Names Deemed "modern"

This is a list of names in which the community's impression is modern.
gender
usage
impression
Aaralyn f English (Rare)
Feminine elaboration of Aaron using the popular name suffix lyn.
Abbi f English
Diminutive of Abigail.
Abi f English
Diminutive of Abigail (typically British).
Ace 1 m English
From the English word meaning "highest rank". More commonly a nickname, it is occasionally used as a given name.
Adalynn f English (Modern)
Variant of Adeline using the popular name suffix lynn.
Addilyn f English (Modern)
Variant of Adeline using the popular name suffix lyn.
Addyson f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Addison.
Adelynn f English (Modern)
Variant of Adeline using the popular name suffix lynn.
Africa 2 f Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Aifric.
Aina 5 f Kazakh
Means "mirror" in Kazakh, ultimately from Persian آینه (āyneh).
Aiza f Urdu
Meaning unknown, possibly of Arabic origin.
Akilah f Arabic, African American
Alternate transcription of Arabic عقيلة (see Aqila).
Akuchi f & m Igbo
Means "wealth from God" in Igbo.
Alaya f English (Modern)
Variant of Alayah. It coincides with a Buddhist term (meaning "dwelling" in Sanskrit), which refers to the eighth level of human consciousness.
Alecia f English
Variant of Alicia.
Aleyna f Turkish (Modern)
Possibly from Arabic علينا (ʿalaynā) meaning "to us". Alternatively, it could be from Arabic أليناء (ʾalaynāʾ), a plural form of ليّن (layyin) meaning "gentle, soft".
Ali 2 f English
Diminutive of Alison 1, Alexandra and other names beginning with the same sound.
Alli f Finnish
Finnish diminutive of names beginning with Al. This is also the Finnish word for a type of duck.
Alyx f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Alex.
Amari m & f African American (Modern)
Meaning uncertain, perhaps from Arabic Ammar. This name has risen in popularity in America at the same time as similar-sounding names such as Jamari and Kamari.
Amberly f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Amber, influenced by the spelling of the name Kimberly.
Amberlynn f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Amber using the popular name suffix lyn.
Ami 2 f English
Variant of Amy.
Ami 3 f Japanese
From Japanese (a) meaning "second, Asia" and (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Amiyah f American
Possibly an American variant of Amaya.
Amora f English (Modern)
Apparently a modern coinage based on Latin amor meaning "love".
Anakin m Popular Culture
Meaning unknown. This is the name of a character (also known as Darth Vader) in the Star Wars movie saga, created by George Lucas. Lucas may have based it on the surname of his friend and fellow director Ken Annakin.
Andi f English
Diminutive of Andrea 2.
Andie m & f English
Diminutive of Andrew or Andrea 2.
Anett f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Annette.
Anisha f Hindi
Means "nightless, sleepless" in Sanskrit.
Aniyah f African American (Modern)
An invented name, probably based on the sounds found in names such as Anita and Aaliyah.
Annachiara f Italian
Combination of Anna and Chiara.
Apple f English (Rare)
From the English word for the fruit, derived from Middle English appel, Old English æppel. The American actress Gwenyth Paltrow and British musician Chris Martin gave this name to their daughter in 2004.
Arezoo f Persian
Alternate transcription of Persian آرزو (see Arezou).
Arti f Hindi, Marathi
Alternate transcription of Hindi/Marathi आरती (see Aarti).
Ash m & f English
Short form of Ashley. It can also come directly from the English word denoting either the tree or the residue of fire.
Ashanti f & m Various
From the name of an African people who reside in southern Ghana. It possibly means "warlike" in the Twi language.
Ashlea f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Ashley.
Ashlee f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Ashley.
Ashleigh f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Ashley.
Ashlie f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Ashley.
Ashtyn f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Ashton.
Asia 1 f English (Modern), Italian (Modern)
From the name of the continent, which is perhaps derived from Akkadian asu, meaning "east".
Aslı f Turkish
Means "origin, original, essence" in Turkish.
Asya 2 f Turkish
Means "Asia (continent)" in Turkish.
Aubree f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Aubrey.
Aubrielle f English (Modern)
Combination of Aubrey and the popular name suffix elle.
Austyn m & f English (Modern)
Variant or feminine form of Austin.
Aviana f English (Modern)
Probably an elaboration of Ava 1, influenced by names such as Ariana. In some cases it could be inspired by the word avian meaning "bird" or "related to birds, bird-like".
Awstin m Welsh
Welsh form of Austin.
