Name Archive

The name Persia derives from Avestan Parsa, the name of the Indo-European nomadic people who migrated into southern Iran in about 1000 BCE. Perseus feels more namelike.

This name of a tragic figure in Greek mythology, the daughter of King Minos, sister of Ariadne and wife of Theseus, has a mysterious and intriguing appeal, and would make a dramatic choice.

This is an English surname dating back to 1086, but we don't see it having much of a first name future in the twenty-first century.

Quentin, an offbeat name with lots of character, relates to the Latin for the number five and is by far the subtlest and most usable of the Latin birth-order names, masculine as well as stylish and distinctive. It was borne by a third-century saint and came to England with the Normans.

If you like Dylan but find it too popular, Quillan could be a distinctive alternative.

Pronounced KILL-on, might lead a young boy astray--though that doesn't seem to have halted the progress of the popular Killian.

Quirky in the way that all Q names are quirky, Quincy was once a buttoned-up, patrician New England name, an image countered in recent years by the talented and ultracool musician Quincy Jones (middle name: Delight; nickname: Q).

Quinn is an engaging Celtic surname that is still on the rise for girls but beginning to flag for boys. As a female name, Quinn is in the Top 100, used for over 3000 baby girls last year, but toward the bottom of the Top 500 for boys, given to 700 baby boys.

Quinton is among several attractive Q-beginning, n-ending two-syllable names for boys, that also includes Quentin (the most popular iteration) and Quenton. They only suffer from their similarity and possible spelling confusion, ala girls' names Kristin, Kirsten and sisters.

The extremely unusual, hard-to-pronounce first name of Donald Trump's first Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus, is apparently intended as a catchy nickname to the uber-Teutonic Reinhold. Just say nein.

A Welsh saint’s name, possibly deriving from the Old Welsh word for "red".

If you think there are too many Zachs around, you can use this historic nickname for Zachariah instead, though it does have a somewhat feminine feel.

Director Ridley Scott and actress Daisy Ridley made this surname-style name familiar, and with its outdoorsy meaning and rugged yet preppy sound, it could blend in with Oakley, Reid, Riley, and Ridge. Some parents might be put of by the first syllable (as in, "get rid of" or "horrid" or "riddles"), but since Scarlett (scar), Colton (cult), and Titus all rank in the Top 400, it could still work for those looking for a standout last-name first name.

Warm-hued spelling spin on Rowan that was chosen by Sharon Stone for one of her three young sons.

In the USA, both spellings of this old Celtic name have risen significantly in recent years, however, Ronan outpaced this version in the lasts, and we, too, prefer the slightly more rounded and gentle look of the original. History and movie buffs may appreciate this version though, due to its association with renegade samurai in Feudal Japan - and provides it with a second possible meaning: "drifter, wanderer, and masterless samurai". Ronin is also used within the Marvel Universe.

Virtually the only name that is feminine in one language and masculine in another.

It may seem like an indecisive cross between Roy and Reece, but Royce was fairly popular in the 1930s and '40s. It has seen a resurgence in recent years, helped by some well-known athlete bearers. The Latin pop singer Prince Royce also has brought renown to the name. And some aspirational parents may see the name as a way to associate with the Rolls-Royce brand.

Listed in the Quran as one of the "People of the Book," this male equivalent of Sabina is undiscovered and ripe for the adventurous baby namer.

A name with considerable history, as the celebrated sultan of Egypt and Syria in the time of the Crusades.

This name, once considered overly powerful due to the superhuman strength of the biblical figure, is now an option for parents in search of an unusual route to Sam. But you really don't need that p: Samson will do.