Science and Technology Names

  1. Blackwell
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "black well or stream"
    • Description:

      Dark.
  2. Jet
    • Origin:

      Mineral and word name
    • Description:

      Though this may be thought of as a short form of the legitimate name Jetta, that one's gone to the cars. This sounds more modern if a bit supersonic. In the Netherlands, it's in the Top 100, originating as a short form of -ette ending names such as Henriette and Mariette.
  3. Bertrand
    • Origin:

      French from German
    • Meaning:

      "magnificent crow"
    • Description:

      This name of famed philosopher, mathematician and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell becomes slightly more plausible with the French pronunciation, bare-TRAHN. Another noted bearer is French director and screenwriter Bertrand Tavernier.
  4. Temple
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the temple"
    • Description:

      The old word name Temple has gained some recent notice as a girls' name via admired autistic writer and inventor Dr. Temple Grandin (born Mary Temple), subject of an acclaimed biopic, in which she was played by Claire Danes.
  5. Evariste
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "well-pleasing"
    • Description:

      Vanishingly rare in its home country nowadays, this French form of Evaristus belongs to several notable historical figures, including poet Évariste Désiré de Forges de Parny and mathematics prodigy Évariste Galois, who died in a duel at the age of just 20.
  6. Barton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from the barley settlement"
    • Description:

      More user-friendly, though less substantial, than Bartholomew.
  7. Maxima
    • Origin:

      Latin, feminine variation of Maximus
    • Description:

      Max names were one of the hottest trends for boys in the mid-2010s, and are still very popular. The girl versions haven't seen so much love, unfortunately. (Or fortunately, if you love them and want them to stay rare!) Maxima got some attention in 2015 when Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan used it for their daughter, but few parents have copied them.

  8. Descartes
    • Origin:

      French surname
    • Meaning:

      "dweller at the outskirts of town"
    • Description:

      Highly unlikely philosophical choice.
  9. Piaget
    • Origin:

      French surname, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      We wouldn't have considered Piaget as a viable given name option was it not for Solange Knowles, who has it as her middle name. Her mother chose it after the watch brand, but many will recognize it as the surname of pioneering Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. His theories on cognitive development in children are among the most influential in the field of psychology.
  10. Zinc
    • Origin:

      Color or mineral name
    • Description:

      Extreme cool possibilities in either of these modern categories, like a postmodern Linc.
  11. Moon
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "moon"
    • Description:

      This shimmery lunar name is rising in popularity as a middle name for both sexes.
  12. Atari
    • Origin:

      Israeli surname; Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "son of the chemist; I'm about to win"
    • Description:

      Atari the baby name is directly correlated with Atari the company. It joined the baby name charts in 1979 when the popular video game Space Invaders was released. It was given to small numbers of boys and girls for the next few years and reemerged in 2006 following Atari Bigby's NFL draft.
  13. Neptune
    • Origin:

      Roman mythology name
    • Description:

      This would be tough enough for a boy to handle, but near impossible for a girl.
  14. Carrington
    • Origin:

      English. Scottish surname
    • Meaning:

      "from Carrington"
    • Description:

      Carrington is much more popular as a last name than a first, but it's one of those surnames we could see making the leap into first name territory. A few minor historical figures have carried the name, including Carrington T. Marshall, a judge at the Nuremberg Trials, and Carrington "C.B." Williams, an ecologist known for his studies on insect migration.
  15. Wave
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "wave"
    • Description:

      Wave made, well, waves when it was revealed to be the name of Cardi B and Offset's son. Evocative of crashing waves at the beach, large surfing barrels, and tumultuous and stormy seas, Wave is a name with a lot of personalities.
  16. Eise
    • Origin:

      Frisian
    • Meaning:

      "sword"
    • Description:

      This Frisian name is most famously borne by Eise Eisinga, an amateur astronomer who built a planetarium in his house. It still exists and is the oldest functioning planetarium in the world.
  17. Hedy
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Hedwig
    • Description:

      Linked to one of the great screen beauties, but has never appealed much to Americans.
  18. Newton
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "new town"
    • Description:

      Named after Isaac. Or Wayne.
  19. Rocket
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Starbaby name that might prove too supercharged for real life, but if like director Robert Rodriguez you're interested only in boys' names starting with R, you may need to add Rocket (and Rebel and Racer) to your list.
  20. Elion