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Baby Name Traits
Are you looking for a name that makes a statement? Find out which names people associate with these physical attributes and personality traits.

Boys

Active

Active Boys Names
Here are the boys' names that people associate with a active person. Surveys show that people describe boys with this name as adventurous, athletic, a jock, muscular, an outdoorsman, and tough.

Abe:

Traits: Honest Abe Lincoln is the dominant image for this old-fashioned name--a strong, lanky outdoorsman who is honest, hardworking, and kind.

Famous people with this name: President Abe Lincoln; actor Abe (Barney Miller) Vigoda; Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas

Ace:

Origin: "Latin"
Meaning: unity

Traits: Ace evokes two different pictures: a tall, funny wisecracker, like Ace Ventura, or a slick, tough, and very lucky card player with dark skin and hair.

Famous people with this name: movie and cartoon Ace Ventura, Pet Detective; musician Ace (Kiss) Frehley; soccer's Ace Ntsoelengoe; the band Ace of Base

Alex:

Traits: People say Alex is a strong, athletic man of Greek descent who is smart, nice, and happy.

Famous people with this name: football's Alex Karras; TV character Alex (Family Ties) Keaton; novelist Alex (Roots) Haley; game show host Alex Trebek; movie character Alex of The Black Stallion

Alfonso:

Traits: Some people think of Alfonso as Italian, while others say Hispanic. But in either case, he possesses dark, good looks and rugged strength. Alfonso is tough--not a guy to mess around with.

Famous people with this name: actor Alan Alda's birth name, Alphonso D'Abruzzo; actor Alfonso (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) Ribeiro; actress Kristian (Days of Our Lives) Alfonso; Frank Zappa's song "St. Alfonso's Pancake Breakfast"

Ali:

Origin: "Swahili" "Arabic"
Meaning: exaltedgreatest

Traits: This name reminds people of Muhammad Ali. They picture a tall, tough black man with an athletic build who is self-confident to the max. Also--and not many boxers would be described this way--people think of Ali as good-natured, outgoing, and fun, which is

Famous people with this name: boxer Muhammad Ali; artist Ali Argandona; 1001 Nights story "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves"; musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Austin:

Origin: "Latin"
Meaning: majestic, vulnerable

Traits: Austin is your classic male Barbie doll. People describe him as a handsome, muscular jock with blond hair, blue eyes, and a macho attitude.

Famous people with this name: TV characters Austin of Days of Our Lives, Colonel Steve (Six Million Dollar Man) Austin; actor Austin Pendleton; country singer Rick Austin; movie Austin Powers; diplomat Sir Austen Layard; patriot Stephen F. Austin; Austin-Healey automobiles; Austin, Texas

Bart:

Traits: Bart is described as a tall, dark, and handsome athlete who is either shy and polite or bold and assertive.

Famous people with this name: football's Bart Starr; gymnast Bart Conner; TV cowboy Bart Maverick; TV character Bart (The Simpsons) Simpson

Bjorn:

Origin: "Old German"
Meaning: bear

Traits: People picture Bjorn as a strong, manly athlete with blond hair and Scandinavian features.

Famous people with this name: tennis's Bjorn Borg

Boone:

Origin: "Old French"
Meaning: good

Traits: Thanks to Daniel Boone, people describe Boone as a tall, good-looking, outdoorsy man who is rugged and aggressive.

Famous people with this name: pioneer Daniel Boone; singers Pat Boone, Debby ("You Light Up My Life") Boone; actor Richard (Have Gun Will Travel) Boone; computer raider T. Boone Pickens

Brett:

Origin: "Celtic"
Meaning: Briton

Traits: People describe Brett as a slender, blond athlete who is handsome, masculine, and strong. They imagine Brett as either a wild, uncontrollable brat, or a smart, businesslike yuppie.

Famous people with this name: TV cowboy Bret Maverick; short story writer Bret Harte; novelist Bret (Less Than Zero) Easton Ellis; Lady Brett (The Sun Also Rises) Ashley; baseball's George Brett; hockey's Brett Hull

Brian:

Origin: "Irish Gaelic"
Meaning: strength, virtue

Traits: Most people think of Brian as an Irish he-man who is smart, athletic, and sociable. Some, though, think Brian is a drab mama's boy.

Famous people with this name: Irish King Brian Boru; actors Brian (Family Affair) Keith, Brian (Cocoon) Dennehy; movies Monty Python's Life of Brian, Brian's Song; football's Brian Piccolo; director Brian (Carlito's Way) De Palma; Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney

Buck:

Origin: "Old English"
Meaning: buck, deer

Traits: Buck is pictured as a big, dark, outdoorsy tough guy who is athletic and lighthearted but not too bright.

