Names That Mean Fire

Hayden – a formerly obscure name that's risen to huge popularity – has dipped in this year's ratings. Though Hayden is among the most distinctive of the bunch, it gets lost in the crowd of Jaidens, Bradens, Aidans, and endless variations. Associated with Hayden Christensen, of Star Wars fame.

This phonetic Anglicization of the Irish name Eithne was made familiar by the single-named Irish singer and composer. St. Eithne was the daughter of a king and an early Irish convert to Christianity.

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.

This soundalike for the famous volcano, Mount Etna, is a fiery Irish choice that could be perfect for a red-haired baby girl.

Agni is the name of the Hindu god of fire, which might make this a unique name for a child born under a fire sign or with a fiery personality.

Fintan is an ancient Irish saints' name that in legend is also the name of the only person to survive The Flood. Popular in modern Ireland, Fintan is ripe for export to the US where it is rarely used but could make an excellent long form for the stylish Finn.

Nuria is popular in Spain and Portugal (top 50 in both countries) where it is deeply associated with the Virgin Mary.

Egan's likeness to the word eager gives this Irish surname a ready-to-please, effervescent energy, and it would make an appropriate substitute for the overused Aidan.

One of numerous usable Irish and Scottish surnames starting with Mac and Mc, this is the real McCoy. McCoy Tyner, the well-known jazz pianist, is one of the few to use this very cool name. Bonus: Nickname Mac.

An Ethiopian place-name and multicultural diminutive for many names, including the Slavic Tatiana and the Spanish Cayetana. Tana is also a rare Frisian name, meaning "thought", as well as a masculine name meaning "sweetheart" in the Turkic Karachay-Balkar language.

Sure, Arson is a crime, but anecdotally, many of the parents who choose this name do so because Arson = "our son."

Aodh, the name of the Celtic sun god meaning "fire", was common in early Scotland. It's also the origin of the wildly popular Irish name Aidan (originally Aodhán). Its pronunciation varies depending on region: AY or EE are Irish pronunciations, and in Scotland it's closer to UH, and has been Anglicized as Hugh.

A hot name, though perhaps not in the sense you want for your baby. About 20 times as many boys as girls were named Blaze in one recent year, perhaps because it can be seen as a spelling variation of the classic male saint's name Blaise.

A name used in the Middle East but that could easily work in the US. As a girls' name, Nuri can also be a short form of Nuria.

Haco was a mythical Cornish leader who lost his beautiful princess bride by unwittingly promising her to a musician whose songs he admired: a romantic legend to back up a very unusual choice.

A pleasingly simple alternate spelling of Aidan - but likely to get confused with Eden. In Hebrew, it means "era", and it's a Top 100 name in Israel.

In many minds this one belongs to Barbie, but with such positive meanings and international connections, can Ken make the transition to usability again?

Conley has a contemporary surname feel but is actually vintage in its usage. It was used as a masculine given name through the 1940s and peaked in 1905 at Number 709. Ready for revival? Definitely.

Simple yet unusual (to non-Iranians) is an excellent combination for a name, which the fiery Azar embodies perfectly.

Tanwen is a far more singular and colorful alternative to Bronwen.