Wonderful Word Names for Babies
- Luxury
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"extravagance, opulence"Description:
A particularly opulent way to get to the nickname Lux (or Luxe), Luxury was included in our trends report for 2023 and shot to the head of Nameberry's popularity list. Because our list is based on page views, being Number 1 tends to be a self-perpetuating status, so Luxury is getting perhaps more credit as a baby name than it deserves.
- Lux
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"light"Description:
This name of a character played by Kirsten Dunst in the movie Virgin Suicides, originally a novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, is gaining attention, also thanks to the heroine Lux, Lady of Luminosity in the League of Legends games. Luz is the Spanish version.
- Amber
Origin:
Word name, EnglishDescription:
Though perhaps not as currently stylish as Ruby, Jade, or Pearl, Amber has a colorful history (remember the notorious Forever Amber heroine?). Unfortunately, it does come with the "Amber Alert" connotation for modern parents (and their children).
- Reed
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"red-haired"Description:
A slim, elegant, silvery surname, Reed could be a banker or a sculptor, and therein lies the appeal of this simple yet distinctive name. The versatile Reed can be seen as a grass-like nature name and a musical name.
- Crew
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"a band or force of armed men"Description:
Crew is yet another word name that was added to the baby name lexicon when this one was chosen by The Young and the Restless star Joshua Morrow for his son. It debuted on the Top 1000 in 2010. We've also heard spelling variations Cru and Crue.
- Hunter
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"one who hunts"Description:
Hunter has been dropping a bit for the past few years but is still one of the leaders of a distinctive band of boys' names that combines macho imagery (Hunter, Austin, Harley) with a softened masculinity. Hunter was for years attached to gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson; Josh Holloway used it for his son.
- Legend
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"hero or fable"Description:
Legend joins cousins Story, Saga and Fable in the baby name pantheon of narrative words. Unlike Story and Fable, however, Legend comes with additional weight, being used for fame ("living legend") and to denote a person who is fantastic "what a legend"). Who can live up to that?
- Meadow
Origin:
Nature nameDescription:
Meadow's upward popularity trajectory certainly suggests that the name has transcended its connection to The Sopranos.. In the US, more than 750 baby girls were named Meadow last year, a number we expect to keep rising.
- Cash
Origin:
Word name; also diminutive of CassiusMeaning:
"hollow"Description:
Whether it's due to its economic connotations, or its link to American legend Johnny Cash, this name is widely used, and has been used by several celebrities including Annabeth Gish and Joshua Morrow.
- Rain
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Among a small shower of rain-related names, this pure version can have a cool, refreshing image.
- Autumn
Origin:
Season nameDescription:
Crisp and colorful, Autumn is the most popular season name now -- the only one in the Top 100 in recent years -- with Autumn's coolness only surpassed by Winter. Jennifer Love Hewitt named her daughter Autumn James.
- Summer
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
The temperature is definitely rising for this popular seasonal name, which began being used in the seventies, and has been heard consistently ever since.
- Sunday
Origin:
Day name, English from LatinMeaning:
"day of the Sun"Description:
Sunday is among the most usable of the day names, with its sunny opening syllable, initially made famous when Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban chose it for their daughter. Although it had been widely written that Kidman and Urban named their baby after art patron Sunday Reed, Kidman was quoted saying that was a myth, they just liked the name.
- Lark
Origin:
English bird nameDescription:
Lark is getting some new and well-deserved attention as a post-Robin and Raven bird name. Although it was first recorded as a name in the 1830's, it has never appeared on the Social Security list.
- Blaze
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"fire"Description:
Originally a form of the saint's name Blaise, though now more likely to be a hot word name used for both sexes, though heavily weighted toward the boys. It has been in the boys' Top 1000 since the year 2000.
br>On the pop culture side of things, Blaze Bayley is a singer and musician who has been connected to the bands Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden.
- Ever
Origin:
English word nameDescription:
Ever's timeless quality would make this evocative word a positive middle name choice for a boy or girl. Alanis Morissette and Souleye named their son Ever Imre.Ever also seems to have ties to a Scandinavian name meaning "wild as a boar" and a Hebrew name meaning "beyond,"-- a variation of the name Eber.
- Hope
Origin:
Virtue nameDescription:
Can a name as virtuous as Hope be cool and trendy? Strangely enough -- yes. But though this optimistic Puritan favorite is experiencing substantial popularity, Hope is too pure and elegant to be corrupted, a lovely classic that deserves all the attention it's getting.
- Clay
Origin:
English word name; diminutive of ClaytonDescription:
Clay is a rich, earthy one-syllable name with a southern-inflected handsome-rogue image, featured on soap operas and reality TV. Its longer forms are Clayton and Clayborne.
- Winter
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Fresher, brisker and, yes, cooler than Summer or Autumn or Spring, Winter is now a full-fledged female choice, especially since Nicole Richie and Joel Madden used it for daughter Harlow's middle name, and Gretchen Mol picked it as her daughter's first, as did media mogul Sean Parker. Winter continues to be the preferred spelling and has risen in popularity significantly over the past few years.
- Danger
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"exposure to injury, pain, harm, or loss"Description:
Prime example of the aggressive word names that are an off-the-grid branch of the new macho names. Makes Cannon, Maverick, and Ranger feel almost soft and sensitive by comparison.