Names Categorized "modern English"

This is a list of names in which the categories include modern English.
gender
usage
Jericho m English (Modern)
From the name of a city in Israel that is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. The meaning of the city's name is uncertain, but it may be related to the Hebrew word יָרֵחַ (yareach) meaning "moon", or otherwise to the Hebrew word רֵיחַ (reyach) meaning "fragrant".
Jessika f German, English (Modern)
German and English variant of Jessica.
Joi f English (Modern)
Variant of Joy.
Jordyn f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Jordan.
Journey f English (Modern)
From the English word, derived via Old French from Latin diurnus "of the day".
Juniper f English (Modern)
From the English word for the type of tree, derived ultimately from Latin iuniperus.
Kaede f & m Japanese
From Japanese (kaede) meaning "maple" or other kanji that are pronounced the same way.
Kailani f Hawaiian
From Hawaiian kai "ocean, sea" and lani "sky, heaven".
Kalani m & f Hawaiian
Means "the heavens" from Hawaiian ka "the" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Kaleb m English (Modern)
English variant of Caleb.
Kal-El m Popular Culture, English (Modern)
Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 as the birth name of the comic book hero Superman, who came from the distant planet Krypton. The original spelling Kal-L was changed to Kal-El in the 1940s. Some have theorized that El is inspired by the common Hebrew name element אֵל ('el) meaning "God". Although Siegel and Shuster were Jewish, there is no evidence that they had this connection in mind, and it seems possible they simply made it up. Superman's other name, Clark Kent, was given to him by his adoptive parents.... [more]
Kaliyah f African American (Modern)
An invented name, based on the sound of Aaliyah.
Kam m & f English (Modern)
Short form of Kameron.
Kamalani f & m Hawaiian
Means "heavenly child" or "royal child" from Hawaiian kama "child" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Kamari m & f African American (Modern)
Combination of the sounds found in names such as Jamari, Amari and Kamaria.
Kamryn f & m English (Modern)
Variant (typically feminine) of Cameron.
Karma m & f Bhutanese
From the Sanskrit word कर्म (karma) meaning "action, deed, fate".
Karsyn f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Carson.
Kasandra f English (Modern), Polish
English variant and Polish form of Cassandra.
Kasper m Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish
Dutch and Scandinavian form of Jasper.
Kassandra f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek, English (Modern)
Greek form of Cassandra, as well as a modern English variant.
Kaya 2 f English (Modern)
Possibly from the Scandinavian name Kaia, or simply an invented name based on the sounds found in other names such as Maya.
Kayce m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Casey or Case (depending on the pronunciation). It was popularized by the character Kayce Dutton (pronounced like Casey) from the television series Yellowstone (2018-).
Kaycee f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Casey.
Kayden m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Caden.
Kaylan f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Kaylyn or Caelan.
Kaylee f English (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements kay and lee. This name, in various spellings, steadily rose in popularity starting in the 1980s. This particular spelling peaked in America in 2009, ranked 26th, and has since declined.
Kayleen f English (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements kay and lene.
Kayleigh f English (Modern)
Variant of Kaylee. This particular spelling was popularized by a 1985 song by the British band Marillion.
Kaylyn f English (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements kay and lyn.
Keanu m & f Hawaiian
Means "the cool breeze" from Hawaiian ke, a definite article, and anu "coolness". This name is now associated with Canadian actor Keanu Reeves (1964-).
Kehlani f English (Modern)
Variant of Kailani or Kalani. This spelling was popularized by the American singer Kehlani Parrish (1995-), who is known simply as Kehlani.
Keira f English (Modern)
Variant of Ciara 1. This spelling was popularized by British actress Keira Knightley (1985-).
Kelsea f English (Modern)
Variant of Kelsey, with the spelling influenced by Chelsea.
Keone m & f Hawaiian
Means "the homeland" from Hawaiian ke, a definite article, and one "sand, homeland".
Keshaun m African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular name prefix ke and Shaun.
Keshawn m African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular name prefix ke and Shawn.
Khloe f English (Modern)
Variant of Chloe. This particular variant was popularized by the television personality Khloé Kardashian (1984-) after she began appearing with her family on the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians in 2007.
Kiara f English (Modern)
Variant of Ciara 1 or Chiara. This name was brought to public attention in 1988 after the singing duo Kiara released their song This Time. It was further popularized by a character in the animated movie The Lion King II (1998).
Kierra f English (Modern)
Variant of Kiara influenced by the spelling of Sierra.
Kingsley m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "king's wood" in Old English. This name may have received a boost in popularity after the release of the 2007 movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, featuring the character Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Kingston m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "king's town" in Old English. This name rose significantly on the popularity charts after musicians Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale used it for their son born 2006.
Kinsley f English (Modern)
From a surname that was derived from an English place name, itself meaning "clearing belonging to Cyne". The Old English given name Cyne is a short form of longer names beginning with cyne meaning "royal".... [more]
Koa m Hawaiian
Means "warrior, koa tree" in Hawaiian.
Kourtney f English (Modern)
Variant of Courtney. Like Courtney this name declined in popularity in the 1990s, but it was briefly revived after 2007 by the television personality Kourtney Kardashian (1979-) when she began appearing on the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Kristofer m Swedish
Swedish variant form of Christopher.
Kristoffer m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian form of Christopher.
Krystle f English (Modern)
Variant of Crystal. This particular spelling was popularized by the character Krystle Carrington from the American soap opera Dynasty (1981-1989).
Kylan m English (Modern)
Invented name based on the sounds found in other names such as Kyle and Rylan.
Kyrie 1 m African American (Modern)
Invented name, based on the sounds found in names such as Tyree and Kyle. It was popularized as a masculine name by American basketball player Kyrie Irving (1992-).
Kyrie 2 f English (Modern)
From the name of a Christian prayer, also called the Kyrie eleison meaning "Lord, have mercy". It is ultimately from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord".
Kyson m English (Modern)
An invented name, using the same sound found in names such as Bryson and Tyson.
Laquan m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements la and quan. It can be spelled LaQuan or Laquan.
Layla f Arabic, English
Means "night" in Arabic. Layla was the love interest of the poet Qays (called Majnun) in an old Arab tale, notably retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in his poem Layla and Majnun. This story was a popular romance in medieval Arabia and Persia. The name became used in the English-speaking world after the 1970 release of the song Layla by Derek and the Dominos, the title of which was inspired by the medieval story.
Legacy f & m English (Modern)
From the English word, meaning "something inherited from a predecessor, heritage". It is derived from Old French legacie, itself from Latin legatum "bequest, legacy".
Legend m English (Modern)
From the English word, referring to a story about the past (or by extension, a heroic character in such a story), ultimately from Latin legere "to read".
Leila f Persian, Arabic, Kurdish, English, French, Georgian
Variant of Layla, and the usual Persian transcription.... [more]
Leilani f & m Hawaiian
Means "heavenly flowers" or "royal child" from Hawaiian lei "flowers, lei, child" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Lennon m & f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, derived from the Irish byname Leannán meaning "lover". The surname was borne by musician and Beatle member John Lennon (1940-1980), and it may be used as a given name in his honour. In America it is now more common as a feminine name, possibly inspired in part by the singer Lennon Stella (1999-), who began appearing on the television series Nashville in 2012.
Leyla f Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, Persian, Arabic, English (Modern)
Variant of Leila, and the usual Turkish, Azerbaijani and Kurdish form.
Lin m & f Chinese
From Chinese (lín) meaning "forest" or (lín) meaning "fine jade, gem". Other characters can also form this name.
Lorelai f English (Modern)
Variant of Lorelei. This name featured on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) where it was borne by the two main characters (the younger one went by the nickname Rory).
Loyalty f English (Modern)
From the English word, which was originally borrowed from Old French loiauté, a derivative of loial "loyal", itself derived from Latin legalis "legal".