Famous people with this name: TV characters space hero Buck Rogers, Frank (Bring 'Em Back Alive) Buck; TV writer Buck Henry; country singer Buck Owens; movie Uncle Buck

Chad:

Origin: "Old English"
Meaning: warlike

Traits: Warlike? Hardly! People describe Chad as a young, handsome, muscular, outdoorsy blond who is happy, intelligent, helpful, and nice.

Famous people with this name: actor Chad (Medical Center) Everett; singers Chad and Jeremy; musical group The Chad Mitchell Trio; Chad, a country in Africa

Chuck:

Traits: Most people picture Chuck as a tall, athletic, and muscular man who is either a party animal and all-around good guy, or a beady-eyed bully.

Famous people with this name: singer Chuck Berry; trumpeter Chuck Mangione; actor Chuck (Missing in Action) Norris; TV host Chuck (The Love Connection) Woolery; football's Chuck Foreman; basketball's Chuck Person

Colby:

Origin: "English"
Meaning: dark, dark-haired

Traits: Most can't hear this name without thinking of cheese. People picture Colby as either a strong, muscular guy with cheese for brains, or a wealthy movie star.

Famous people with this name: musician Maximillian Colby; comic book character Jason (Babylon 5) Colby; TV's Colbys in Dynasty; TV show The Colbys

Connor:

Origin: "Irish Gaelic"
Meaning: wise aid

Traits: Connor is described as a dashing, athletic, upper-class man who is either witty and fun, or spoiled and bratty.

Famous people with this name: U.N. Secretary General Conor Cruise O'Brien; tennis's Jimmy Connors; actors Chuck (The Rifleman) Connors, Mike (Mannix) Connors

Cooper:

Origin: "Old English"
Meaning: barrelmaker

Traits: The name Cooper has several images: a tall, quiet man, like Gary Cooper; a rich intelligent snob; a happy-go-lucky, clean-cut athlete; or a wild and restless tough guy.

Famous people with this name: actor Gary Cooper; novelist James Fenimore (The Deerslayer) Cooper; basketball's Michael Cooper; rock singer Alice Cooper

Curt:

Traits: Curt is described as a dark-haired, athletic, exceedingly good-looking guy who is warm, loving, and considerate.

Famous people with this name: business tycoon Curt Carison; sportscaster Curt Gowdy

Daniel:

Origin: "Hebrew"
Meaning: God is my judge

Traits: Daniel is pictured as a good-looking, strong, all-American Boy Scout who is athletic, brave, kind, friendly, trustworthy, well-bred, intelligent, and easygoing.

Famous people with this name: the biblical Hebrew prophet Daniel; statesman Daniel Webster; Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega; frontiersman Daniel Boone; actors Daniel J. (Hill Street Blues) Travanti, Daniel (The Last of the Mohicans) Day-Lewis; novelist Daniel (Robinson Crusoe) Defoe

Derek:

Origin: "Old German"
Meaning: ruler of the people

Traits: Derek is described as a tall, good-looking, masculine, and athletic blond who is either tough or quiet and shy.

Famous people with this name: actor Derek (Inside the Third Reich) Jacobi; director John (Bolero) Derek; Eric Clapton's rock group Derek ("Layla") and the Dominoes

Dirk:

Traits: People think of Dirk as a rough, rugged jock who is cool, tactless, and very much the playboy.

Famous people with this name: actors Dirk (The Servant) Bogarde, Dirk (The A-Team) Benedict; Clive Cussler's character Dirk Pitt

Emmitt:

Traits: People see Emmitt in many different ways--a big, fun, football player like Emmitt Smith; a meek nerd who reads a lot; or a farmer who is a genuinely good person.

Famous people with this name: football's Emmitt Smith; civil rights figure Emmit Till

Erskine:

Origin: "Scottish Gaelic"
Meaning: from the height of the cliff

Traits: People picture Erskine as a smart, old-fashioned, lanky outdoorsman.

Famous people with this name: novelist Erskine (Tobacco Road) CaIdwell; political pamphleteer Erskine Childers; educator John Erskine

Ervin:

Traits: Ervin is described as a black man who is either a big, tall football player, or a thin, shy intellectual.

