231 cool names for your baby

78 cool names for boys and girls

Alfie is short for Alfred. It's an Anglo-Saxon name with Germanic roots, meaning "elf counsel."

Alma is the name of a river in Ukraine. Its etymology is varied and means "nurturing" in Latin, "apple" in Crimean and Hungarian, and "soul" in Spanish.

Angus is the English version of a Scottish Gaelic name meaning "one choice."

Ariah means "lion of God" in Hebrew. When spelled without the h, Aria is Italian word for "air."

Audrey is a timeless name with Anglo-Saxon roots, meaning "strength and nobility."

Aslan is a Turkish name that means "fearless" and "lion" in Arabic.

Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom. It's also a place name that means "from Athens."

Beckett is an Irish surname meaning "small beak."

Berlin is a city name, the capital of Germany. Its etymology is unclear, but it may come from a word that means "river rake" in Slavic languages, or "bear."

Blaine means "yellow" and finds its origin in the Gaelic language.

Boone derives from the French word bonne, meaning "good." In English, boon means "a blessing."

Chance is short for Chauncey. Originally an Old French surname, Chauncey means "fortune."

Circe is the name of the Greek goddess of sorcery. The name may derive from a Greek word meaning "hawk."

Clementine stems from the Latin word clemens, meaning "merciful" and "mild."

Cormac is an Old Irish name that may mean "son of a chariot driver."

Delilah has origins in Hebrew and Arabic and is thought to mean "delicate."

Eloise comes from an Old German name, meaning "healthy and wide."

Elliott is a name with many spellings, many origins, and unknown meaning. It started as a clan name in Scotland, a surname in England and Ireland, and even appeared in France.

Edison is an English name, considered to mean "son of Adam, Edith, or Edward."

Eudora has Greek roots and literally translates to "generous."

Emmylou is a "smoosh" name, combining Emma, meaning "whole," and Lou, meaning "famous warrior."

Evander means "bow warrior" and "good man." Of Greek origin, it's also viewed as an anglicized version of the Norse name Ivor.

Felix is a biblical name that stems from the Latin word felicis, meaning "lucky."

Freya is the name of a Nordic goddess of love and fertility. This name means "lady" or "lord."

Flynn is the anglicized version of an Irish surname that means "ruddy" or "red."

Grady means "noble" or "illustrious" and is derived from a Gaelic clan name.

Harlow is an English place name, meaning "mound hill."

Haven is a word name that means "refuge." In Old Norse and Old English, it literally translates to "by the harbor."

Isaac comes from a Hebrew name meaning "he will laugh."

Jagger is an occupational family name with origins in West Yorkshire. It means "carter" or "peddler."

Jasper is of Persian origin and means "bringer of treasure."

Jeremiah, a prophet in the Old Testament, is the English version of a Hebrew name that means "appointed by God."

Jolene may be a version of the names Jo and Lynn combined. It's also linked to jolie, a French word meaning "pretty."

Julius is a Latin-rooted name with disputed origins. It could derive from a Roman word meaning "descending from Jove" or a Greek word meaning "downy-bearded."

Keely is rooted in a Gaelic word that means "slender" or "graceful."

Kendrick is a surname-name. It's rooted in both a Welsh name meaning "greatest champion" and an Anglo-Saxon name meaning "king" or "ruler."

Kharis is an alternate spelling of Charis, which derives from a Greek word meaning "grace, kindness, and life." It's also the name of one of the Greek Charities, goddesses of charm, beauty, and creativity.

Klaus started out as a nickname for the German name Nikolaus, which is derived from Greek and means "victory of the people."

Lane is a Middle English topographic name, meaning "of the lane," given to those who lived on a narrow pathway.

Lace is a variation of the English name Lacey, meaning "from Lassy." It's also associated with the ornamental fabric.

Layla, also spelled Leila and a million other ways, means "night" or "daughter of the night" in Hebrew and Arabic.

Leander is a Greek name that means "lion-man." The mythical Leander and his lover Hero are prominently featured in literature and the arts.

Lucia comes from the Latin word lux, meaning "light."

Levi is a name with a biblical story behind it. The Hebrew meaning of this name is "joined" or "adhered."

Luther is a German name made up of elements that mean "famous" and "army." It's also an occupational surname meaning "lute player."

Madoc is an Old Welsh name that means "charitable" or "goodly."

Malia is thought to be a Hawaiian variant of Maria, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Mariam. Its meaning is uncertain, but may derive from an Egyptian root word meaning "beloved."