Lyanna f Literature
Created by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series A Song of Ice and Fire, published beginning 1996, and the television adaptation Game of Thrones (2011-2019). In the story Lyanna was the sister of Ned Stark. Her abduction and subsequent death was the cause of the civil war that toppled the Targaryens.
Lyric f & m English (Modern)
Means simply "lyric, songlike" from the English word, ultimately derived from Greek λυρικός (lyrikos).
Maddox m English (Modern)
From a Welsh surname meaning "son of Madoc". It was brought to public attention when the actress Angelina Jolie gave this name to her adopted son in 2002.
Maeva f Tahitian, French
Means "welcome" in Tahitian. It gained popularity in France during the 1980s.
Malakai m Fijian, Tongan, English (Modern)
Fijian and Tongan form of Malachi, as well as a modern English variant.
Malani f English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of Melanie using the Hawaiian name element lani meaning "heaven, sky" (found in names such as Leilani and Kalani).
Malaysia f English (Modern)
From the name of the country in Southeast Asia, the home of the Malay people. Their ethnic name is of uncertain origin, though it is possibly from the name of a river, itself derived from Malay melaju or Javanese mlayu meaning "to run, to go fast".
Malia f Hawaiian, English (Modern)
Hawaiian form of Maria. This name experienced a spike in popularity in 2009, due to the eldest daughter (born 1998) of the new American president Barack Obama.
Mallory f English (Modern)
From an English surname that meant "unfortunate" in Norman French. It first became common in the 1980s due to the American sitcom Family Ties (1982-1989), which featured a character by this name.
Margareta f German, Swedish, Romanian, Slovene, Finnish, Croatian
Form of Margaret in several languages.
Margot f French
French short form of Margaret.
Marley f & m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was taken from a place name meaning either "pleasant wood", "boundary wood" or "marten wood" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the Jamaican musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).
Marlowe f & m English (Modern)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Marvel f English
From the English word meaning "a miracle, a wonder", derived from Old French merveille, from Latin mirabilis meaning "wonderful".
Maxton m English (Modern)
Elaboration of Max using the popular name suffix ton.
Mckayla f English (Modern)
Variant of Michaela, often spelled as McKayla with the third letter capitalized, as if it were an Irish or Scottish surname beginning with Mc.
McKenna f English (Modern)
From an Irish and Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Mac Cionaodha, itself derived from the given name Cionaodh. As a given name, it was very rare before 1980. It rapidly increased in popularity during the 1990s, likely because it was viewed as an even more feminine alternative to Mackenzie.
Meadow f English (Modern)
From the English word meadow, ultimately from Old English mædwe. Previously very rare, it rose in popularity after it was used as the name of Tony Soprano's daughter on the television series The Sopranos (1999-2007).
Memphis m English (Modern)
From the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it. It is derived from a Greek form of Egyptian mn-nfr meaning "enduring beauty".
Merrick m English (Modern)
From a Welsh surname that was originally derived from the given name Meurig.
Midori f Japanese
From Japanese (midori) meaning "green", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same pronunciation.
Mikaela f Swedish, Finnish
Feminine form of Michael.
Milani f English (Modern)
From the name of the Italian city of Milan, as in the name of the American cosmetics company founded in 2002. It could also a variant of Melanie.
Miracle f English (Modern)
From the English word miracle for an extraordinary event, ultimately deriving from Latin miraculum "wonder, marvel".
Mittens m & f Pet
From the plural of the English word mitten. This is a common name for cats, given because of a distinctive colouration of the paws.
Montana f & m English (Modern)
From the name of the American state, which is derived from Latin montanus "mountainous".
Moriah f English (Modern)
From Hebrew מֹרִיָה (Moriyah) possibly meaning "seen by Yahweh". This is a place name in the Old Testament, both the land where Abraham is to sacrifice Isaac and the mountain upon which Solomon builds the temple. They may be the same place. Since the 1980s it has occasionally been used as a feminine given name in America.
Myla f English (Modern)
Possibly a feminine form of Miles, influenced by similar-sounding names such as Kyla.
Nakeisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic prefix na and the name Keisha.
Nakisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the name prefix na and the name Kisha.
Nālani f & m Hawaiian
Means "the heavens" or "the chiefs" from Hawaiian , a definite article, and lani "heaven, sky, chief".
Navy f & m English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "sea force, fleet, armed forces of the sea". It is derived from Old French navie, from Latin navigia, the plural of navigium "boat, vessel". It also refers to a shade of dark blue, a colour traditionally associated with naval uniforms.
Nevaeh f English (Modern)
The word heaven spelled backwards. It became popular after the musician Sonny Sandoval from the rock group P.O.D. gave it to his daughter in 2000. Over the next few years it rapidly climbed the rankings in America, peaking at the 25th rank for girls in 2010.
Nils m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian form of Nicholas.
Oakleigh f English (Modern)
Strictly feminine variant of Oakley.
Oaklyn f English (Modern)
Variant of Oakley using the popular name suffix lyn.
Odin m Norse Mythology, English (Modern)
Anglicized form of Old Norse Óðinn, which was derived from óðr meaning "inspiration, rage, frenzy". It ultimately developed from Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz. The name appears as Woden in Anglo-Saxon sources (for example, as the founder of several royal lineages in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) and in forms such as Wuotan, Wotan or Wodan in continental Europe, though he is best known from Norse sources.... [more]
Omari m Eastern African, Swahili
Meaning uncertain, possibly a Swahili variant of Umar.
Paisley f English (Modern)
From a Scots surname, originally from the name of a town near Glasgow, maybe ultimately derived from Latin basilica "church". This is also a word (derived from the name of that same town) for a type of pattern commonly found on fabrics.
Paxton m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning "Pœcc's town". Pœcc is an Old English given name of unknown meaning.
Payton f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Peyton.
Phoenix m & f English (Modern)
From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek φοῖνιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".
Porsche f English (Modern)
From the name of the German car company, which was founded by Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951). His surname is derived from the given name Boris.
Precious f English (African), African American (Modern)
From the English word precious, ultimately derived from Latin pretiosus, a derivative of Latin pretium "price, worth".
Princess f English (Modern)
Feminine equivalent of Prince.
Qiana f African American (Modern)
From the word for the silk-like material, introduced by DuPont in 1968 and popular in the fashions of the 1970s.
Rashawn m African American (Modern)
Combination of the prefix ra with the name Shawn.
Reagan f & m English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Riagáin, derived from the given name Riagán. This surname was borne by American actor and president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004).... [more]
Reign f & m English (Modern)
From the English word reign, derived from Latin regnum "royal power".
Reilly m & f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Raghailligh, derived from the given name Raghailleach, meaning unknown.
Rhianna f English (Modern)
Probably a variant of Rhiannon.
Ridge m English (Modern)
From the English vocabulary word denoting a continous elevated mountain crest, or from the English surname derived from the word.
Rihanna f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic رَيحانة (see Rayhana). This name is borne by the Barbadian singer Robyn Rihanna Fenty (1988-), known simply as Rihanna. In the United States it jumped in popularity between the years 2005 and 2008, when Rihanna was releasing her first albums. It quickly declined over the next few years.
Rikki f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Ricky.
River m & f English (Modern)
From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin ripa "riverbank".
Ronin m English (Modern)
Variant of Ronan, also coinciding with the Japanese term 浪人 (ronin) meaning "masterless samurai".
Rowan m & f Irish, English (Modern)
Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).
Royalty f English (Modern)
From the English word royalty, derived (via Old French) from Latin regalitas, a derivative of rex "king".
Ryann f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Ryan.
Ryder m English (Modern)
From an English occupational surname derived from Old English ridere meaning "mounted warrior" or "messenger". It has grown in popularity in the 2000s because it starts with the same sound found in other popular names like Ryan and Riley.
Rylan m English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of Ryland, though it could also be an invented name inspired by other names like Ryan and Riley.
Ryland m English (Modern)
From an English surname, which was originally derived from a place name meaning "rye land" in Old English.
