New York Baby Names
- Murray
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"settlement by the sea"Description:
Murray, you may be surprised to discover, is a Scottish surname name --that of an ancient noble clan--with a sea-swept meaning, and just could be in the next wave of reevaluated grandpa names. Currently Number 60 for baby boys born in its native Scotland; it was at its highest in the US in 1922, when it reached Number 208, but has been off the list since 1975. Could it be time for a comeback?
- Macy
Origin:
English surname, variation of MasseyMeaning:
"hill"Description:
Singer Macy Gray has popularized this cute and upbeat choice—once solely associated with the department store—a modern replacement for Stacy and Tracy.
- Horatio
Origin:
English variation of Latin HoratiusMeaning:
"hour, time"Description:
Like Horace, Horatio is a variation on the Latin Horatius, but its Shakespearean and optimistic Horatio Alger pedigree makes it an attractive up-and-comer, especially with its cool final o. A modern reference is the charismatic TV character Horatio Caine played by David Caruso in CSI: Miami.
- Ebenezer
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"stone of help"Description:
Ebenezer is the name of a biblical place --the stone set up by Samuel to mark his victory over the Philistines--rather than a person. It was adopted by the British Puritans as a first name and then exported to America, where it had some early popularity, even entering the Top 1000 in the 1880s.
- Edna
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"rejuvenation, delight"Description:
Edna is one of those names that, until what it seemed like a few minutes ago, felt so terminally frumpy that no one could imagine a parent choosing it for an innocent modern baby girl. But with the great upswing in names honoring ancestral family members, several of them being other four-letter, e-ending names, we wouldn't be so sure.
- Brooklyn
Origin:
Place-name from DutchMeaning:
"marshland"Description:
Extreme makeover: Brooklyn has gone from jokey Borough Boy name in the 1990s to a leading girls' name starting with B. The status of New York's Brooklyn as hipster heaven is ironic as few bona fide Brooklyn hipsters would choose this name.
- Chelsea
Origin:
London and New York place-nameDescription:
Chelsea is still being used, with about 400 baby girls named Chelsea in the US last year. But it was much more popular a few decades ago, peaking at Number 15 in 1992.
- Truman
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"loyal one"Description:
Truman is an upstanding presidential name that radiates an aura of integrity and moral truth, values any parent would want for a child. It seems definitely headed for a revival.
- Baxter
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"baker"Description:
An x makes any name cooler, so that Baxter has a bit more pizzazz than the original Baker. Baxter had some currency as a first name a century ago--it was on the popularity lists sporadically from 1880 till the 1920s, peaking at Number 515 in 1886-- which means it's just about due for a comeback. And we can see Bax as a worthy follow-up to Max and Jax.
- Humphrey
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"peaceful warrior"Description:
Humphrey is an old name that might have faded completely were it not for that Bogie flair. A royal name in Britain, where it's used somewhat more frequently, Humphrey might just have some life beyond Bogart here, especially with the recent interest in the names of Golden Age Hollywood stars. His first name was the maiden name of his mother, Maud Humphrey, a well-known illustrator who used baby H. as a model.
- Waverly
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"meadow of quivering aspens"Description:
Waverly, with its literary resonance and lilting three-syllable sound, could well become the next generation's successor to Kimberly. Its upper-crusty surname feel places it among the new stylish English names for girls, successors to Ashley and Whitney.
- Jerome
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"sacred name"Description:
Jerome has a bespectacled, serious, studious image, just like its namesake saint, who was a brilliant scholar. St. Jerome is the patron saint of students, librarians, and archaeologists.
- Thayer
Origin:
French variation of TaylorMeaning:
"tailor"Description:
Thayer is an affable, less-common alternative to Taylor, with a much more indirect connection to its occupational source. Actor Thayer David (born David Thayer: Thayer was his father's first name) was known for his roles in Rocky and Dark Shadows.
- Sinclair
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"from the town of St. Clair"Description:
Could be a novel way for a boy's name to honor an ancestral Claire.
- Lafayette
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"faith"Description:
Foppish name with a distinguished forebear, French general Marquis de Lafayette, who fought in the American Revolution. It accounts for the L in L. Ron Hubbard. Old-time short form: Fayette or Fate.
- Whitney
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"white island"Description:
Yesterday's sensation that rose with the popularity of Whitney Houston. Whitney may have lost some of its style value, but it still sounds like one of the quintessential English names for girls. Today, you might want to shorten it to cool nickname Whit.
- Cass
Origin:
Diminutive of Casper etcDescription:
A light variation of any of the weightier names beginning with Cas, such as Casper, Cassius etc- this is a beautifully mellow and soft name that bears greater consideration.
- Tiffany
Origin:
English variation of Theophania, GreekMeaning:
"of divine manifestation"Description:
One of the first luxury brand names and the quintessential Booming Eighties status-conscious moniker; used by Donald Trump for his daughter, Tiffany has plummeted far from its high in the Top 25.
- York
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from the yew estate"Description:
Brisk, preppy York is an underused classic with the potential to really shine in the 21st century. It's most familiar as a place name — York is a city in England — and surname. New York City and State were named after the Duke of York.
- Sheridan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"searcher"Description:
Upper crust-y surname Sheridan gains some energy when used for a girl.