Famous people with this name: basketball's Ervin Johnson; activist Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin; football's Michael Irvin; composer Michael Ervin

Garrison:

Origin: "French"
Meaning: troops stationed at a fort

Traits: Garrison is a name with two very different images: Some folks picture a handsome, muscular, hardworking athlete like football and rodeo star Walt Garrison. Other folks picture a tall, rich, opinionated, preppy white boy.

Famous people with this name: writer/radio personality Garrison (Prairie Home Companion) Keillor; football's Walt Garrison; musician Garrison Fewell; TV characters C.J. and Clarke (The Bold and the Beautiful) Garrison; abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison; Garrison, Texas

Hakeem:

Origin: "Arabic" "Ethiopian"
Meaning: wisedoctor

Traits: Due to the popularity of Hakeem Olajuwon, people tend to think of a tall, friendly, African basketball player when they hear the name Hakeem. The name also connotes a Muslim affiliation.

Famous people with this name: basketball's Hakeem Olajuwon; poet Hakim Bey; Hakim ibn Hazm, friend of Islamic Prophet Muhammad; jazz musician Omar Hakim

Houston:

Origin: "English"
Meaning: hill town

Traits: The name Houston calls to mind a tall, skinny, athletic cowboy with a head of long hair. Although Houston may seem calm and quiet on the outside, he's made of strong stuff.

Famous people with this name: artist George Houston; singers Penelope Houston, Thelma Houston, Whitney Houston; Sam Houston, President of the Republic of Texas

Jake:

Traits: Jake is described as a hardworking Jewish man who is polite, happy, and athletic.

Famous people with this name: boxer Jake (Raging Bull) La Motta; Jake (The Sun Also Rises) Barnes; Senator Jake Garn; TV show Jake and the Fatman; Jake of the Blues Brothers

Jed:

Origin: "Hebrew"
Meaning: beloved of the Lord

Traits: Jed is described as a hardworking, strong, and athletic man who, like TV's Jed Clampett, is a real hillbilly.

Famous people with this name: TV character Jed (The Beverly Hillbillies) Clampett

Jim:

Traits: Jim is described as a good-looking, athletic blond who is friendly, quiet, and ordinary.

Famous people with this name: actors Jim (Liar Liar) Carrey, Jim (Gilligan's Island) Backus, Jim (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.) Nabors; TV evangelist/ prison inmate Jim Bakker; Jim Beam liquor; TV character Jim (The Rockford Files) Rockford; frontiersman Jim Bowie; football's Jim Brown, Jim Taylor, Jim McMahon

Jock:

Traits: People describe Jock as a rugged athlete who is a rich, dumb wiseguy.

Famous people with this name: TV character Jock (Dallas) Ewing; actor Jock (Yancey Derringer) Mahoney; Jock the dog in the movie Lady and the Tramp; Maine's governor John "Jock" McKernan

K.C.:

Origin: "American"
Meaning:

Traits: K.C. calls to mind two different images: a popular, talkative rap singer, or an athletic baseball player.

Famous people with this name: K.C. and the Sunshine Band; basketball's K.C. Jones; nickname for Kansas City

Kareem:

Origin: "Arabic"
Meaning: noble, exalted

Traits: Not surprisingly, people picture Kareem as a tall, black, balding basketball star, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Famous people with this name: basketball's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kevin:

Origin: "Irish Gaelic"
Meaning: gentle, lovable

Traits: Kevin is pictured as a young, athletic all-American boy who is friendly and kind, though a bit stubborn.

Famous people with this name: St. Kevin of Ireland; actors Kevin (Knots Landing) Dobson, Kevin (In and Out) Kline, Kevin (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) Sorbo; basketball's Kevin McHale

Kirby:

Origin: "Scandinavian"
Meaning: from the church village

Traits: Although the best known Kirby is a vacuum cleaner, comedian George Kirby is a close second. People picture Kirby either as an outgoing, heavyset, fun person, or as a bookish nerd.

Famous people with this name: comedian George (The Kopykats) Kirby; baseball's Kirby Puckett; TV host Durward Kirby; the Kirby vacuum cleaner

Lynn:

Origin: "Old English"
Meaning: waterfall, pool below a fall

Traits: Lynn is a unisex name that calls to mind a handsome football player who is tall, thin, fit, and has a sweet disposition. Sounds a lot like football great Lynn Swann, doesn't it?

Famous people with this name: football's Lynn Swann, Mike Lynn; auto executive Lynn Townsend; cartoonist Lynn ("For Better or for Worse") Johnston

Marcus:

Traits: The name Marcus calls to mind either a big, strong, handsome athlete, or a simple, boring businessman.

