Wonderful Word Names for Babies

Actress Shannyn Sossamon used this as the middle name for her son Audio; one of the most do-not-try-this-at-home combos we've heard.

With the rising use of Eugenie and Eulalia, could literary Euphony make a debut? It certainly has a pleasant meaning and is euphonic itself.

Smooth and evocative, but not very namelike.

Why beat around the bush with a name like Elvis or Axl when you can come right out and name your baby Rocker? Your grandma will be scandalized, but teenage Rocker will kiss your feet.

A sixties-style name that might work best as a middle.

Loyal has history as a boy name—most popular in the late 19th century, later falling off the charts in 1948. This was back when loyalty suggested faithfulness to one's country, rather than fidelity to others. Today it would likely be interpreted as the latter.

Modern virtue names are rapidly rising in popularity—could Loyal be the next True?

Upstanding to a fault.

In literary circles, this name will be immediately recognized as a reference to the poetic stanza; outside such circles, this name may cause confusion for names like Coltrane or Cobain.

Chosen by one musician, Todd Rundgren, for his son, but unlikely to be emulated by others.

Remarkable Pettibone was a self-important housekeeper in James Fenimore Cooper's The Pioneers. Such names were not uncommon in early America, with such choices as Remember and Experience showing up in the records along with Puritan virtue names such as Chastity and Patience.

Alternative to Prince, Duke, King, or Earl, but not an improvement on them.

The French word for "twin," often used to refer to items found in pairs. Its plural form, jumelles, is the word for binoculars.

Toni Morrison, a master of character naming, coined this one for the best friend of hero Milkman Dead in Song of Solomon. Definitely a cool choice, with a twang.

Strong, but cold and soap opera-ish.

Wrecker is a new entry to the newly trendy group of badass baby names -- names mostly for boys that sound wild (or Wilder) and summon the kind of kid that races around (Racer), breaking things (Breaker), and yeah, why not, being a Wrecker while he's at it. Actor Cam Gigandet introduced this one, with a more phonetic spelling, when he named his son Rekker.

An unusual kind of place-name, going beyond a country, state, or city, it was used by actress Elisabeth Shue as a middle name for her daughter Stella.

Rhymer feels right at home with names like Ryder, Ryker and Riley, but brings an artsy edge to this group of names.

Cool and casual, a la humorist Ring (born Ringgold. ) Lardner.

Beware: Flame is the kind of name used by women named Fran when engaging in endeavors they'd just as soon their parents weren't aware of.

Similar in look to Reverie, Revere is far-less dreamy. Connoting both the word meaning to admire or esteem and the US Revolutionary War patriot, Revere could make an interesting choice for a boy or a girl, and will likely appeal especially to those with Massachusetts connections.