Birds of a Feather
- Cory
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"from the hollow"Description:
A variation of Corey, this spelling has also been on a steady decline since the early-1990s. Its days are likely numbered on the US popularity charts altogether.
- Costa
- Cassin
- Colima
- Crissal
- Dove
Origin:
Nature nameMeaning:
"dove, a bird"Description:
One of the new bird names, like Lark and Wren, this one's associated with the billing and cooing sounds of love. Soft and gentle, Dove also has the admirable association with peace.
- Dunlin
- Evening
Origin:
Day nameDescription:
Though this feels like a new invention, people have used day names such as Morning and Afternoon for centuries -- and so why not Evening too? It's a lovely word with an evocative meaning and makes a perfect addition to this newly stylish group.
- Finch
Origin:
English word and nature nameMeaning:
"to swindle"Description:
It feels like Finch should be a modern bird name that's as popular as Wren or Lark, but that's not the case - so it's one to consider if you're looking for a nature name that's familiar but rare.
- Forster
Origin:
English, variation of FosterMeaning:
"scissors maker"Description:
Forster, a variation of Foster or potentially even Forester, is associated with British novelist E.M. Forster, author of A Passage to India, Howard's End, and A Room with a View. But if you choose Forster, you'd always have to force that 'r'.
- Franklin
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"free landholder"Description:
A doubly Presidential name, via Pierce and Roosevelt, Franklin was given an initial boost via the fame of Benjamin Franklin. It also has a literary tie to the main character of the Wilkie Collins classic The Moonstone.
- Fea
- Gila
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"joy of the Lord"Description:
Gila and its variants have joyous meanings in Hebrew, but other kids might connect them to the monster.
- Grace
Origin:
English, virtue nameDescription:
Grace, a simple and pure virtue name which originally referred to divine grace, is a fashionable classic. In the early 2000s, it seemed headed for the Top 10 but pulled back from the upward trajectory, which you may consider a very good thing.
- Gray
Origin:
Color name, also diminutive of GraysonDescription:
The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Gray (or Grey), is one exception, which could make for a soft and evocative--if slightly somber-- choice, especially in the middle. Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney recently named their son Leo Grey.
- Guillem
Origin:
Catalan form of WilliamDescription:
An intriguing way to spin an old standard. Pronounced with a hard G: gee-yem.
- Hammond
Origin:
English from GermanMeaning:
"mountain home"Description:
A cross-cultural possibility, but a bit heavy and somber.
- Harris
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Harry"Description:
When Harrison is too much, but Harry isn't enough, try this stylish surname name with a touch of British flair. It briefly reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time since 1988 in 2016, but has since dropped just below the radar again.
- Heath
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"the heathland dweller"Description:
Actor Heath Ledger's tragic death has cast a pall over this otherwise pleasant and distinctive name. Nonetheless, it remains in the Top 1000.
- Hudson
Origin:
English place-name and surnameMeaning:
"Hugh's son"Description:
Hudson has risen quickly up the charts over the past 30 years, getting a lot of its style value from New York's Hudson River. That makes it a nature name and a place name that's also got the fashion gloss of New York City.