Architecture Inspired Names

Most parents would find this old Roman name pretentious compared to the more accessible Adrian, but some history buffs just might want to commemorate the enlightened emperor.

Lilium is the genus of the lily family of plants and sounds a bit botanically formal for a first name. Try Lillia or Lilias.

This pretty, succinct Arabic name is also commonly used as a nickname for names like Carolina.

This Welsh surname was taken up as a first in the English-speaking world in the early twentieth century, originally as a nickname for someone gray-haired. The original Welsh name was Llwyd, and pronounced LHOO-eed. Beau Bridges was christened Lloyd after his actor father.

Lottie is a nostalgic great-grandma name that conjures up lockets and lace, and — like Nellie, Josie, Hattie, Tillie, and Milly — has considerable vintage charm.

Maya, which has an almost mystical image, has been steadily climbing in popularity in the US and the English-speaking world, along with a range of other countries, including France, Germany, Israel, and Brazil. It's ranked in the US Top 100 since the turn of this century, but has never risen to the top of the list, which you may consider a good thing.

Apt choice for an architect's child, honoring German-born Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a central figure in modern design, and universally referred to as Mies.

Moshe is the original Hebrew form of Moses, also spelled Mosheh. In the past it was changed to names like Morris, Moe and Maurice.

Otto is cool again. Long a quintessential Old Man Name, Otto has been promoted to trending darling of adventurous baby namers.

The Dutch are fond of short nickname names, and this one is tied to influential and provocative architect Koolhaas, born Remment. Could also be short for Remington or Remy.

Adorable name that's fashionable and keeps gaining momentum. Remi entered the US Top 1000 in 2013 and is now approaching the Top 100. The Remi spelling is more popular for girls, while Remy is more popular for boys, both both spellings are in the Top 1000 for both genders. That's a remarkable success story for a name that, in the late 1900s, was given to only a handful of babies in the US.

Rakish nickname able to stand on its own.

This distinguished surname belonged to one of Ireland's great princely families. Its many variations include Rourke (as in actor Mickey), and O'Rourke. The family surname is thought to be one of the oldest in the world, originating in the tenth century, following the death of a young prince named Ruarc. It has literary cred via Howard Roark, the protagonist of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.

Sophia, which was the Number 1 girls' name in the US from 2011 to 2013, is among the top girl names in the Western World, with a sensuous sound and high-minded meaning. A real winner, Sophia reached the top of the charts without losing any—okay, much—of its sophisticated beauty.