Adjective Names

Loving is a lovely virtue name to bestow upon a child, but would likely make a better middle name for a boy. Richard and Mildred Loving were an interracial couple who married in the 60s, spurring a landmark Supreme Court case that legalized interracial marriage in all states. The story of this remarkable couple was showcased in the 2016 film "Loving".

An admirable quality to impart; Pleasant was used by Charles Dickens in Our Mutual Friend and in modern times is known via American Girl dolls creator Pleasant Rowland.

A positive word name given to a dozen or so baby girls per year.

Wise is a lovely virtue to bestow upon a baby, as seen through the increasingly popular unisex choice Sage. Wise would make for a perfect middle name with the one-syllable flow.

Upstanding to a fault.

A big name to bestow upon a baby, but in line with word names that are becoming increasingly fashionable, such as Legend and Royal.

A big name to bestow upon a baby, but in line with word names that are becoming increasingly fashionable, such as Legend, Miracle, and Royal.

In 2014, six little girls in the US were given the name Starlit. Starlit has a sweeter meaning than the similar Starlet, and a better ring than Starlight.

In the Plymouth Colony of the seventeenth century, Thankful was the third most popular of the abstract word names. It disappeared after 1700 and has virtually no chance of returning.

Despite fitting in with the modern word name trend, Glorious has been in use since 1925, when it first appeared on the charts for girls. At peak usage, it was given to 15 baby girls in 1948, although we expect this could rise now that model Jessica Hart used it for her son.

Maybe if you're planning to have only one child -- and iffy even then.

As Ireland becomes fashionable as a place name, bouncing on and off of the US girls charts thanks to Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin choosing it for their daughter, some parents may start to consider the adjective form Irish.

Nick Cannon and his partner Brittany named their daughter Powerful Queen in 2020, and time will tell if it will be an influential celebrity baby name. Strong word names are a trend among the stars — 2020 alone saw a Sovereign, Honor, Rumble, Epik, and Win — and the best of them filter out into the mainstream. Powerful certainly has potential, but it might do more for Power, which feels more wearable and name-like.

Nick Cannon use this, well, powerful name for his daughter, born in 2020. It joins the ranks of other strong adjective baby names, such as Noble, Epic, Sovereign, and Brave.

Loyal has history as a boy name—most popular in the late 19th century, later falling off the charts in 1948. This was back when loyalty suggested faithfulness to one's country, rather than fidelity to others. Today it would likely be interpreted as the latter.

Modern virtue names are rapidly rising in popularity—could Loyal be the next True?

Remarkable Pettibone was a self-important housekeeper in James Fenimore Cooper's The Pioneers. Such names were not uncommon in early America, with such choices as Remember and Experience showing up in the records along with Puritan virtue names such as Chastity and Patience.

Many parents are seeking a strong name--well there's no denying that Strong fits that bill.

Marvelous first appeared on the charts for girls all the way back in 1964 but wasn't seen again till 2009. It's been used in small numbers every year since.