Axl m English (Modern)
Variant of Axel, used famously by musician Axl Rose (1962-).
Ayelen f Mapuche
From Mapuche ayelen "laughing", ayliñ "clear" or aylen "ember".
Ayumi f Japanese
From Japanese (ayumi) meaning "walk, step". It can also be from (a) meaning "second, Asia" combined with (yu) meaning "reason, cause" and (mi) meaning "beautiful". Otherwise it can be written with different combinations of kanji, or with the hiragana writing system.
Bayley m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Bailey.
Baylor m & f English (Modern)
From a surname, possibly an Americanized form of the German surname Beiler, derived from Middle High German beile meaning "measuring stick".
Becca f English
Short form of Rebecca.
Beckah f English
Short form of Rebecca.
Beyoncé f African American (Modern)
Popularized by the American singer Beyoncé Knowles (1981-) whose given name came from her mother's maiden name (which was originally Beyincé, of Louisiana Creole origin). This name appeared on the United States top 1000 list in 2001, around the time her group Destiny's Child was at the height of their popularity.
Blakely f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from Old English blæc "black" and leah "woodland clearing".
Blaze m English (Modern)
Modern variant of Blaise influenced by the English word blaze.
Blue m & f English (Rare)
From the English word for the colour, derived via Norman French from a Frankish word (replacing the native Old English cognate blaw). Despite the fact that this name was used by the American musicians Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2012 for their first daughter, it has not come into general use in the United States.
Bodhi m English (Modern)
From a term referring to enlightenment in Buddhism, derived from Sanskrit बोधि (bodhi).
Boipelo m & f Tswana
Means "joy, rejoicing" in Tswana, from ipela meaning "to rejoice".
Bose f Yoruba
Short form of Bosede.
Braelyn f English (Modern)
A recently created name, formed using the popular name suffix lyn.
Braidy m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Brady.
Brajan m Polish (Modern)
Polish form of Brian.
Brande f English
Variant of Brandy.
Brandee f English
Variant of Brandy.
Branden m English
Variant of Brandon.
Brandi f English
Variant of Brandy.
Brantley m English (Modern)
From a surname, an Americanized form of the German surname Brändle, ultimately from Old High German brant "fire".
Braxton m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Bracca's town" in Old English. In some cases it is given in honour of the Confederate general Braxton Bragg (1817-1876).
Brayden m English (Modern)
Variant of Braden. This is currently the more popular spelling of the name.
Braylon m English (Modern)
An invented name, using the same sounds found in names such as Braden and Jalen.
Breanna f English
Variant of Briana.
Bria f English
Short form of Brianna, Gabriella and other names containing bri.
Brielle f English (Modern)
Short form of Gabrielle. This is also the name of towns in the Netherlands and New Jersey, though their names derive from a different source.
Briggs m English (Modern)
From a surname that was derived from Middle English brigge, Old English brycg meaning "bridge".
Briley f English (Modern)
Modern name, probably based on the sounds found in other names such as Bryson and Riley. It also coincides with the surname Briley.
Brinley f English (Modern)
Combination of Bryn and the popular phonetic suffix lee. It also coincides with an English surname, which was derived from the name of a town meaning "burned clearing" in Old English.
Bristol f English (Modern)
From the name of the city in southwestern England that means "the site of the bridge".
Brit f Norwegian
Norwegian short form of Birgitta.
Brody m English
From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from a place in Moray, Scotland. It probably means "ditch, mire" in Gaelic.
Brooklyn f & m English (Modern)
From the name of a borough of New York City, originally named after the Dutch town of Breukelen, itself meaning either "broken land" (from Dutch breuk) or "marsh land" (from Dutch broek). It can also be viewed as a combination of Brook and the popular name suffix lyn. It is considered a feminine name in the United States, but is more common as a masculine name in the United Kingdom.
Bryanne f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Brian.
Bryson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Brice". Starting in the 1970s this name began steadily growing in popularity, likely because it features the same popular sounds found in other names such as Brice and Tyson.
Buffy f English
Diminutive of Elizabeth, from a child's pronunciation of the final syllable. It is now associated with the main character from the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).
Buse f Turkish
Means "kiss" in Turkish, from Persian بوسه (būseh).
Caden m English (Modern)
Sometimes explained as deriving from the Irish surname Caden, which is an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Mac Cadáin, itself from the given name Cadán (of unknown meaning). In actuality, the popularity of this name in America beginning in the 1990s is due to its sound — it shares its fashionable den suffix sound with other trendy names like Hayden, Aidan and Braden.
