Navy

NAY-vee
English, word name
"fleet of ships; sea-based branch of the armed forces; dark blue"

Navy Origin and Meaning

The name Navy is a boy's name meaning "fleet of ships; sea-based branch of the armed forces; dark blue".

This once unique and multi-layered word name was used by R&B singer Nivea for her daughter back in 2005, and later, by country musician Jason Aldean. No longer an exclusively celebrity choice Navy is now in the US Top 500 for girls and is on the rise in the UK too. As a boys name, however, it remains an unexpected possibility.

Ultimately deriving from the Latin word navigia meaning "boats", Navy can refer to a fleet of ships, to the armed forces of the sea, or to the dark shade of blue, named for the traditional color of naval uniforms. As a name, it could fit in with the likes of Indigo, Scarlett, Jett, and Onyx, or it could serve as an unexpected choice to honor someone in the navy.

While the name may be given to around 8 times as many girls than boys in the US, it is nevertheless on the rise as a unisex possibility. Given to around 110 boys in 2023, it is twice as popular as it was in 2019. Across the pond in the UK meanwhile, Navy made the Top 1000 for boys in 2023 where it is used about half as often for boys as it is girls.

Navy Popularity

Navy in Pop Culture

  • "Navy Blue"
    song by The Story So Far
  • Old Navy
    retail clothing chain
  • Will "Navy" Navidson
    fictional character in Mark Z. Danielewski's "House of Leaves"