Inspired By Websters

The Puritans used it as a virtue name -- but today it would just be considered weird: silence is no longer golden.

Could there be a more poetic name than Sonnet? Actor Forest Whitaker was inspired to choose it for his daughter.

Windswept and dramatic, but perhaps asking for trouble. Quite popular in Denmark and Sweden, where it derives from Stromr, which is a fairly common surname. Storm Thorgerson is a famous bearer of the name - he designed iconic album covers for Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, the Cranberries, Anthrax, and Pink Floyd.

A new unisex word name with a lot of charm, especially appropriate for the child of writers. Soleil Moon Frye named her second baby boy Story and Jenna Elfman called her son Story Elias.

You can call your daughter Sugar, but only as a term of endearment. Her real name has to be something, almost anything, else.

Though distinguished former Speaker of the House Thomas P. O'Neill was known as Tip, it's usually best to leave names like Skip, Flip, Kip, Pip, Rip, and Tip to the pets of the household.

Like True, a virtuous word name, but a little more awkward. In Trust we trust.

Conjures up the rich brown colors of raw and burnt umber, but it may be too close to girls' Amber.

If you live in the city, you might call your urban baby Urbana; if you live in the suburbs--don't even think of Surbana.

Another bad boy occupational name, joining Bandit, Rogue, and Gunner. The Vandals were a tribe that swept through Europe and North Africa in the sixth century and sacked Rome. Their name is thought to spring from the Germanic word for wandering, but has come to mean senseless destruction. We really don't want to sit in on your parent-teacher conferences.

The mother of all virtue names.

Vital is a masculine name with Latin origins, derived directly from 'vitalis' meaning 'of life' or 'full of life.' The name carries powerful connotations of energy, vigor, and essential importance. As a given name, Vital has historical usage in various European countries, particularly those with Romance language traditions like France, Spain, and Italy. While never extremely common, it has maintained steady usage throughout history, often associated with several Christian saints. The name's brevity gives it a crisp, impactful quality, while its meaning provides depth and significance. Parents might choose Vital for its distinctive sound, positive associations with vitality and strength, and its cross-cultural accessibility.

Wall is an uncommon masculine name derived from the Old English 'weall,' originally referring to someone who lived near a wall or worked as a wall builder. As a surname turned given name, it follows the trend of adopting occupational or topographical surnames as first names. Wall projects strength and stability, drawing from the literal meaning of a structure that protects and endures. Despite its simplicity, the name carries a substantial quality, potentially appealing to parents seeking minimalist names with implicit meaning. While rare as a first name in most English-speaking countries, Wall's brevity aligns with modern preferences for short, impactful names. It offers a distinctive alternative to similar short masculine names like Will or Wes, providing familiarity in sound but uniqueness in usage.

Until recently Ward was, like Wally, a Cleaver name, but today's parents are seeing it as a cooler nickname for Edward than Eddie, and are also beginning to use it on its own.

Way is a short, distinctive masculine name with multiple origin possibilities. It may derive from Old English 'weg' meaning 'path' or 'journey,' could be a shortened form of Wayne, or might originate from various Asian languages where it carries meanings like 'power' (Chinese) or 'to protect' (Japanese). As a given name in Western cultures, Way has remained extremely rare, though it has seen occasional use particularly in English-speaking countries. The name's brevity gives it a modern, minimalist appeal in an era when short names are increasingly fashionable. Way carries philosophical connotations of life's journey, particularly in Eastern traditions where 'the Way' represents spiritual paths. Despite its simplicity, the name conveys depth and can appeal to parents seeking a meaningful yet concise name with cross-cultural potential.

Whimsy is a new entry to the ever-expanding word name lexicon, sister for Pixie and Bliss. While it has an undeniable offbeat English aristocratic charm (maybe we're thinking of Dorothy Sayers' fictional detective Lord Peter Wimsey, whose middle name was Death?), we see this as more fitting for a middle than a first name.

A bit too self-congratulatory and, understandably, exceedingly rare. Still, if you're looking for a modern virtue name for your daughter, this may be one of the best qualities to exemplify.

With the rise of such working names as Gardener, Miller, and Bailey, someone out there might want to dub their child a Wizard — though we're not sure this exactly classifies as an occupation.

Zero has been documented as a given name before, but it's largely familiar as a stage name (such as Zero Mostel, born Samuel Joel Mostel) and comic book and anime characters.