Cadi f Welsh
Short form of Catrin.
Caj m Swedish (Rare)
Variant of Kai 1.
Cam 2 m & f English
Short form of Cameron.
Cammie f English
Diminutive of Camilla.
Candi f English
Variant of Candy.
Candy f English
Diminutive of Candace. It is also influenced by the English word candy.
Capri f English (Modern)
From the name of the picturesque Italian island of Capri. It is likely from Greek κάπρος (kapros) meaning "wild boar", though it could also be of Etruscan origin or from Latin capri meaning "goats".
Carlisa f English (Rare)
Combination of Carla and Lisa.
Carmi m Biblical
Means "vine" in Hebrew. This is the name of a son of Reuben in the Old Testament.
Case m English (Modern)
Short form of Casey.
Cash m English
From an English occupational surname for a box maker, derived from Norman French casse meaning "case", from Latin capsa. It coincides with the English word cash meaning "money" (derived from the same French and Latin roots). A famous bearer of the surname was American musician Johnny Cash (1932-2003).
Cason m English (Modern)
From the English surname Cason. It enjoyed a modest level of use in the United States in the early 21st century, due to its similarity to other popular names such as Mason and Jason.
Cat f & m English
Diminutive of Catherine. It can also be a nickname from the English word for the animal.
Catia f Italian
Italian diminutive of Caterina.
Cauã m Tupi
From Tupi kaûã meaning "hawk, falcon".
Ceren f Turkish
Means "gazelle" in Turkish (probably of Mongolian origin, originally referring to the Mongolian gazelle, the zeren).
Chae-Yeong f Korean
From Sino-Korean (chae) meaning "colour" combined with (yeong) meaning "glory, honour" or (yeong) meaning "jade". This name can be formed using other hanja combinations as well.
Chance m English
Originally a diminutive of Chauncey. It is now usually given in reference to the English word chance meaning "luck, fortune" (ultimately derived from Latin cadens "falling").
Charisma f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "personal magnetism", ultimately derived from Greek χάρις (charis) meaning "grace, kindness".
Charizard m Popular Culture
From a blend of the English words char and lizard. This is the name of a dragon-like creature in the Pokémon series of video games starting 1996. Technically the name of the species, it is used as a given name for the creature in some contexts. It is called リザードン (Rizādon) in Japan.
Charlee f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Charlie.
Charleigh f English (Modern)
Strictly feminine variant of Charlie.
Charli f English
Variant of Charlie, typically feminine.
Charlize f Afrikaans
Feminine form of Charles using the popular Afrikaans name suffix ize. This name was popularized by South African actress Charlize Theron (1975-), who was named after her father Charles.
Chas m English
Diminutive of Charles.
Chase m English
From an English surname meaning "chase, hunt" in Middle English, originally a nickname for a huntsman.
Chaz m English
Diminutive of Charles.
Chelle f English
Diminutive of Michelle.
Chenda f Khmer
From Pali cintā meaning "thought, care", from Sanskrit चिनता (cintā).
Cherish f English
From the English word meaning "to treasure".
China f English (Modern)
From the name of the Asian country, ultimately derived from Qin, the name of a dynasty that ruled there in the 3rd century BC.
Chinasa f Igbo
Means "God is answering" in Igbo.
Chrissy f English
Diminutive of Christine or Christina. This name briefly jumped in popularity after the 1977 premiere of the American sitcom Three's Company, featuring a character by this name.
Christal f English
Variant of Crystal.
Coba f Dutch
Short form of Jacoba.
Coby m & f English
Masculine or feminine diminutive of Jacob.
Coco f Various
Diminutive of names beginning with Co, influenced by the word cocoa. However, this was not the case for French fashion designer Coco Chanel (1883-1971; real name Gabrielle), whose nickname came from the name of a song she performed while working as a cabaret singer.
Codie m & f English (Modern)
Variant or feminine form of Cody.
Cody m English
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of both Irish Gaelic Ó Cuidighthigh meaning "descendant of the helpful one" and Mac Óda meaning "son of Odo". A famous bearer of the surname was the American frontiersman and showman Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917).
Corey m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old Norse given name Kóri, of unknown meaning. This name became popular in the 1960s due to the character Corey Baker on the television series Julia.
Cori f English
Feminine form of Corey.
Cory m English
Variant of Corey.
Cosmin m Romanian
Romanian form of Cosmas.
Crew m English (Modern)
Either from a surname that was derived from the English town of Crewe (from Old Welsh criu meaning "weir"), or from the English vocabulary word for a group of people.
