155+ Names That Mean Trouble

  1. Huxley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "inhospitable place"
    • Description:

      Huxley is definitely rising as a surname name, with its X that makes almost any name cooler. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015. The modern nicknames Hux and Huck certainly don't hurt.
  2. Danger
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "exposure to injury, pain, harm, or loss"
    • Description:

      Prime example of the aggressive word names that are an off-the-grid branch of the new macho names. Makes Cannon, Maverick, and Ranger feel almost soft and sensitive by comparison.
  3. Rocky
    • Origin:

      English, Italian
    • Meaning:

      "rock or rest"
    • Description:

      How many decades will it take for Rocky to triumph over its association with Sylvester Stallone's battered but not beaten boxer? The moment may have come, now that Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. have named their son Rocky. It helps, too, that Madonna's son Rocco helped make the name child-appropriate again.
  4. Cain
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "spear; possessed"
    • Description:

      Biblical name Cain was, until recently, seldom heard outside of the Old Testament and soap operas. Although Cain's murderous actions will always make this name difficult for some, Cain, Eve and Adam's firstborn, was a farmer - making this a good choice for those with farming connections. Long outshone by Abel, Cain is starting to find a broader audience, helped along by homophones Kane or Caine.
  5. Lucifer
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "light-bearer"
    • Description:

      Lucifer is the name of the archangel cast into hell -- theologians disagree on whether he and Satan are separate beings -- and as such has long been on the forbidden list for religious parents. Still banned in New Zealand, Lucifer is occasionally used in the contemporary U.S.: Six boys were given the name in the most recent year counted.
  6. Mallory
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "unfortunate"
    • Description:

      Early 1980s sitcom (Family Ties) name that has been well used ever since, with an upbeat three-syllable sound and a slightly tomboyish edge.
  7. Blaze
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "fire"
    • Description:

      Originally a form of the saint's name Blaise, though now more likely to be a hot word name used for both sexes, though heavily weighted toward the boys. It has been in the boys' Top 1000 since the year 2000.
      br>On the pop culture side of things, Blaze Bayley is a singer and musician who has been connected to the bands Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden.
  8. Remington
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "place on a riverbank"
    • Description:

      Remington Steele was the perfect name for an upper-crust action hero on 1980s television. Now, Remington is catching fire along with a new generation of predatory baby boy names such as Hunter, Gunner, and Colt. Or you might consider it a unisex namewith a buttoned-up British feel and the friendly short form Rem or Remy.
  9. Jezebel
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "not exalted"
    • Description:

      Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab in the Hebrew Book of Kings, has long had a bad girl reputation. But in the modern secular world, this is somewhat mitigated by the feminist perspective of her as a strong woman, the power behind the throne. Previously avoided as a baby name, Jezebel is now, along with the also previously avoided Delilah and Desiree, coming into use, helped by its relation to other 'bel' name such as Isabel and Bella.
  10. Raven
    • Origin:

      Word and animal name
    • Description:

      Bird name Raven, once a symbol of pride for both African-American and Wiccan parents, is finding new life as a superhero name. Raven Darkholme is the real name of Mystique, heroine of the X-Men films played by Jennifer Lawrence. And there is another Raven superheroine in Teen Titans. Some parents may still choose Raven to signal black pride or mystical powers or maybe even Edgar Allan Poe fandom, but we are guessing most inspiration is coming from the comics.
  11. Lance
    • Origin:

      English variation of Lanzo, German "land"
    • Meaning:

      "land"
    • Description:

      Though the fuller Lancelot has for the most part been shunned as a 'too-much-name' name, the short form Lance has been consistently in or around the Top 500 since 1938, climbing as high as Number 76 in 1970. It was used as a character name by Walter Scott as far back as 1823. Lance is also the name of a medieval weapon, making this name all boy.
  12. Salome
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "peace"
    • Description:

      A soft and interesting Hebrew name long popular in France, where it has ranked in the Top 400 since 1986 (as Salomé). Ex-ER star Alex Kingston named her daughter Salome Violetta.
  13. Jinx
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Jinx, a James Bond heroine name has an ominous meaning but kinetic energy. In the film "Die Another Day," the actual first name of the character played by Halle Berry is Giacinta.
  14. Abaddon
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "ruin, destruction"
    • Description:

      Uncommon biblical name. It's the name of an angel in the New Testament.
  15. Portia
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "pig"
    • Description:

      Portia is a perfect role-model name, relating to Shakespeare's brilliant and spirited lawyer in The Merchant of Venice, and is now also a Hunger Games name .
  16. Draco
    • Origin:

      Greek from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "dragon"
    • Description:

      For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis.
  17. Harley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "hare clearing"
    • Description:

      You can ride one, you can use it as a baby name – or, as is often the case, both! Harley is currently trending up for girls and down for boys in the US, although it remains predominantly masculine in the UK. A lesser-used -ley ending choice for boys, Harley has a current sound but an old-school biker appeal.
  18. Desdemona
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "ill-starred"
    • Description:

      Desdemona is as Shakespearean as a name can be, but because the beautiful and innocent wife of Othello came to such a tragic end, her name has been avoided for centuries. But at this point in time, there might be some adventurous parents willing to overlook that.
  19. Talon
    • Origin:

      French word name
    • Meaning:

      "large claw of a bird of prey"
    • Description:

      Despite its somewhat menacing meaning, this name has been widely used in recent years, probably due to the appeal of its trendy on ending.
  20. Gunner
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian variation of Gunther
    • Meaning:

      "bold warrior"
    • Description:

      The kind of nouveau macho name favored by NRA-leaning parents. Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers gave it to his son in 2009. Gunnar is another spelling that makes the name a bit less militaristic.