2000+ Cat Names

Unless it runs in your family, or Alexander Hamilton is your particular hero, you might consider something less imposing -- and without the teasable nickname Ham.

Liza's heyday was the mid-1970s, following on the heels of super-popular sister Lisa. But thanks to the fact that it never became superpopular, Liza remains a name not especially tied to one generation or style.

In the US, the multicultural surname Roe is primarily associated with the landmark Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade, which granted the federal right to abortion, though elsewhere it might be associated with fish eggs or a small breed of reddish deer.

This color name, spelled either Gray or Grey is rapidly catching on. Actress Jenny von Oy recently called her daughter Gray Audrey.

Olwen is a Welsh favorite, the name of a legendary princess in what is believed to have been the earliest Arthurian romance, and in fact one of the first recorded examples of Welsh prose.

Familiar as a Latin surname but has potential as a first.

Popular name in Japan in its own right, but also as a nickname for Miyako or Makiko.

Gibson is an undiscovered patronymic surname, with some appealing nicknames. It also brings to mind the popular brand of guitars.

Eisele was originally a nickname for the Old German given name Isenhart, which derived from Isenlin — a nickname for a blacksmith.

Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name.

Nickname name hep in the era of Grease.

Tesla, the surname of Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla that has more recently been used as the brand name for an electric car, is gaining some use as a first name for girls. Exactly 100 girls were named Tesla in the U.S. last year. You might think of the name as a Tessa/Isla hybrid, though with Tesla the s is not silent. There was also a rock band named Tesla.

Gilda, although related to the words gold and gilded, has definitely tarnished. It once shimmered with the seductive image of Rita Hayworth in the film Gilda, then was associated with the beloved early Saturday Night Live star Gilda Radner. In opera, Gilda lives on as the name of the daughter of Rigoletto.

Beren is a Noldorin name created by J. R. R. Tolkien for his fantasy universe. A great hero in the books, Beren is notable for his love story with Luthien — so notable that Beren and Luthien are the names on the gravestone of Tolkien and his wife, Edith.

The middle name of the Travoltas' Ella, this French color alternative hasn't caught on with many other parents.

Aza's similarity to the biblical name Asa makes it ripe for adaptation. If you want something more elaborate, you might consider Azariah. Something simpler? It doesn't get much simpler and that is the beauty of Aza (or Asa).

Flann variation that's most familiar as the name of writer Flannery O'Connor. It derives from the Irish surname Ó Flannghaile, meaning "descendant of Flannghal".

Freddie, especially with the ie ending, is one of the old-school boy-names-for-girls that came into vogue at the turn of the last century. Freddie, all on its own, ranked among the Top 1000 girl names until 1958, but in 2021 it was given to just 8 baby girls. Maybe that makes it prime for a comeback, ala Billie?

Once unique to the Zappa family, now you can have your own little prima donna.

This traditional Arabic name, found throughout several other Middle Eastern and African languages and cultures, is one of the 99 names of Allah. Colorful and energetic, it was brought into the realm of crossover possibility via the lively personality of Aziz Ansari, stand-up comic and star of "Master of None" as well as a featured actor on "Parks and Recreation," playing cocky Tom Haverford (born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani).