Bold Baby Names

435 Bold names with meanings, U.S. popularity, and audio pronunciation on every page.

Not every parent wants a name that blends in. Bold baby names arrive with the volume up — they announce a personality before your child has had a chance to build one, and honestly, that is the whole point.

Striking Bold Girl Names

These girls’ names refuse to whisper. Reign, Khaleesi and Xena are unapologetically powerful, Persephone and Calliope bring mythic grandeur, and Xiomara and Maxine have edge with a long history behind them. Scarlet, Emerald and Dream are vivid word-names for the fearless.

Bold Boy Names

The boys’ list hits just as hard. King, Saint and Ares are maximum impact, Kylo, Onyx and Raiden feel sharp and cinematic, and Colt, Crew, Cash and Koa are short, blunt and full of nerve.

Choosing Bold Without Regret

Test it as a full name, a school register entry and a signature. The best bold names still feel wearable at forty — Cairo and Tate pass that test easily.

Every name below links to its own page with a sourced meaning, U.S. popularity, famous bearers, and a clear audio pronunciation — so you can hear it before you choose.

Bold Girl Names

Dream#432 in the U.S.From Old English dream meaning joy, music, or a dream vision; used as a word name for its aspir▶Calliope#451 in the U.S.From Greek 'kallos' (beauty) and 'ops' (voice, face), meaning 'beautiful voice'; name of the Mu▶Reign#452 in the U.S.From the English word 'reign,' meaning to rule or exercise sovereign power, derived from Old Fr▶Xiomara#463 in the U.S.Spanish form of the Germanic name Guiomar, composed of 'wig' (war, battle) and 'mari' (fame), m▶Maxine#497 in the U.S.Feminine form of Maximus, from Latin 'maximus' meaning greatest or largest; a superlative adjec▶Scarlet#510 in the U.S.From the English color word 'scarlet,' denoting a vivid red; ultimately from Old French escarla▶Khaleesi#690 in the U.S.Queen; a title meaning the wife of a khal (warlord) in the fictional Dothraki language created ▶Lennox#717 in the U.S.From the Scottish place name Lennox (Levenach) in Dunbartonshire, from Gaelic leamhan meaning '▶Bristol#728 in the U.S.From the Old English Brycgstow, meaning 'assembly place by the bridge' (brycg = bridge + stow =▶Persephone#735 in the U.S.Exact meaning disputed; possibly related to Greek pertho (to destroy) and phone (voice or murde▶Emerald#741 in the U.S.From the Old French esmeralde, from the Latin smaragdus, from Greek smaragdos (σμάραγδος), the ▶Onyx#1248 in the U.S.Black gemstone; from Greek onyx (fingernail, claw — the stone's layers resemble a fingernail)▶Xena#1297 in the U.S.Guest, stranger, foreigner▶Egypt#1323 in the U.S.Black land; from the Greek Aigyptos, from Egyptian Hwt-ka-Ptah (house of the soul of Ptah)▶Ryder#1332 in the U.S.Mounted warrior, one who rides a horse▶Tate#2260 in the U.S.cheerful, glad▶Delta#2266 in the U.S.fourth letter of Greek alphabet; triangular river mouth▶Brixley#2302 in the U.S.brick settlement meadow▶Seven#2451 in the U.S.the number seven, divine completeness▶Scarleth#3002 in the U.S.Spanish-influenced variant of Scarlett, meaning the bright red color scarlet; associated with p▶Skarlett#3003 in the U.S.Creative respelling of Scarlett, the vivid red color; evokes passion, boldness, and fierce femi▶

See all 150 bold girl names →

Bold Boy Names

Crew#256 in the U.S.A group working together; a team or company▶Saint#267 in the U.S.A holy person; one declared a saint by the church▶Koa#269 in the U.S.Brave, bold, fearless; also the name of a prized Hawaiian hardwood tree▶Colt#285 in the U.S.A young male horse; a spirited, energetic young man▶Kash#286 in the U.S.Hollow place; a phonetic spelling variant of Cash▶Cash#287 in the U.S.Hollow place; chest; maker of boxes or chests▶Ares#290 in the U.S.Bane, ruin; the Greek god of war▶Cairo#341 in the U.S.From the Arabic Al-Qahira, meaning 'the victorious' or 'the conqueror', a name associated with ▶Onyx#365 in the U.S.From the Greek 'onyx', meaning claw or fingernail (because the stone's colors resemble a finger▶Kylo#402 in the U.S.Modern invented name, coined for the Star Wars villain Kylo Ren; possibly combining Kyle (from ▶King#405 in the U.S.From Old English cyning meaning king or ruler; used as a given name for its direct regal connot▶Raiden#432 in the U.S.From Japanese Raijin (thunder god), combining rai meaning thunder and den or jin meaning lightn▶Chance#442 in the U.S.From Middle English and Old French 'cheance,' meaning fortune, luck, or an opportunity; derived▶Valentino#444 in the U.S.Italian diminutive of Valentino/Valentinus, from Latin 'valens' meaning strong, vigorous, or he▶Apollo#445 in the U.S.Name of the Greek god of the sun, music, poetry, and prophecy; exact meaning uncertain, possibl▶Prince#447 in the U.S.From Old French 'prince' and Latin 'princeps' meaning 'first one' or 'chief,' referring to a ro▶Bo#449 in the U.S.From Old Norse 'búa' meaning to live or dwell, used as a short form in Scandinavian naming; als▶Rome#452 in the U.S.From the name of the ancient city Roma, used directly as a given name; the city's own etymology▶Rocco#459 in the U.S.Italian form of the Germanic name Hroc, meaning 'rest' or possibly derived from a battle cry; a▶Royal#476 in the U.S.From the English word 'royal,' derived from Old French 'roial' and Latin 'regalis' meaning king▶Zaire#503 in the U.S.From the Kikongo word nzadi o nzere meaning 'the river that swallows all rivers,' referring to ▶

See all 285 bold boy names →

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Frequently Asked

What are popular bold baby names?

King, Saint, Colt and Cash lead for boys, while Reign, Scarlet, Khaleesi and Xiomara are the girls’ names making the biggest statement.

What is a bold name for a boy that is not too much?

Cairo, Koa, Crew and Chance all sound confident and modern while remaining easy to wear in any setting.

Are bold baby names a passing trend?

Some are, but many are not. Maxine, Persephone, Ares and Onyx have deep roots in myth, history or nature, which gives them staying power beyond the moment.

How many bold baby names are on More4Kids?

More4Kids lists 435 bold baby names, each with a sourced meaning, U.S. popularity, and an audio pronunciation.