Modern Baby Names
- Quest
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"seek; mission"Description:
Cool new Q-starting possibility which suggests a sense of curiosity and purpose.
- North
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
North's image and gender status was irrevocably changed when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their newborn daughter. But why not? West is firmly established as a name, Easton is coming up strong, and North has a nice solid sound as well -- certainly as appropriate for either gender. South, though, not so much.
- Jamison
Description:
A variation of Jameson. Both names have climbed in popularity in recent years, though Jameson remains the preferred spelling.
- Semaj
Origin:
Variation of James, English from HebrewMeaning:
"supplanter"Description:
Popular enough in the Indian community to have made it onto the US Top 1000 every year from 2001 to 2014 and now again in 2023, possibly inspired by Jamaican activist Leachim Semaj (born Michael James).
- Braylon
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Enough parents have appreciated this combinations of the sounds from Brayden and Jaylen to make it a widely used name. Its most noted bearer is former football player Braylon Edwards.
- Wynter
Origin:
Spelling variation of WinterDescription:
Less month, more trendy, more times needing to spell it to people. This spelling variation entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013—and doesn't appear to be going anywhere any time soon.
- Zayla
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Zayla debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2021. The name might be thought of as the popular Ayla or Layla with the trendy letter Z at the beginning. Variations include Zaylah, Zaylani, and the male Zaylan.
- Amia
Origin:
Variation of AmyDescription:
This Amy/Mia combination debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2013. It could also be seen as a variant of Amaya.
- Kaylani
Origin:
HawaiianMeaning:
"sea of heaven; glorious sky"Description:
Kaylani is an English variation of the Hawaiian name Kailani. Both forms rank in the US Top 300, and while Kailani is more popular, Kaylani isn't far behind. It joined the US Top 1000 in 2016 and has been rising ever since, following on the heels of Leilani, Malia, and Kehlani.
- Jaxton
Origin:
Modern invented nameMeaning:
"Jack's town"Description:
We've had Jackson, Jaxcon and Jaxon, and now we have Jaxton.
- Egypt
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Ever since Little Egypt practically invented the belly dance in the 1890s, this name has had a suggestive aura. Astonishingly, Egypt is now among the Top 1000 names for girls in the US. Cairo is a related option.
- Timber
Origin:
Nature nameDescription:
Though some forward-looking parents are now choosing wood-related names like Oak, Pine, and Ash, this generic option would be even more avant garde.
- Tristian
Origin:
Variation of TristanDescription:
Combination of Tristan and Christian that is beginning to catch on.
- Rivers
Origin:
Nature name and surname, EnglishMeaning:
"rivers"Description:
Rivers is an indisputably unisex surname with is strong nature connotation and its connection to the character Diana Rivers from Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre. Rivers is also the first name of one of the girl Sweet Home sextuplets.
- Jersey
Origin:
English place name, Old NorseMeaning:
"Geirr's island"Description:
An established place name, associated with a sunny island in the English Channel, the Garden State in the US, knitted pullovers, reality TV, and a Broadway musical. It peaked in the late 2000s and though it is now in decline, 130 girls and nearly 50 boys received the name in 2023.
-ey meaning "island". Alternative theories suggest it comes from jarl ,meaning "earl" or hjǫr meaning "sword".
- Scorpio
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"scorpion"Description:
Of all the astrological names —think Leo, Aries, Gemini— Scorpio probably has the most dramatically potent presence, which could prove something of a burden to a young boy.
- Prince
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"chief, prince"Description:
Prince rose to its highest ranking in a century in 2015, and the tragic death of its most famous bearer in April 2016 propelled it even higher. The Purple Rain legend isn't its only tie to pop royalty: Michael Jackson chose it for not one but two of his sons. Royal names such as King and Prince, once thought of as canine, have begun to be used by human non-royals for their sons.
- Chicago
Origin:
American place name, AlgonquinMeaning:
"wild garlic"Description:
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian have done it again for their third child: Chosen a name that feels iconic yet strangely inevitable. They named North and Saint's younger sister Chicago, after Kanye's hometown. The name Chicago derives from a Native American word for "wild garlic," which once grew plentifully in the Illinois city, the third most populous in the US.
- Jaelyn
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Jaelyn is a name popular in many spellings and variations, including Jaelynn, Jaylin, and Jalen, and used for girls as well as boys.
- Kashton
Origin:
American invented nameMeaning:
"town of the box maker; money town"Description:
This newly invented name takes a cool short form—Kash/Cash—and adds the trendy -ton suffix, a la Ashton, Colton, and Weston. It made its first appearance on the US Top 1000 list in 2015 and has risen up into the Top 500 since then.
From its Latin root, Kash/Cash is an occupational name for someone who makes boxes, however, it is of course also related to the word "cash", as in money. The meaning of this newly coined name could then be "town of the box maker" or "money town".