Cool Cat Names

Spunky Irish surname that still has a pugnacious feel from its lingering association with one of boxing's greatest champs, Jack Dempsey. Many people may associate it more with Patrick Dempsey these days—McDreamy from TV's Grey's Anatomy.

Django — the D is silent as most everyone now knows — the nickname of the great Belgian-born jazz guitarist Django (originally Jean Baptiste) Reinhardt, makes a dynamic musical choice for any jazz aficionado. Reinhardt's nickname "Django" is Romani for "I awake." The name has become more familiar with the release of and acclaim for the Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained.

A lot of attention was drawn to this name when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their baby daughter, making it instantly unisex.

Unspecific place name with a wonderfully wide-open, spacious, western feel; used for a character in Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland.

This is a long-recognized smoosh name merging Anna with the short form of Elizabeth, and is one of the prettiest combo names, a possible alternative to Annabel.

Odyssey is a rare and weighty word name — following the footsteps of Hero, Legend, and Story. Despite its literal connection to Odysseus, Homer's epic hero, Odyssey has always been slightly more common among baby girls. The word figuratively refers to a long and eventful journey.

Relaxed western place-name that still has some masculine punch, but be warned: this whole posse of similarly trendy names, like Sierra and Dakota, will soon ride toward the sunset.

The rise of the the various Isabel names may give a boost to this variation, which has a sunny, springtime feel.

Acadia, the French name for Nova Scotia and the name of a gorgeous national park in Maine makes a fresh, rhythmic choice for your little girl. Acadia is an original yet accessible member of the stylish girl names starting with A.

Gatsby is one of the most famous literary surnames, borne by the titular character of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The book's Jay Gatsby gussied up his surname from Gatz, whose meaning is given variously as left-handed, cat, God, and person from Gat. As a first name, it's got a lot of energy and that great literary pedigree.

Iago, the villain of Shakespeare's Othello, was so treacherously evil that his name has hardly ever been heard offstage. Try the much-more-benign Inigo.

With other bird names such as Lark and Phoenix on the rise, why not chirpy Sparrow? Nicole Richie and Joel Madden named their son, born in 2009, Sparrow James Midnight.

Finola, the readily accessible version of some of the more problematic Gaelic versions of the name, would make a welcome addition to the stockpot of Irish girls' names.

Ezra is a Biblical name that is being rediscovered, which means its variation Ezri can't be far behind. Ezri is one of the up-and-coming unisex names starting with E, with the gender divide surprisingly running five to one in favor of girls.

This Roman mythology (and planet) name would be very hard to handle. It derives from a root meaning cloud.

An inspirational and aspirational word name that evokes ideas of loyalty, faith, honesty, and accuracy, True is a unisex name, which is just slightly more popular for boys. Like an updated form of Trudy and Prue and with the virtuous feel of Grace, Faith, and Hope, True was given to around 200 girls in 2023.

Ilsa is remembered as the radiant but tragic heroine of "Casablanca," and it's having something of a European resurgence.

Though the mythological Hero was female, this name might prove too big a responsibility for a little guy to shoulder.

Jessamy and big sister Jessamine are all but unknown in the U.S., but make distinctive alternatives to overexposed Jessica, Jessie, and Jasmine.