a god who works with a hammer. It is a hard, short name, and one of the few here that sounds like the thing it means.
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Bright, clear
- Pronunciation: SVAAH-Rog
- Popularity: Svarog falls below the SSA publication line of five births a year, so there is no U.S. ranking for it.
Tablita
Tablita is a Hopi Native American name read as a woman wearing a tiara. At a glance most people will file it beside Tabitha, which makes it easier to carry day to day than its rarity would suggest.
- Origin: Native American
- Meaning: Tiara
- Pronunciation: TAH-Bliy-tah
- Variations: Tableata, Tableta, Tableyta, Tablitah
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking exists for Tablita. The federal data lists a name only once it reaches five births in a year.
Terrwyn
Terrwyn is an obscure Welsh name read as fair and brave. It has been used only a handful of times, so a child would very likely be the only one in the room. The spelling is the price of admission.
- Origin: Welsh
- Meaning: Fair, brave
- Pronunciation: TEHR-Wihn
- Variations: Terrwen, Terrwenne, Terrwin, Terrwyne
- Popularity: The SSA does not publish a national figure for Terrwyn, which means it goes to fewer than five U.S. babies in a year.
Thalia
In Greek myth Thalia is the muse of comedy and one of the Three Graces, associated with beauty and charm. The name itself means to blossom or flourish. The spelling mostly survives contact with strangers.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: To blossom, flourish
- Pronunciation: TAAL-iy-Ah
- Variations: Thaliah, Thalya, Talia
- Namesakes: Thalia Charalambous, a Cypriot long-distance runner who competed at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships. Thalia Pellegrini, a British TV presenter for CBBC’s Newsround.
- Popularity: Thalia sat at #648 in 2025 U.S. births, against a best of #363 back in 1993.
Tyr
Tyr is the Old Norse god of law, justice and victory in battle, and the word itself means god. Ty carries it comfortably into everyday use.
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Meaning: Deity
- Pronunciation: TIHYR
- Variations: Ty
- Popularity: About one in every 43,478 U.S. babies is named Tyr, which put it at #3,085 in 2025.
Ukko
Ukko is the Finnish god of thunder and the most powerful figure in that mythology, from ukkonen, thunder. The literal reading is old man, which sounds like a joke right up until you meet the god. It stands on its own without needing a longer middle name to fill it out.
- Origin: Finnish
- Meaning: Old man
- Pronunciation: UKK-ow
- Variations: Ucco, Ucko, Uko
- Namesakes: Ukko Hietala, a Finnish pentathlete who competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, a Finnish ice hockey player for the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League.
- Popularity: The SSA does not publish a national figure for Ukko, which means it goes to fewer than five U.S. babies in a year.
Varden
Varden began as the French surname de Verdun and crossed to England with the Normans. It names a green place, the kind with grass and low hills. The name has the sound of a modern invention and the history of a very old one.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: From the green hills
- Pronunciation: VAAR-Dahn
- Variations: Vardon, Verden, Verdon
- Popularity: Varden last appeared in the U.S. data in 1919 at #4,765 and has not been recorded since.
Vesna
Vesna is the literal word for spring across many Slavic languages, and the name of the Slavic goddess of it, tied to youth and fertility. The meaning arrives before the explanation does.
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Spring
- Pronunciation: VESS-Nah
- Variations: Vesnaa, Vesnah, Vezna
- Namesakes: Vesna Mišanović, a Bosnian chess player with the FIDE title of Woman Grandmaster. Vesna Škare-Ožbolt, the 10th Minister of Justice of Croatia from 2003 until 2006.
- Popularity: Vesna last appeared in the U.S. data in 2024 at #17,536 and has not been recorded since.
Weaver
Weaver started as an occupational surname from the Old English wefan, for the person who made cloth for a living. It has the same shape as Harper and Parker and is used far less often, which is most of the appeal.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: To weave
- Pronunciation: WIYV-er
- Variations: Weever, Weiver
- Popularity: Weaver last appeared in the U.S. data in 2024 at #12,265 and has not been recorded since.
Wild
Wild comes from the English wilde and was a nickname for an unruly person, or for someone living out on uncultivated land. As a name it is a single strong syllable with nothing decorative about it. Wyld and Wylde soften the look if the bare word is more than you want.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Uncultivated land
- Pronunciation: WY-LD
- Variations: Wyld, Wilde, Wylde
- Namesakes: Wild Bill Elliott (born Gordon Nance), an American film actor known for B Westerns like the Red Ryder film series.
- Popularity: About one in every 250,000 U.S. babies is named Wild, which put it at #11,915 in 2025.
Wolf
Wolf comes from the Old German wolfe and points straight at the animal. It has served as a German surname in forms running from Wulf to Wolfgang. It needs no nickname, and it has aged into something that reads as cool rather than aggressive.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Wolf (animal)
- Pronunciation: WUHLF
- Variations: Wolfe, Wolff, Woolf, Wulfe
- Namesakes: Wolf Blitzer, a German-American journalist for CNN. Wolf Henzler, a German Porsche factory racing driver and winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010.
- Popularity: About one in every 20,408 U.S. babies is named Wolf, which put it at #1,902 in 2025.
Zorya
In Slavic myth Zorya is the name of two star goddesses, one keeping the morning star and the other the evening. The name reads as dawn and as star at the same time. Zora and Zarya are the more common spellings, but Zorya is the one with both goddesses inside it.
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Dawn, star
- Pronunciation: ZAOR-Yaa
- Variations: Zora, Zarya, Zoria
- Popularity: Zorya first appeared in the U.S. data in 2000 and stands at #13,201 as of 2025.