Cyan f & m English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "greenish blue, cyan", ultimately derived from Greek κύανος (kyanos).
Cyndi f English
Short form of Cynthia.
Dakota m & f English (Modern)
From the name of the Native American people of the northern Mississippi Valley, or from the two American states that were named for them: North and South Dakota (until 1889 unified as the Dakota Territory). The tribal name means "allies, friends" in the Dakota language.... [more]
Daleyza f American (Hispanic, Modern)
Meaning uncertain, perhaps an elaboration of Dalia 1. This name was used by Mexican-American musician Larry Hernandez for his daughter born 2010.
Damarion m African American
Combination of the popular phonetic prefix da and Marion 2.
Dani 1 f English
Diminutive of Danielle.
Dani 2 m Hungarian, Spanish, Dutch
Diminutive of Dániel (Hungarian), Daniel (Spanish) or Daniël (Dutch).
Danijela f Slovene, Croatian, Serbian
Feminine form of Daniel.
Danne m Swedish
Swedish diminutive of Daniel or Dan 3.
Danni f & m English, Danish
Diminutive of Danielle (English) or Daniel (Danish).
Dannie m & f English
Diminutive of Daniel or Danielle.
Dany m & f French
French diminutive of Daniel or Danielle.
Daquan m African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements da and quan. It can be spelled Daquan or with a capitalized third letter as DaQuan.
D'Arcy f & m English
Variant of Darcy.
Dash m English (Modern)
Probably inspired by the English word dash meaning "run, sprint". In some cases it can be a short form of Dashiell, as in the animated movie The Incredibles (2004) where it belongs to a speedy young superhero.
Dax m English
From an English surname, which was derived either from the town of Dax in France or from the Old English given name Dæcca (of unknown meaning). The name was brought to public attention by the main character in the 1966 novel The Adventurers and its 1970 movie adaptation. It became popular in the 2010s due to its similarity to other names like Max and Jax.
Daxton m English (Modern)
Elaboration of Dax influenced by names such as Paxton and Braxton.
DeAndre m African American
Combination of the popular name prefix de and Andre.
Deja f African American (Modern)
Means "already" from the French phrase déjà vu meaning "already seen". It received a popularity boost in 1995 when a character named Deja appeared in the movie Higher Learning.
Dejana f Serbian, Croatian, Slovene
Feminine form of Dejan.
Delight f English (Rare)
Means simply "delight, happiness" from the English word.
DeMarcus m African American
Combination of the popular name prefix de and Marcus.
Deonte m African American (Modern)
Combination of Deon and the common phonetic suffix tay.
Deshawn m African American
Combination of the popular name prefix de and Shawn. It can be spelled DeShawn or Deshawn.
Destiny f English
Means simply "destiny, fate" from the English word, ultimately from Latin destinare "to determine", a derivative of stare "to stand". It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world only since the last half of the 20th century.
Dev m Hindi, Marathi
Derived from Sanskrit देव (deva) meaning "god".
Dewayne m English
Variant of Duane, with the spelling altered due to the influence of Wayne. It can be spelled Dewayne or with a capitalized third letter as DeWayne.
Dex m English
Short form of Dexter.
Dezi m & f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Desmond and other names beginning with a similar sound.
Diamond f English (Rare), African American (Modern)
From the English word diamond for the clear colourless precious stone, the traditional birthstone of April. It is derived from Late Latin diamas, from Latin adamas, which is of Greek origin meaning "unconquerable, unbreakable".
Dilbert m Popular Culture
Meaning unknown. The ending is probably intended to mimic the common Germanic name element bert meaning "bright" (Old High German beraht). This is the title character in a comic strip by Scott Adams.
Diletta f Italian
Means "beloved" in Italian, from Latin dilectus.
Dre m English
Short form of Andre. A famous bearer is the American rapper and music producer Dr. Dre (1965-), born Andre Young.
Dream f English (Modern)
From the English word dream referring to imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping or a hope or wish.
Duygu m & f Turkish
Means "emotion, sensation" in Turkish.
Dyson m English (Rare)
From an English surname that meant "son of Dye". As a given name it is likely inspired by similar-sounding names such as Bryson and Tyson.
Eef m & f Dutch
Short form of names beginning with Ev, such as Eva or Evert.
Egemen m Turkish
Means "dominant" in Turkish.
Eko m & f Javanese
Javanese variant of Eka 1.
Eliya m Hebrew
Modern Hebrew variant form of Elijah.
