Death Names

Many will associate this name with Galen of Pergamon, the second-century physician considered to be the founding father of medicine. A more recent reference is Star Wars character Galen Erso. The name still projects a gentle, scholarly image, while sharing sounds with more popular names like Aiden and Nathan. Bonus: it's also an anagram of Angel.

The final n makes this choice infinitely more modern than Gail.

Gaynor is an early androgynous name with a positive association, related to the Cornish megahit name Jennifer.

Two famous women, both with the same surname, feature this name in Scottish history. The first, Lady Grisell Hume Baillie, was an 18th century songwriter. The second, Grisell Baillie, was the first woman to be admitted to the position of Deaconess in the Church of Scotland.

An ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war and justice, with a name that fits modern tastes. In recent years it has become a rare but steady fixture near the bottom of the charts, and feels full of potential for parents looking for an offbeat name from mythology.

Isabel derived from Elizabeth in southwest Europe during the Middle Ages. It was originally written as Elisabel, but the first syllable was dropped as it spread across the continent. In Spain and Portugal, Isabel and Elizabeth are considered to be variations of the same name, but they are treated as separate names in other European countries and the US.

Isaiah, like brethren Isaac and Elijah, is a once neglected biblical name now firmly back in favor, already surpassing such long-popular Old Testament stalwarts as Aaron and Adam. Isaiah has ranked on the US Top 1000 list for boys every year but two, 1969 and 1970.

Used more for girls in Europe, but definitely sounds masculine enough for a boy here.

A bright and sparky Basque name with a lovely celestial meaning.

A hauntingly lovely Indian name.

A jaunty diminutive of Job, or simply a soundalike to Toby, Koby et al.

Reduces and lightens up the Job connection even further, sounding like a lively, Jody-like nickname name.

Julia was an ancient Roman imperial name given to females in the house of a Julius, as in Caesar. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthfu"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".

A lovely musical name (remember the old Eric Clapton-Derek & the Dominos song?), Layla's seen a significant surge in popularity, partly partly all names with a double L are stylish, and partly because all the forms of the name push it into the Top 15 for girls.

Strong but sweet, Leah is a classic name that doesn’t feel dull or dusty. It’s got plenty of dignity, grace, and pluck, making it a solid choice in the 21st century.

Lisa was so popular for girls in the late sixties and early seventies that according to government statistics some parents chose it for their sons, too. Either that or there were some serious mixups in the records bureau.

Elvis naming his daughter Lisa Marie and Nat King Cole's hit song "Mona Lisa" conspired to catapult one of Elizabeth's many offshoots to a high of #4 in 1970.