Stormborn Stoic

A biblical place name with trumpeting verve and strength.

Loch is a watery word that sounds more like a name because it's one step removed from its English form. Pronounced as "lock," it's also a short form of the variously-spelled Lachlan.

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.

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.

Magnus is a Latin name, literally meaning "greatest," that has a Scandinavian feel. It dates back to Charlemagne being called Carolus Magnus, or Charles the Great. Norwegian king Magnus I, named after Charlemagne, introduced it to his culture, and thus Magnus was the name of six early kings of Norway and four of Sweden. It is still a highly popular name in Denmark and Norway.

An Old Testament name with a Gaelic lilt, Malachi entered the list in 1987.

In Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, Marinell is a knight and the son of a water nymph. He is wounded in battle against the valiant female knight Britomart.

This eminent surname name belonged to one of the two leaders of the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the western part of the USA. The surname was originally given to someone with a sunny temperament.

Mordecai, although it has a noble heritage, has never caught on in this country, because of its rather weighty image.

This word name is an archaic form of "morning", as in the phrase "on the morrow". It's been very occasionally used for boys, probably from the surname. With a good temporal meaning and with word names like Meadow on the rise, it could have potential.

A common family name in Scotland, occasionally used as a first.

A lot of attention was drawn to this name when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their baby daughter, making it instantly unisex.

Nature names like Ocean and River are flowing back into favor, especially with nature lovers and green-oriented parents.

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.