2000+ Cat Names

More distinctive than Ella, if you're inspired by Cinderella.

This kind of plainspoken nature name (think River and Sunshine) may still carry a whiff of the hippie, but this one has a nice, airy feel. It's slight similarity to Claude and Clyde helps to ground it.

Most will see this as a refreshing middle name possibility, but Bristol Palin baby daddy Levi Johnston used it as a first name for his new daughter, Breeze Beretta.

An ubercool and mysterious name, brought to you by director M. Night Shyamalan.

Charming French endearment, first used as a name by Goethe, that now makes an appealing choice -- though the proper feminine form is Mignonne. Note, though, that this is not actually used as a name in France, where Manon would be the closest choice.

Lovella is most likely a feminine variation on Lovell, a surname. While it feels one of the invented-yet-antiquated girls' names, has the obvious attraction of containing the word "love" within it, as well as the opportunity to use "Ella" as nickname.

Asking for trouble.

Chia is a feminine name with diverse cultural origins. In Italian, it's a diminutive of Lucia, meaning "light." In Chinese, depending on the character used, it can mean "good" or "beautiful." The name also appears in Taiwanese aboriginal languages and Spanish dialects. Beyond its multicultural presence, Chia has gained contemporary recognition through the health food chia seeds, adding associations with wellness and vitality. Pronounced "KEE-ah" or "CHEE-ah" depending on cultural context, this short, sweet name has a modern appeal with ancient roots. Despite not being among the most popular names internationally, Chia's brevity, pleasant sound, and positive meanings make it an attractive choice for parents seeking something distinctive yet accessible.

A diminutive of the (male) name Dafydd, the Welsh form of David. In the US, it's strongly associated with the candy.

Western place-name that feels equally appropriate for both genders. Note: Natives say rhyme that second syllable with had, so it's not nehv-AH-da.

This may be a bit quirky to make it as a name, especially in first place. If you love it, you might try it in the middle.

Neil Gaiman invented this name for a character in his comic book Sandman. It can now be seen on the TV show Lucifer.

Interesting Native-American choice that could be taken for Greek.

More unusual than Tessa, this would make an interesting, meaningful and attractive choice for a third child.

The name of the 44th president, which he inherited from his Kenyan father, is related to the Swahili word "baraka," meaning "blessing," derived from the Arabic "baracka." It is linked, through the Semitic root, to the Hebrew name Baruch. Barack is also sometimes an alternate spelling of the Hebrew name Barak, which stems from the Semitic word for "lightning." Barack Obama may have found it a difficult name to grow up with, but the same won't be true for the many babies starting to be given that name. Other parents are being inspired to use Obama, which is a common surname among the Luo people of East Africa meaning "to lean or bend."

A bird name from the same Latin root as Aurelia, Oriole is extremely rare as a name: No babies were given the name in the US in 2022. But most people are aware of the Oriole bird, which makes this name uncommon yet possible.

Hendrix is an improbably trendy first name rising in honor of guitar great Jimi. Less than ten percent of babies named Hendrix are girls, but it was still given to 70 female babies last year -- and nearly 1100 baby boys.

This genial Irish surname feels much more current than Donald.

Not unless you want your son to grow up to be just like a wacky Jack Black character.