Wonderful Word Names for Babies

A video-game name ("Final Fantasy VII") with an unappealing sound and meaning.

Vibrant and vital noun name chosen by actress Shawnee Smith for her daughter.

Sure it makes a big statement, but if you can call your child Wren, Robin or Falcon, why not also Hummingbird. This pint-sized jewel of a bird is a lovely connotation for the baby that's full of energy and spirit.

Spaniards use Pax and Paz, Hebrew speakers Shalom, for Greeks it's Irene, so why can't we make the English word Peace a name? Peace Adzo Medie is the author of the novel His Only Wife.

Booker and Author are being used as names (the former is best known care of Booker T Washington), so why not Reader? Reader certainly fits in with both these and other "doing" names like Ryder, Brewer, Fifer, Miller and Cooper.

Forget Patience and Charity: Here's a Colonial name (and sentiment) that seems perfect for modern times.

Oasis is an ultra-rare word name that has only ever been used for a handful of babies born in the US. Its appeal is undeniable, though. An oasis can be a place of refuge, or a place of beauty, in an otherwise harsh environment. It also shares sounds with other popular and trendy names—think Owen, combined with Silas, with a touch of Ocean.

Feather, though it was used for a character in a Walter Mosley novel, seems too light and fluttery for a real-life girl.

To most Australians and New Zealanders, using the name Anzac might feel sacrilegious now, as the ANZAC story has become interwoven with national identity. But Anzac was used as a name for both boys and girls on both sides of the Tasman Sea in the aftermath of the First World War. It was often used in combination with other names associated with battles or military leaders - for example Dardanella Anzac and Verdun Anzac (both girls) and Winston Anzac and Anzac Kitchener (boys).

Strong, but cold and soap opera-ish.

More common as a surname, a handful of boys get this bovine equivalent of Shepherd each year in the US. It may gain more exposure as one of the occupational names that are one of the most popular classes of English names for boys.

One Puritan virtue name unlikely to thrive in the 21st century.

When actress Shannyn Sossamon dubbed her newborn Audio Science, it sent out some definite shock waves. We don't recommend Audio or Video for even the most intrepid baby namer.

Hiking enthusiasts might want to consider this nature name, though it also has the connotation of someone lagging behind.

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.

With its ties to tranquil Walden Pond, and harmonious meaning, this could be a modern virtue name.

Eleven didn't feel more namelike than any other number...until the (female) "Stranger Things" character came along. Now it seems like a possibility - albeit a rare one - for both sexes. Other associations include the number of players in a football team, and Apollo 11, the spacecraft of the first moon landing.

Gruff is a name that gets used on a handful of boys each year, in both the US and the UK.

A Puritan-virtue type name that could possibly work for a modern baby with its rhythmic four-syllable sound and admirable meaning.

If you want to give your child the gift of...gab.