Wonderful Word Names for Babies

Why did 5 sets of parents chose to name their sons Dock in 2016? We may never know.

Eternal--or eternally pretentious?

This Puritan virtue name may be unstylish, but it is also sympathetic and appealing in these largely uncomfortable times.

All names connected with royalty have become increasingly popular in recent years, and King variation Kyng is no exception. Some parents may feel that the Kyng spelling makes it more of a name and less of a royal title, but both names sound the same and have identical meanings, so why endlessly complicate spelling and pronunciation?

Wisdom is a rare modern virtue name that might increase in use as this whole category becomes more mainstream. Wisdom is one of the gender-neutral names now on the table for both boys and girls.

Kaidence is a newly-introduced variation of musical, rhythmic Cadence. Kaidence entered the Top 1000 in 2013, the same year it was rumored to be the frontrunner for Kim and Kanye's daughter. (It was wrong, of course - Kim and Kanye named their daughter North.)

A musical name without much rhythm or harmony.

Epic feels like it could be the boys' version of Saga. Epic poetry tells some of our most celebrated stories - from Beowulf and the Odyssey, to the Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost. Despite being short, Epic is a lot of name, so it might be a choice for an adventurous middle name.

Ambitious geographical name.

Strictly for a Vegas baby.

A new name with the potential for spanning across a far-reaching future. Bridges and Bridger are other possiblities.

A new name with the potential for spanning across a far-reaching future. Bridges and Bridger are other possiblities.

Like Silver, Golden is a shimmering metallic color name, almost too dazzling for an ordinary girl.

Winner is an uplifting word name that can work for girls or boys. It was recently chosen by rapper Nya Lee for her daughter.

If Story and Poet and Sonnet can be names that work as well for girls as for boys, why not Ode?

Is there any boys' name more loaded than Stonewall? It evokes, in two syllables, both the Stonewall riots of 1969, the foundational moment of the gay rights movement, and Stonewall Jackson, second in fame only to Robert E. Lee among Confederate generals.

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

This cosmological name is given to a handful of boys and girls each year in the USA. Likely to get confused with Stella, but definitely edgier and likely to start a conversation.

Spirited and sassy, Lively could be a feminine leaning counterpart to the trending boy name Wilder. A modern virtue of sorts, it has more energy that Patience, Prudence, and Temperance, and is far less popular than Hope or Grace.

Fortitude is the kind of virtue name the Puritans favored, but would not be easy for a modern boy to carry. Stick with something a little simpler than Fortitude, like Justice or True.