Names That Mean Meaning

Photographer Richard Avedon's unique surname would make a stylish, one-of-a-kind first name for a baby of either sex.

An axe-wielding Filipino demon.

This is the clumsiest and least popular version of the classic Greek name Zoe. Little wonder this variation has fallen nearly 200 places in the US popularity rankings in just 2 years. We recommend you stick with the beautiful and elegant Zoe (which, for those of you looking to avoid overly-used names, is less popular than the American spelling 'Zoey').

Associated with a villainous character in the Naruto franchise.

One of the small number forenames used by the ancient Romans. Unlike Marcus, Lucius and Titus, this is not one that is popular in modern times; in fact, it's never been on the USA's baby name charts. In Roman times, Spurius became associated with a phrase meaning "born out of wedlock", and the English word "spurious" comes from this connection.

Rumors abound about Waneta, which is a Canadian place name. Some say it's an Anglicization of Juanita, while others claim it's a Native American name. Interestingly, Waneta is a common name among the American Amish.

In the same currently-popular style as Yareli and Yaretzi, this name is worn by Cuban-American boxer Yarisel Ramirez.

A rarer spelling of Dashiell, a handsome route to the nickname Dash. Neither variation is common for girls — Dashiell, at its peak, was given to six baby girls in a single year — but actress Milla Jovovich chose this spelling for her daughter, born in 2015.

An antagonist in the Naruto series with a nevertheless attractive-sounding name.

A possible addition to the international Lil family of names, but having four L's in its four syllables makes it a bit of a tongue twister.

Xhelile may be the Albanian variation of Jalila — an Arabic name meaning "illustrious."

Isala has a mellifluous sound, and ties in nicely with more familiar names like Isolde and Isla.

The name of one of the 35 tribes of ancient Rome, virtually unknown in the modern world

A masculine name from the Choctaw tribe of Mississippi and Oklahoma.

Sip was recorded on the US Top 1000 a single year, 1885, when it was given to five baby boys. This may have been a clerical error from its use as a Chinese surname, which is traditionally written before given names.

Short but punchy — Ayyo would make a cool and unusual choice as -o ending boy names become more and more stylish.

Both Tullio and Tulio are modern forms of the ancient Roman family name Tullius. Though its meaning is unknown, Tullius has an illustrious history with many noble bearers, including a sixth century king and the philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero. Tullio can be shortened to Tully, more properly an Irish surname with a tangled history of its own, while Tulio can be a substitute for Julio.

Sanel is a short and sweet name commonly used in South Slavic countries.

Laís is a common female name in Brazil, although not one that is currently popular for babies. In 2016, Morena Baccarin and Ben McKenzie named their daughter Frances Laiz, a variation of Laís. Baccarin is Brazilian herself.