Matilda (also spelled Mathilde) is rooted in German and means "mighty in battle."

Matteo is an Italian variation of Matthew, which is derived from Hebrew and means "gift of God."

Milo comes from a few roots: In Slavic, mil- means "dear" or "beloved"; in Latin, it may derive from a word for soldier; in Germanic and Gothic languages, it means "great and merciful."

Morgana is a variation of the Welsh name Morgan, which means "sea captain" or "sea defender."

Natalia derives from the Late Latin phrase for Christmas Day: natale domini.

Niall is an Irish name of uncertain origin, though it's though to derive from a word meaning "champion."

Ophelia is tragic Shakespearean heroine. This name means "help" or "aid" in Greek.

Oscar is rooted in Old English and Old Irish. It means "god's spear," or "deer friend."

Otto comes from German word meaning "prosperity." This kingly name is also a palindrome.

Paisley is reminiscent of the curved teardrop textile pattern that originated in Persia and India. The name Paisley was derived from the Scottish town where this design was reproduced.

Parker is an Old English occupational surname, meaning "park keeper."

Percival is the name of an Arthurian hero invented by a French poet with many contested meanings. It may derive from a French phrase meaning "pierce the valley," or it may be inspired by the Welsh version of the hero, whose name may mean "steel spear."

Ramona is a feminine form of the Spanish name Ramon and the German Raymond, meaning "wise protector."

Roscoe is a Cornish name, rooted in Old Norse and meaning "doe wood."

Ryder is an occupational surname meaning "horse rider."

Sawyer is an occupational surname name of English origin that was given to someone who saws wood.

Scarlet, also spelled Scarlett, is a color name. This vibrant name is derived from an Old French word, escarlate, that referred to a rich red fabric.

Sebastian is a Greek-rooted place name, meaning "from Sebastia." In Greek, sebastos means "venerable."

Simone is a female version of Simon, a biblical name. In Greek, it means "flat-nosed," and in Hebrew it means "one who has heard."

Solstice comes from the Latin word for "sun" (sol) and "stands still" (stito).

Soren is a Scandinavian name that ultimately derives from the Latin word severus, meaning "severe" or "serious."

Storm comes from the Old Norse word stomr, meaning "tempest" or "tumult."

Tamara derives from the Hebrew and Arabic word for "date palm."

Tanner is a historical English occupational that means "leather maker." It comes from the process of using tree bark to color leather.

Tallulah is an American place name and the name of a Celtic saint (spelled Tallula). It means "lady of abundance."

Tobias has roots in a Hebrew name that means "goodness" or "God's goodness."

Walker is an Old English occupational name from medieval times. This name translates as "cloth walker.'"

Waylon is a variation on the name Wayland, which is rooted in German and means "brave battle."

Wolfgang is German through and through. It comes from the roots wolf (which means the same as in English) and gang – meaning "path" or "way."

Wyatt is derived from a medieval English surname meaning "brave battle." It's also from a Norman surname meaning "wood."

Xander is an abbreviation of the Greek-rooted Alexander, meaning "defender of men."

44 cool, gender-neutral names

Addison is an Old English given name meaning "son of Adam."

Aiden has roots in Ireland and means "little fire."

Banks is a nature-inspired English surname that refers to "those who lived on riverbanks."

Bentley is an Old English surname that means "woodland clearing." With a bit of poetic license, it's often translated as "from the moor."

Blythe comes from an Old English word that means "joyous" and "cheerful."

Bronte is a surname derived from a Gaelic name that means "generous." This name also means "thunder" in Greek.

Brooklyn comes from a Dutch town called Breukelen and is rooted in Old German. It means "marshland."

Caius is an Old Latin given name with Shakespearean history. It means "rejoice."

Campbell is a common Scottish surname that began as a nickname meaning "crooked-mouthed" or "wry-mouthed."

Carmen has two origins. As a Spanish and Italian name, it's a nickname for Carmelo, which comes from Hebrew and means "God's vineyard." Carmen also derives from a Latin word meaning "poem" or "ode."

Carter is an Irish surname, an occupational name given to people who sold goods with a cart or wagon.

Cassidy is derived from an Irish surname meaning "curly-haired."

Clare is derived from the Late Latin name Clarus, meaning "bright" or "clear."

Collins is an Irish and Scottish surname that's likely derived from Nicholas and means "victorious people."