Famous people with this name: football's Marcus Allen; Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antonius; TV show Marcus Welby, MD; black nationalist Marcus Garvey

Riley:

Origin: "Irish"
Meaning: valiant

Traits: People's first association with the name Riley is basketball coach Pat Riley. They picture an athletic, muscular guy with a contemplative nature.

Famous people with this name: TV show The Life of Riley; actor Jack (The Bob Newhart Show) Riley; hockey's Jack Riley Cup; baskeball's coach Pat Riley; football's Preston Riley; comedian Charles Nelson Reilly; composer Terry Riley

Rod:

Traits: Rod is pictured as a tall, handsome man who is either athletic and popular or strange and mysterious, like Rod Serling on the TV's <I>The Twilight Zone</I>.

Famous people with this name: singer Rod Stewart; TV science fiction writer/host Rod (The Twilight Zone) Serling; actors Rod (The Birds) Taylor, Rod (On the Waterfront) Steiger; tennis's Rod Laver; basketball's "Hot" Rod Hundley

Rory:

Origin: "Irish Gaelic"
Meaning: red king

Traits: People think of Rory as a cute, dark, stocky guy who is happy and adventurous.

Famous people with this name: actor Rory Calhoun; Irish rebel chief Rory O'More

Tanner:

Origin: "English"
Meaning: leather worker, tanner

Traits: People say Tanner's a tall, well-built, good-looking outdoorsy type--either a hunter, a jock, or both.

Famous people with this name: movie character Tanner of The Bad News Bears; artist Henry Tanner; musician Jerre Tanner; astronaut Joseph R. Tanner; Tanner crabs

Terry:

Traits: Terry is pictured as a fun-loving guy who is athletic, friendly, and lots of laughs.

Famous people with this name: football's Terry Bradshaw; Terry Melcher, Doris Day's son; actor Terry-Thomas (I'm All Right, Jack); humor writer Terry (Candy) Southern; "Terry and the Pirates" comics

Trey:

Origin: "English"
Meaning: three, third

Traits: Although people don't agree over whether Trey is a black man or a blond, blue-eyed white, most people picture a rugged athlete with striking good looks, an avant-garde style, and a strong-willed manner.

Famous people with this name: musicians Trey (Phish) Anastasio, Trey (King Crimson) Gunn, Trey Lorenz

Wes:

Traits: People think of Wes as an athletic cowboy who is a friendly, easygoing practical joker.

Famous people with this name: jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery; basketball's Wes Unseld

Yvan:

Traits: Yvan's image spans the globe: Is he Russian? African? German? Some think he's a sinister spy, while others imagine he's shy or kind of weird, instead of secretive. Secret agent or not, Yvan is pictured as a tall, thin, clean fellow with strong athletic ab

Famous people with this name: hockey's Yvan Cournoyer; French director Yvan Chiffre; French actor Yvan Desny; musician Yvan Landry; artist Yvan Salomone

Popular

Fun

Attractive

Smart

Creative

Classy

Kind

Strong

Stylish

Girls

Active

Popular

Fun

Attractive

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Creative

Classy

Kind

Strong

Stylish

Naming Tips

Choosing a name for your new arrival can be a difficult task. And there are some potential pitfalls you might not even be aware of. To avoid them, ask yourself these questions:

What are the initials? Caitlin Olivia Wells, for example, would probably never monogram her towels.

Does it rhyme? Just imagine what kids could do with a name like Randal Crandall.

Have you spell-checked it? Remember that an original spelling of an old standard (Catherine as Kathourynne, for example) can look ditzy or pretentious to outsiders. Also, do you really want to burden your child with correcting everyone she meets?

What's the nickname? Everyone's going to want to shorten Bartholomew or Branbas. So if you're not wild about Bart or Barney, keep looking.

Does it have a rhythm? Name experts contend that short first names tend to go well with longer last names, and vice versa.

Does it offer flexibility? Will the name work if she wants to be a lawyer? A rock star?

Can you sing to it? Kids love to come up with songs making fun of name. Stay away from a name that could easily be plopped right into a song in place of "Winnie the Pooh" or "Old McDonald."

Most Popular Names of 2002

Boys

1. Jacob

2. Michael

3. Joshua

4. Matthew

5. Andrew

6. Joseph

7. Nicholas

8. Anthony

9. Tyler

10. Daniel

Girls

1. Emily

2. Hannah

3. Madison

4. Samantha

5. Ashley

6. Sarah

7. Elizabeth

8. Kayla

9. Alexis

10. Abigail

Your should know:

The information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child's condition.