Wonderful Word Names for Babies

This Puritan virtue name may be unstylish, but it is also sympathetic and appealing in these largely uncomfortable times.

Lyric is a name given to over 1000 boys and girls each year in the US. Could the more feminine Lyrical (given to only 20 girls each year) become more popular as parents look to find less common alternatives to this musical name?

The Puritans used it as a virtue name -- but today it would just be considered weird: silence is no longer golden.

An offbeat word name referring to the speed of a piece of music.

Fortitude is the kind of virtue name the Puritans favored that could feel rather heavy for a modern boy. Nevertheless, with options such as Sincere, Chosen, Messiah, and Valor on the rise, perhaps in coming years, it might not seem so hefty after all, though for now, we think it would be best reserved for the middle spot.

Cool, cruising choice for either sex.

A beyond-bold shooting-star name choice, sure to raise some relatives' eyebrows.

A few boys have adopted fabrics like Denim and Suede; here's a singular one for the girls, with a distinctively silky sheen.

One of the new literalist religious names, like Blessing, Heavenly and Neveah. More male than female, but essentially unisex.

Adventurous word choice, but still quite a burden for a child to bear.

We'd prefer to stick with the more-familiar Cadence and avoid the overly trendy Kay- prefix.

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.

Yes, there are lots of kids out there named Princess, Duke, Earl, and King – but you don't necessarily want yours to be one of them.

The name of the teenaged son on the dear departed television show "Huff."

Forever still feels more like a sentiment than a name, and rather feminine at that.

Sleek color name, though a bit flinty for a little girl.

Unisex word and surname with an upbeat feel and a possible future as a more distinctive substitute for Grace or Page.

This nature name hasn't escaped the hippie dippy air of others like River or Sky.

If you don't want to limit yourself to one month of the year, this unique baby name offers the plus of the friendly nickname, Cal.

Along the same lines as Fable or Madrigal, Parable is a cute choice for literary families. It might also be considered as a pseudo-biblical name, given the fame of the Biblical parables.