Coral is a nature name of Hebrew and Arabic origin meaning "pebble" or "small stone."

Dallas is a surname of Scottish and English origin, meaning "meadow dwelling."

Devin has a couple of potential origins. It could be the anglicized version of an Irish surname meaning either "poet" or "fawn"; or it could be derived from the Old French devin, meaning "divine."

Ellery, derived from the Medieval English name Hilary, means "cheerful" or "joyful."

Ellis is a Welsh name, an anglicized version of Elisedd, that means "benevolent."

Everett comes from the German name Eberhard, meaning "brave boar."

Griffin has roots in Welsh and means "prince." This name (also spelled Griffon and Gryphon) also refers to a part-lion, part-eagle creature from myth.

Harley is an Old English surname, meaning "hare's meadow."

Holden is an Old English surname derived from holh, meaning "hollow," and denu, meaning "valley."

Hollis is a surname of English heritage. Its origins are uncertain, but most believe it means "holly," or "lived by the holly tree."

Indigo is a color name that comes from the Greek word for "from India" – where the purple-blue dye was produced.

Jayce is a modern variation of Jason and is derived from a Greek word meaning "to heal" or "healer."

Jesse is an Old Testament name. It means "gift" in Hebrew.

Lincoln is a presidential name that's rooted in Latin words for "lake" and "settlement."

Lennon is a surname of Irish origin, meaning "lover" or "blackbird."

Malachi is from a Hebrew name referring to a messenger.

Misha is a nickname for the Russian name Mikhail, meaning "one who resembles God." It's also a Russian colloquial word for "bear."

Oakley is an English place name, meaning "from the oak clearing."

Ollie is the diminutive of Olivia or Olive or Oliver. Each of these names derive from the Latin word for "olive tree."

Ozzy is short for Osborn, a Scandinavian name that means "god bear."

Phoenix refers to the immortal bird in Greek and Egyptian mythology, who burns itself to death and rises from its own ashes. The word derives from a Greek word meaning "dark red."

Presley, broken down into its original Old English, means "priest meadow."

Psalm comes from Old English and means "sacred poem" or "song."

Reese is the anglicized version of the Welsh name Rhys, meaning "ardent" or "fiery."

Ocean is a nature-inspired name, rooted in the Latin word oceanus, meaning a "body of salt water."

Sasha is a Russian name. It's a diminutive of Alexander or Alexandra, a Greek name that means "defender of men."

Sydney is rooted in an Old English surname meaning "spacious island." It's also linked to the third-century Christian Saint Denis of France.

Quinn is an Irish surname meaning "son of Conn." It's rooted in Old Irish and means "reason" or "chief."

Wilder is an Old English surname name given to people who lived near overgrown, uncultivated natural (wild) land.

Winter, named for the season, is rooted in the proto-Germanic word wintru, possibly rooted in a word that means "wet."

26 cool, unique names

None of these names appeared in the top 500 in 2022, according to the U.S. Social Security Administration – and many don't even appear in the top 1,000.

Agnes is an Old French name with Greek roots. It means "pure" or "holy."

Anais has an unverified origin. Some say it's French for Ann and means "grace." Others link it to Persian goddess Anahita, meaning "immaculate."

Ayelet is a unique Hebrew name meaning "deer" or "gazelle."

Arden is an English surname with Celtic elements that translate to "high place."

Ciara means "dark hair." It comes from the Gaelic ciar, which means "black."

Cedar is inspired by the coniferous tree of the same name, which itself is derived from the Greek word kedros.

Clyde was a surname for people who lived near the eponymous Scottish river. It means "cleansing" or "warm and friendly" in Gaelic.

Corinna comes from the Greek word kore, which means "maiden" and is another name of Persephone, the Greek goddess of spring.

Ender is a Turkish given name that means "rare."

Fable is from the Old French word meaning "story" and further back to Latin, fabla, "a story with a lesson."

Esperanza is a Spanish name that means "hope."

Fallon means "leader" in Gaelic and is an Irish surname.

Gamble is a rare given name of Old English and German origin that translates as "fun" and "sport."

Holland is a place name, often used to refer to the Netherlands. It means "hollow land" in Old English.

Maude is a variation of the German name Matilda, which translates to "strength in battle."

Marvel dates back to the Latin word mirabilis, meaning "admirable and amazing."

Orson is a Latin and Old French-rooted name. It means "bear."

