English Word Names

North's image and gender status was irrevocably changed when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their newborn daughter. But why not? West is firmly established as a name, Easton is coming up strong, and North has a nice solid sound as well -- certainly as appropriate for either gender. South, though, not so much.

Early is a word-turned-name, pleasantly suggesting the start of a bright new day. Of the new word and day names, Early is one of the best.

Rider is a rock-and-roll baby name, in every sense of the term, though usually spelled Ryder, as in the sons of Kate Hudson and John Leguizamo.

No one will ever forget it. But Remember as a name came over on the Mayflower, so it has deep history as well as modern potential.

The late tennis great Arthur Ashe (whose wife was a photographer) pioneered word names when he used this for his daughter. It would make an interesting first or middle name possibility for parents involved with photography.

Inspired by Taylor Swift's 2020 album Evermore, seven sets of parents chose this name for their daughters in 2022. With a poetic meaning of "forever" or "always", this is one that we could see gaining traction outside of the Swiftiverse. Accessible nicknames Ever and Evie are always an option if Evermore feels too bold for everyday use.

One celebrity baby Pilot put this occupational choice into the pool -- together with the middle name Inspektor, something we wouldn't advise following.

Honesty is one of the modern virtue names, which along with Justice and Destiny are picking up where Faith, Hope, and Charity left off. Is Honesty the most appealing name ever? No, and it's also sure to spark lots of tiresome jokes. Still, Honesty is a positive quality and a lot more appealing than negative word names such as Pistol and Rehab (which both, yes, were given to five baby girls in the US last year).

This one's cutting right to the chase, but with such names as Justice and Peace on the rise, why not? And we guarantee your seven-year-old son will love it, though your 17-year-old, maybe not so much. Could be used as a middle name, as Talisa Soto and Benjamin Bratt did.

Tree as a first name may have entered the lexicon via Taylor Swift's (female) publicist Tree Paine, but there's no reason Tree can't work for any gender. It's simple, it's nature-connected, it's modern.

nature namesare in, and even fish names like Pike and Salmon are open for consideration.

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.

Dynamo is not a baby name....yet. But with word names on the rise, especially those with strong and uplifting meanings, Dynamo has serious possibilities. The o ending makes it on trend. And it makes a great gender-neutral middle name.

Weather inspired choices from Sunny to Stormi are currently in vogue, and Hazy could be a contender to replace 70s star Misty. Referring to fog and dry, dusty air, "haze" is an atmospheric phenomenon in which the visibility of the sky is obscured, in turn evoking imagery of hazy, summer days. Alternatively, it might be used a diminutive of popular Hazel, inspired by the likes of Daisy and Maisie.