Ely m English
Variant of Eli 1.
Em f English
Short form of Emily or Emma.
Ember f English (Modern)
From the English word ember, ultimately from Old English æmerge.
Emberly f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Ember, influenced by the spelling of Kimberly.
Emersyn f English
Feminine variant of Emerson.
Emmylou f English (Rare)
Combination of Emmy and Lou.
Erdem 1 m Turkish
Means "virtue" in Turkish.
Essence f English (Modern)
From the English word essence, which means either "odour, scent" or else "fundamental quality". Ultimately it derives from Latin esse "to be".
Euri f Basque (Rare)
Means "rain" in Basque.
Ever m & f English (Modern)
Simply from the English word ever, derived from Old English æfre.
Everly f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English eofor "boar" and leah "woodland, clearing". Notable bearers of the surname were the musical duo the Everly Brothers, Don (1937-2021) and Phil (1939-2014).... [more]
Ezgi f Turkish
Means "melody" in Turkish.
Fergie m Scottish
Diminutive form of Fergus.
Feroze m Urdu
Alternate transcription of Urdu فیروز (see Feroz).
Gabi f & m German, Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian
Diminutive of Gabriel or Gabriela. It is usually a feminine name in German-speaking regions, but unisex elsewhere.
Gage m English (Modern)
From an English surname of Old French origin meaning either "measure", originally denoting one who was an assayer, or "pledge", referring to a moneylender. It was popularized as a given name by a character from the book Pet Sematary (1983) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1989).
Ganix m Basque
Basque variant form of John.
Gaz m English (British)
Diminutive of Gary or Gareth.
Gifty f English (African)
From the English word gift. This name is most common in Ghana in Africa.
Gili f & m Hebrew
Means "my joy" in Hebrew.
Girisha m Hinduism
Means "lord of the mountain" in Sanskrit. This is a name of the Hindu god Shiva, given because of his abode in the Himalayan Mountains.
Gözde f Turkish
Means "favourite" in Turkish.
Gracelyn f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Grace using the popular name suffix lyn.
Gracelynn f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Grace using the popular name suffix lyn.
Gunner m English (Modern)
English variant of Gunnar, influenced by the vocabulary word gunner.
Hadyn m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Hayden.
Halo f English (Modern)
From the English word halo meaning "luminous disc or ring", derived from Greek ἅλως (halos). Haloes often appear in religious art above the heads of holy people.
Haze m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Hayes, sometimes used as a short form of Hazel.
Heaven f English (Modern)
From the English vocabulary word meaning "paradise". It is derived via Middle English hevene from Old English heofon "sky".
Heavenly f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "of the heavens, celestial, divine".
Hendrix m English (Modern)
From a Dutch surname that was derived from the given name Hendrik. A famous bearer of the surname was the American rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).
Huxley m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Cheshire. The final element is Old English leah "woodland, clearing", while the first element might be hux "insult, scorn". A famous bearer of the surname was the British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963).
Ibbie f English
Diminutive of Isabel.
Iggy m English
Diminutive of Ignatius.
İlayda f Turkish
Possibly derived from the name of a Turkish water sprite.
Ilenia f Italian
Meaning unknown, possibly an elaborated variant of Elena.
Indigo f & m English (Modern)
From the English word indigo for the purplish-blue dye or the colour. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ἰνδικόν (Indikon) meaning "Indic, from India".
Indy 1 m Popular Culture
Diminutive of Indiana. This is the nickname of the hero of the Indiana Jones movies, starring Harrison Ford.
Ishani f Hindi
Means "ruling, possessing" in Sanskrit.
Iza f Polish, Slovene
Short form of Izabela.
Izan m Spanish (Modern)
Spanish form of Ethan, reflecting the English pronunciation.
Izzy m & f English
Diminutive of Isidore, Isabel, Israel and other names beginning with a similar sound.
Jace m English
Short form of Jason, sometimes used independently. It was brought to limited attention in America by the lead character in the western television series Tales of the Texas Rangers (1955-1958). Towards the end of the 20th century it began steadily increasing in popularity, reaching the 66th spot for boys in the United States in 2013.
Jacey f & m English (Modern)
An invented name, using the popular phonetic element jay and the same sound found in names such as Casey and Macy.
Jaci 1 f English
Diminutive of Jacqueline.
Jacki f English
Diminutive of Jacqueline.
Jada 1 f English
Elaborated form of Jade. This name came into general use in the 1960s, and was popularized in the 1990s by actress Jada Pinkett Smith (1971-).