Phaedra is a princess in Greek mythology. Her name is rooted in a Greek word meaning "bright."

Rollo is a Viking name, thought to be a variant of the Norse name Rolf, which means "famous wolf."

Sable is an animal name from Old French. Sable also means "black," in reference to the dark color of a sable's fur.

Shreya is a name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. It means "fortunate" and "auspicious" in Sanskrit.

Silke is a German diminutive of Celia or Cecilia. Originally derived from the Latin caelum, it means "heavenly."

Thatcher is an Old English occupational name given to those who made a living by thatching roofs out of straw.

Thisbe is a character from Greek mythology whose love story inspired Shakespeare's tragedy, Romeo and Juliet.

Trace is a Roman place name (Thracia) and a synonym for "path" or "track." It's sometimes a short name for Tracy.

Velma could be a variation of the German name Wilhelmina, meaning "protector," but its origin is uncertain.

25 cool space names

Aries is Latin for "ram." It's also the name of a constellation, the first astrological sign in the zodiac, and the mythological Greek god of war.

Apollo is the Greek god of the sun, light, music, and poetry, as well as medicine and healing. This pre-Greek name has uncertain origins.

Artemis is a mythological Greek goddess associated with the moon. The name's meaning is unverified, but may be related to a word for "bear."

Astri is a girl's name with Norse and Latin roots. It means "star."

Atlas is a mythological Greek Titan who carries the earth on his back. The word also loosely translates to "satin" in Polish and "smooth" in Arabic.

Celeste is a name with Latin roots and means "celestial" or "heavenly."

Cosmo comes from the Greek word kosmos. It literally means "order" or "orderly arrangement," but connotes "the universe."

Danica means "morning star" in Croatian. In Slavic mythology, Danica is the personification of the morning star.

Eartha comes from a German-rooted, modern English word meaning "earth."

Elio has Greek, Spanish, and Italian roots. It means "sun."

Esther is a biblical name rooted in Persian and is believed to mean "star."

Halo is a term for "circle around the sun or moon." In Greek, it means "disc of the sun or moon."

Juno is the name of a NASA space probe in orbit around the planet Jupiter. Juno is the Roman queen of the gods, and the goddess of marriage and childbirth.

Lyra is the name of a tiny celestial constellation, named for a Greek word for the lyre, a stringed musical instrument similar to a harp.

Mae is a variant of the English name May. It's also the name of the first Black woman to go to space, Mae Jemison.

Maia is the name of a star in the Pleiades cluster, a group of stars important to ancient Greek sailors. Maia was one of the seven Pleiades, nymphs who were companions of the Greek goddess Artemis.

Nova means "new" in Latin and commonly refers to bright but fleeting new and exploding stars.

Oberon is the name of planet Uranus' major moon. Rooted in Old German, it means "ruler."

Orion is a mythological Greek hero, a constellation, and NASA's spacecraft designed for deep-space missions.

Roxanne is a Persian-rooted name and means "shining" or "bright star."

Stella is derived from the Latin word for star.

Sirius is the name of the Dog Star, the brightest star in the sky. This name stems from a Greek word that means "scorching" or "burning."

Twyla nods to the word "twilight," and is a possible variation of the French word for "star" – etoile. Another origin points to the British name Twila, meaning "woven with double thread."

Vega is a star name that comes from an Arabic word for "swooping vulture." Additionally, it's a Spanish surname that means "dweller from the meadow."

Venus is a planet and the name of the Roman goddess of love and beauty. It's rooted in a Latin word meaning "to desire" or "strive for."

21 cool flower names

Alder is a surname and a flowering tree name. It's Old English and means "old."

Ambrosia has a history in Greek myth, and comes from the Latin word ambrosius, which means "immortal."

Bahia is a perennial flower from the aster family. This flower got its name from Spanish botanist Juan Francisco Bahi.

Calla is type of lily that comes from the Greek word kallos, meaning "beauty."

Clover, as related to the Irish shamrock, has lucky connotations. The name may come from a Germanic language and mean "sticky liquid."

Flora means "like a flower" or "blooming" in Latin.

Fleur is the French word for "flower."

Florian is a Latin-rooted boy's name that means "flowering" or "blond."

Hazel was first used as a topographic name for a person who lived near a hazelnut tree. In Celtic lore, hazel is associated with inspiration and wisdom.

Heath is a type of shrubland habitat characterized by dry, hard conditions and soil with low fertility. It comes from an Old English word meaning "untilled land" or "wasteland."

