Turtle Names

The Turkish name for the Danube River. Tuna is technically a unisex name in Turkey, yet it is more common among boys.

This booming word name has been used every year since 1988, yet at most was given to 30 baby boys in a single year. But with names like Thunder, all it takes is one celebrity to bring it to the mainstream, and Usain Bolt could be the guy. He welcomed a son named Thunder (yes, Thunder Bolt) in 2021, twin to Saint Leo and brother to Olympia Lightning.

Wellington is a tony-sounding English surname turned baby name by pregnancy guru Rosie Pope, who calls her son Wells for short. It's also the middle name of one of the Sweet Home sextuplets, Blu Wellington.

Barbie's little sister, and like Barbie, Skipper is one of many Kindercore names — evoking nostalgia through beloved childhood characters — that is getting more attention. Skipper debuted in the US charts in 2022.

This adorable fish name debuted on the baby name charts in 2020, inspired by a young girl character in the Netflix movie Love and Monsters. Minnow resembles well-established girl names Minnie, Willow, and Marlowe.

Years ago we might have said that this name was unthinkable, but with old-fashioned names being so popular right now (consider Atticus, Leonidas, Arthur, Jasper, Augustus etc) what's to stop Cuthbert from becoming more wearable? Bertie is a cute (and very fashionable) nickname option for this grand old name.

Gertie has a certain homespun charm, summoning to mind butter-yellow braids and denim overalls, summoning mind the adorable character played by little Drew Barrymore in E.T. Is the world ready for the return of Gertie and Gertrude? Maybe?

A cute but rare feminine variation of the Norse thunder god (and Marvel superhero) name Thor.

Flash Gordon makes this a superhero name, but Flash might just appeal to modern parents looking for one of the new active boys' names, ala Ace and Breaker and Ranger. We'd recommend something more pulled-together as a proper name with Flash as a nickname or middle name.

Short form of Alfred that had fallen out of favor, but could come back alongside Alfie and other clunky old-style nicknames like Gus and Ike.

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.

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.

Chartreuse is the name of a French liqueur, named after the Grande Chartreuse monastery of the Carthusian Monks that produce it. The monastery was built in the Chartreuse mountains of southeastern France. Chartreuse is also familiar as a color name, a yellow-green hue that matches the color of the highest-quality liqueur.

With the tide coming in on a new wave of word names, this one just might catch on, especially for parents who relish sun, sand, and surf. Forest lovers can spell it Beech, like the tree.

Streamlined and sleek Japanese name with a sweet, fragrant meaning.

Fresh and fragrant nature name more apt to be used for a boy.

Surname with strong ties to singer Taylor Swift and writer Jonathan Swift. It could make a fun and quirky middle name.

Gussie fits the growing trend of boyish nicknames for girls - alongside Charlie and Frankie. But Gussie is a bit fussy — try Gus.

Sharp and preppy.

This is an outside possibility for opera-lovers, with the additional eco/color factor.