26 Word Names For Babies That Are Unique & Meaningful

If you think about it, lots of popular baby names today are actually just words or names of other things — think River, Maverick, and Sage. Nature names, flower names, and virtue names are all super trendy right now, but they all fall under one larger category: word names for babies. And while all of the earthy names and animal-inspired monikers are beautiful, if you look outside those common categories, you’ll find even more unique and meaningful word names for babies that will have people saying, “Oh, what a beautiful name,” your baby’s whole life through.

When this video from Jessie, aka @dreambabynames on TikTok, came across my FYP, I was floored when I started thinking about how many names on the U.S. popularity charts right now count as word names. She shared her favorite word names for babies, and got me thinking about how many gorgeous options there really are out there.

With that in mind, here are some word names for babies that honestly deserve more attention.

Court

In a world where Banks, Gates, Hayes, and other one-syllable, old-money names are high up on the popularity charts, I feel like we’re all overlooking Court. Whether it’s a royal court or court of law, the name carries a sense of reverence and authority as a result.

Lane

Gender-neutral name lovers, don’t miss out on Lane. It brings to mind a sense of idyllic nature scenes, since the word is typically used to describe narrow roads in the countryside. It’s a peaceful, solid name that’s less in-your-face about its ties to nature than, say, Ocean or Ivy.

Lucky

You could sit down with a dictionary and make a giant list of adjectives you hope are true of your baby, and see if any strike you as good name options. And who doesn’t want their baby to be lucky in life? It’s a super cute and spunky example, and it would work well for parents who are interested in western-inspired cowboy names.

Sonnet

A sonnet is a poem written in 14 lines, and as Jessie points out in her video, it’s wearable because it’s not a word most of us ever use in daily life. I’ve met one person in passing named Sonnet, and hearing her name stopped me in my tracks. It’s a word we all know, but as a name, it instantly made her seem so much cooler and more creative. It’s just a beautiful choice.

More Word Names For Babies

• Amity: This word means “goodwill.” It’s a short and sweet word name that would suit a baby girl.
• Blithe: This adjective can mean happy or joyous, but also refers to a sort of casual indifference that’s considered rude. And something about that makes me love it as a feminist name for a little girl who you’re raising to believe respect is earned rather than automatically doled out.
• Cadence: For music lovers, Cadence is probably already on your radar. It refers to a sequence of notes or chords at the close of a musical phrase.
• Chance: Much like Lucky, this feels like a name that’ll make a comeback in the next few years as parents keep opting for Western-sounding names.
• Constance: This is a classic name that happens to be a word name, so your older family members won’t think you’ve lost your mind. Constance is a synonym for steadfastness, giving your baby girl a sense of reliability and strength.
• Cove: Safe-haven baby names, a term coined by Nameberry, are having a moment right now. Cove is a perfect example, conjuring images of a quiet body of water tucked away from crashing waves.
• Fable: If you live for whimsy, please name your baby girl Fable. It rolls off the tongue, evokes all the fairytales we know and love, and is just so criminally underused.
• Gale: The word gale refers to either strong wind or a burst of laughter, but either way, it’s perfect for your little force of nature.
• Grant: To agree or admit that someone is correct is to grant them something. It’s the opposite of the edgy boy names trending in the U.S. right now, like Maverick or Ryder — an agreeable boy name that feels like he’ll be a friend to all.
• Indigo: If you like word names for babies, you’ll probably consider a lot of color names, from the more common, like Violet and Scarlet, to the uncommon, like Cyan and Tawny. Indigo is a very cool option with the adorable nickname of Indi built in.
• Jet: A plane, a rocket, or to get from point A to point B super quickly — Jet is a spunky name for a kid you know will never want to hold still.
• Justice: Much like Charity or Grace, virtue names also double as word names. Justice is a modern-feeling option that works well for boys (most classic virtue names are traditionally used for girls).
• Lark: Bird names are a great place to pull from if you like word names. Think Dove, Raven, Hawk, and so many more. A lark is a little brown songbird, but as a noun, it can also reference an innocent but mischievous escapade.
• Maven: This word refers to a woman who’s an expert in her field or interest, usually a fashion maven. It’s similar to Maren or Mavis, if you’re fans of those names too.
• Merit: This is a gender-neutral pick, but I especially love Merit for a girl. Of course, to merit something means you have earned or deserve it. You could also spell this one as Merritt, a la actress Merritt Wever.
• Pace: Yes, this brings Lee Pace to mind, but hear me out. I think it’s a solid one-syllable name that could be meaningful if you want your child to always take things one step at a time. It’s reminiscent of Paige, but more unisex.
• Ray: Like a ray of light, of course. The feminine form is often spelled Rae, but I’m an advocate for sticking with the -y ending always.
• Sable: Another color name, sable is another adjective to describe something black. It’s also the name of a small, furret-like animal with dark fur. I love this choice for parents who lean a little alt or goth and want a name in that vein without sounding like an Addams family member.
• Savvy: You call someone savvy when they’re knowledgeable and make good calls, and it has a sense of being earned. You could opt for a known name like Savannah and just choose to call her Savvy, but parents who want something truly unique might like Savvy as a standalone.
• Story: We all know what a story is, and similar to the name Sonnet, it evokes a sense of whimsy and fantasy. It’s a definite heart-stealer if you love books and literature.
• Temple: Another safe haven or place name, temples are austere and sacred places, and as a name, it evokes a similar sense of peace and reverence.
• Zenith: In astronomy, the zenith is a celestial object’s highest point in the sky. It’s also used to describe when something is at its most successful (as in, “she was in the zenith of her career”).

Do any of these word names for babies strike your fancy? I’m pretty obsessed with Sonnet and Court, personally.