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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

A lyrical choice with a similar feel to Story and Posy and a similar sound to Penelope. It might refer to either a work of poetry, a collection of poems, or something that is comparable to the beauty often associated with poetry as a form.

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).

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

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.

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.

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.

Romance may initially strike you as too ardent of a name for a baby, but given that Love has been a fast-rising name in recent years — not to mention soundalikes Roman and Romy — Romance is well-suited to our current naming climate. Presently, it makes the charts for baby boys but not baby girls.

A rarely used and distinctive word name with artistic flair, Mosaic has joins other creative choices, like Painter, Poem, Poet, Boheme, Story, Carver, and Monet. Appearing for the first time in the US stats in 2022 when it was given to 5 boys, it remains almost unused as a name. Nicknames could be Mo, Mick, Micky, Zay, or Mac.

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.

Worn round the neck and close to the heart, lockets are often used to hold small items of sentimental value, like a photo, a lock of hair, or a letter. Used as a surname, but rarely as a given name, Locket could have potential given its similarity in sound to Lochlan, Beckett, and Luka.

Worn round the neck and close to the heart, lockets are often used to hold small items of sentimental value, like a photo, a lock of hair, or a letter. Used as a surname, but rarely as a given name, Locket could have potential given its similarity in sound or letters to Lottie, Laurel, and Scarlett — and because of its sentimental meaning.

Romance may initially strike you as too ardent and whimsical of a name for a baby, but given that the likes of Love and Dream have been a fast-rising name in recent years — not to mention soundalike Romy — Romance is well-suited to our current naming climate.