Rylee f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Riley.
Ryleigh f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Riley.
Ryley m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Riley.
Rylie f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Riley.
Sable f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to Northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.
Sage f & m English (Modern)
From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.
Saint m English (Modern)
From the English word, ultimately from Latin sanctus "holy, saintly".
Salena f English (Modern)
Perhaps an invented name based on similar-sounding names such as Selina.
Samara f English (Modern), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death. Alternatively, this name could be derived from the word for the winged seeds that grow on trees such as maples and elms.... [more]
Sarina f German, Dutch, English (Modern)
Diminutive of Sara, or sometimes a variant of Serena.
Sawyer m & f English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "sawer of wood". Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).... [more]
Saylor f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from Old French sailleor meaning "acrobat, dancer". As a modern English given name it could also come from the homophone vocabulary word sailor.
Scarlet f English (Modern)
Either a variant of Scarlett or else from the English word for the red colour (both of the same origin, a type of cloth).
Seven m & f English (Modern)
From the English word for the number, derived from Old English seofon (from an Indo-European root shared by Latin septem and Greek ἑπτά (hepta)).
Shae f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Shea.
Shamika f African American (Modern)
An invented name, blending the popular phonetic prefix sha and the name Tamika.
Shanae f English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements sha and nay.
Shanice f African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha and nees.
Shanika f African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements sha, nee and ka.
Shaniqua f African American (Modern)
An invented name using the popular phonetic elements sha, nee and qua.
Shaquille m African American (Modern)
Variant of Shakil. This name is borne by basketball player Shaquille O'Neal (1972-).
Shawnee f English (Modern)
Means "southern people" in the Algonquin language. The Shawnee were an Algonquin tribe who originally lived in the Ohio valley.
Sherlyn f English (Modern)
Recently created name, probably based on the sounds found in other names like Sharon, Sherry and Charlene.
Siena f English (Modern)
Variant of Sienna, with the spelling perhaps influenced by that of the Italian city.
Sienna f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "orange-red". It is ultimately from the name of the city of Siena in Italy, because of the colour of the clay there.
Sierra f English (Modern)
Means "mountain range" in Spanish, referring specifically to a mountain range with jagged peaks.
Sincere m English (Modern)
From the English word meaning genuine or heartfelt.
Sky f & m English (Modern)
Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".
Skye f English (Modern)
From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of Sky.
Skyla f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Skyler, formed using the popular name suffix la.
Skylar f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Skyler. Originally more common for boys during the 1980s, it was popularized as a name for girls after it was used on the American soap opera The Young and the Restless in 1989 and the movie Good Will Hunting in 1997. Its sharp rise in the United States in 2011 might be attributed to the character Skyler White from the television series Breaking Bad (2008-2013) or the singer Skylar Grey (1986-), who adopted this name in 2010 after previously going by Holly Brook.
Skyler m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Schuyler, based on the pronunciation of the surname but respelled as if it was a blend of the English word sky with names such as Tyler. It was rare before 1980, and first gained popularity as a name for boys. It is now more common for girls, though it is more evenly unisex than the mostly feminine variant Skylar.
Slade m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from Old English slæd meaning "valley".
Sloan f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Sloane.
Sloane f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Sluaghadháin, itself derived from the given name Sluaghadhán.
Sofie f German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech
Form of Sophie in several languages.
Sommer f English (Modern)
Variant of Summer, coinciding with the German word for summer.
Sophea f & m Khmer
Means "judge, lawyer" in Khmer.
Sora f & m Japanese
From Japanese (sora) or (sora) both meaning "sky". Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also form this name.
Soraya f Persian, Spanish, French, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Persian form of Thurayya. It became popular in some parts of Europe because of the fame of Princess Soraya (1932-2001), wife of the last Shah of Iran, who became a European socialite.
Soren m English (Modern)
English form of Søren.
Stetson m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from the name of the village of Stidston in Devon, meaning "Stithweard's town". This is a type of wide-brimmed hat, originally made by the John B. Stetson Company.