Bad Meanings

In Genesis, this is the name of a son of Abraham and Keturah, and it's also a place name. Negative meaning aside, Midian is an attractive name with deep roots that's exceedingly rare. They call that a Trifecta.

Rarely used biblical choice -- he's a son of Jacob -- with a bit of a white-bearded image.

Nekane is the decidedly modern, upbeat-sounding Basque form of the sorrowful and dated Spanish Dolores. Basque names, largely unknown in English-speaking countries, offer a fresh lexicon of names, and Nekane is one of the more appealing. An interesting update for Nicole.

A video-game name ("Final Fantasy VII") with an unappealing sound and meaning.

Extremely rare yet with an on trend sound, although the meaning may put parents off.

Though the Greek meaning sounds ominous, the mythological god Thanatos was actually a jolly winged creature living in the underworld, so it shouldn't deter you.

This female form of Tristan was featured on the reality-television show The Bachelorette, and has been rocketing up the charts as a new millennium Trisha.

Tristan -- known through medieval legend and Wagnerian opera -- has a slightly wistful, touching air. This, combined with the name's popular "an" ending, makes Tristan very appealing to parents seeking a more original alternative to Christian.