Jarah is a biblical name that means "honeysuckle" in Hebrew.

Juniper has an uncertain original story – many European languages have similar words – but now refers to a coniferous tree found throughout the world.

Lotus has Greek and Hebrew origins and is thought to mean "myrrh."

Magnolia is a French-derived flower name, so named in honor of a botanist named Pierre Magnol. In the language of flowers, magnolias symbolize a love of nature and nobility.

Marigold is a name formed from the name Mary, and the word gold. From Old English, it means "golden flower."

Rosanna is a smoosh name, combining Rose and Anna. The combined meaning is "graceful rose."

Ren comes from a Japanese word for "lotus" or "water lily."

Sage has a couple of meanings, both ultimately derived from Latin. One is the Latin root sapere, meaning "to be wise" or "to have good taste"; another is the Latin word salvus, meaning "healthy," because the sage plant was used medicinally.

Sorrel is a flowering herb. Rooted in Old French and Germanic, it refers to someone with reddish-brown hair.

Willow is tree-inspired name with roots in Old English. This name means "turn or revolve."

Zinnia is a brightly colored flower named after a German botanist with the last name Zinn.

37 cool, short names

Abel is a biblical name rooted in Hebrew. It means "breath."

Aja is a name with Japanese, Hindi, and African roots with multiple meanings, including "bright," "cold spring," "east," and "goat."

Bea is a short version of Beatrice, which comes from a Latin word meaning "blessed one."

Cal is a nickname-name, usually from Calvin, that's rooted in French and means "bald."

Cleo means "glory" or "renown," and comes from the Greek word kleos.

Cove is a name with Old English and Germanic roots. It means "inlet" or "hollow place in the rocks."

Cyan is a color name. It's rooted in the Greek word kyanos, meaning "dark blue."

Dov means "bear" in Hebrew.

Drew is often short for Andrew. Rooted in Greek, it means "manly" or "courageous."

Echo is rooted in Greek mythology, and means "sound" or "resound."

Eden is a word for "delight" and "pleasure" in Hebrew and is the name of a biblical paradise.

Esme is linked to French words meaning "esteemed" and "love." As a nickname for the name Esmeralda, it means "emerald."

Ever is a word name meaning "at any time" or "always." It also connotes "life" or "eternity."

Fitz is an Old French prefix meaning "son of" (like in Fitzwilliam or Fitzpatrick)

Gus is a nickname for the Celtic given name Angus. In Old Irish it translates to "strength" or "excellence."

Ike is short for the Hebrew-rooted name Isaac, which means "laughing one." It can also be short for the West African name Ikechukwu, which means "power of God."

Iona is the name of an island in Scotland. Its etymology isn't certain, but it may derive from Irish and mean "yew place."

Jaya is a name derived from Sanskrit and means "victory."

Joss is a name with medieval roots and unverified meaning. It can be a diminutive of Jocelyn, Joseph, or Josiah.

Mila is a Slavic name that means "dear" or "gracious."

Ned is a diminutive of Edward and comes from an Old English word meaning "wealth" and "prosperity."

Koa is the name of a common species of tree in Hawaii. The wood from this tree is used to make surfboards.

Lark is an avian name that comes from Old English word meaning "to play." It can also mean "a spree" or "merry adventure."

Luca is a biblical name with Italian roots. It means "bright one," and it's also a topographical name meaning "from Lucania."

Moss is a plant name rooted in a proto-Indo-European language, where it means "bog" and "damp."

Leon comes from the Greek word for "lion."

Nell is a diminutive of Eleanor, a lovely name that derives from French and has contested meaning.

Odin, according to Norse mythology, is a god of wisdom and magic. Its root word means "raging" and "inspired."

Onyx is inspired by a mineral. It comes from a Latin word that means "claw."

Poe is an English surname that comes from the German word pfau, meaning "peacock."

Rory is the anglicized version of an Old Irish name that means "red king."

Ted is a nickname for Theodore or Theodora. Rooted in ancient Greek, it means "gift of God."

Van is commonly a diminutive of Evan, Ivan, or Vance. It shares roots with John, meaning "God is gracious."

Vera means "faith" in most Slavic languages, though in Latin it means "true."

Vida means "life" in Spanish.

Zeke is a diminutive of the biblical nameEzekiel. This name means "God's strength" in Hebrew.

Zuri is a name that comes from Swahili. It means "beautiful."