Hello, my name is badass.

  1. Jericho
    • Origin:

      Biblical place-name
    • Description:

      A biblical place name with trumpeting verve and strength.
  2. Jones
    • Origin:

      English surname derived from John
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Quintessentially common last name makes distinctive if problematic first, given to nearly 100 babies in the US in the most recent year counted.
  3. Kitana
    • Origin:

      Video game name
    • Description:

      Kitana is the name of a character in Mortal Kombat II -- she's a princess who looks young but is actually 10,000 years old. It may be related to the male Persian name Katana, which means honorable, or even more likely to the Japanese word katana which means sword.
  4. Knox
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "round hill"
    • Description:

      Knox is an old Scottish surname that Brad Pitt (whose great-great-grandfather was named Hal Knox Hillhouse) and Angelina Jolie took out of the back cupboard, dusted off, and elevated to coolness--to the point where it entered the popular baby names list in 2009. Knox now ranks among the most influential celebrity baby names.
  5. Locke
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "enclosure or fortified place"
    • Description:

      Usually adding an e to the end of a name makes it more feminine, but Locke is at most recent count used only for baby boys. Still, this stylishly strong one-syllable name is theoretically gender-neutral.
  6. Loki
    • Origin:

      Norse mythological name
    • Meaning:

      "lock"
    • Description:

      Loki is the shape-shifting, gender-bending god of mischief in Norse mythology. Taking several animal forms, from a salmon to a seal to a fly, Loki is alternately friend and foe of the gods.
  7. Loki
    • Origin:

      Norse mythological name
    • Meaning:

      "lock"
    • Description:

      While god of mischief Loki is usually depicted as a male -- sometimes in animal form -- he gives birth as a mare to the eight-legged horse Sleipnir and also appears in some stories as an elderly woman. The name Loki, in contemporary American, will feel more feminine based solely on its sound.
  8. Lux
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "light"
    • Description:

      This name of a character played by Kirsten Dunst in the movie Virgin Suicides, originally a novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, is gaining attention, also thanks to the heroine Lux, Lady of Luminosity in the League of Legends games. Luz is the Spanish version.
  9. Lyra
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lyre"
    • Description:

      Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's finding new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, seen in the movie The Golden Compass. Simple yet unique, Lyra hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.
  10. Mack
    • Origin:

      Scottish or Irish
    • Meaning:

      "son of"
    • Description:

      Mack, when "formalized" with the final k, makes an engagingly amiable choice, a far more uncommon alternative to the ubiquitous Max and Jack, with a nice, every-guy feel. Mack entered the popularity list in 2009 for the first time since 1989 and continues to climb. However, it's still far from its peak — it was a Top 100 name in 1900.
  11. Monroe
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "mouth of the Roe river"
    • Description:

      Monroe is a presidential name which, thanks to the immortal beauty of Marilyn Monroe, is catching on fast for baby girls. Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon chose it for their twin daughter, honoring Marilyn Monroe. Their use of Monroe as a girls’ name did much to revive this Old Man name, a la Sydney, as a newly fashionable choice for girls.
  12. Norris
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "northerner"
    • Description:

      Somehow more modern and likable than Morris or Doris.
  13. Nova
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "new"
    • Description:

      Nova has the feel of both newness, from its meaning, and great energy as an astronomical term for a star that increases suddenly in brightness before fading.
  14. Obsidian
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Description:

      This rarely used boys name is one of the few gem names for a boy. Obsidian is actually a type of volcanic glass, formed when lava cools very quickly. This ultra-cool name might spark a love of volcanoes and geology in a little boy.
  15. Odin
    • Origin:

      Variation of Óðinn, Old Norse
    • Meaning:

      "god of frenzy; poetic fury"
    • Description:

      Odin is the name of the supreme Norse god of art, culture, wisdom, and law — who was handsome, charming, and eloquent into the bargain. The name projects a good measure of strength and power and has excellent assimilation potential.
  16. Onyx
    • Origin:

      Gem name
    • Description:

      Unlike Pearl and Ruby, this is one gem name suited for boys, the final x making it sound strong and virile. Musician Iggy Azalea chose the name Onyx for her son.
  17. Onyx
    • Origin:

      Gem name, English from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "onyx"
    • Description:

      Onyx is one of the more masculine gemstone names but in recent years it's been a fast riser for baby boys and girls. Nick Cannon's daughter Onyx Ice may boost the name further.
  18. Ophelia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "help"
    • Description:

      Floral, elegant, and bold, Ophelia re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after more than 50 years off the charts. It has risen more than 700 spots since then and shows no signs of slowing down. Now in the US Top 300, could Ophelia one day become the next Olivia or Amelia?
  19. Samara
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "under God's rule, companion in night conversation"
    • Description:

      Alluring and lovely — and much more distinctive now than Samantha or Tamara. Samara is a city in western Russia, a winged seed like the whirlygigs that fall from maple trees, as well as a bona fide first name that could make a more unusual update on Samantha or Mara. It can also be a variant spelling of the Arabic name Samira or Sameera.
  20. Sloan
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Sloane
    • Description:

      Less popular than the Bueller-inspired Sloane but following on its coattails, this name ranks toward the middle of the Top 1000, but we see both spellings sticking around for years to come.