Indulge my wandering soul 😊

So my approach to naming is that I don’t want to honor people but I do want to choose meaningful names. I’m looking for names with meanings and associations that match the values I want for my future little ones.

Specifically, meanings related to:

  • Travel or wanderlust
  • Strength or protection (of others, of the earth, of values)
  • Earth (nature and love of nature)
  • Artistic
  • Kindness
  • Intelligence or skepticism
  • Humanism
  • Dreamer or idealism

Please, NO meanings related to religion or God. I’m also avoiding biblical or Saint names.

What names do you think capture this wandering, feminist, humanist, almost hippie dippie vibe? Names that feel like my son, either as a first or middle?

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hmmm… what about:

Faramund (ā€œprotector of travelersā€)
Somerled (ā€œsummer travelerā€)
Peregrine (ā€œtravelerā€)
Sojourner (ā€œtravelerā€ plus good namesakes!)
Doran (ā€œwandererā€)
Miran (ā€œworldā€)
Journey (too on-the-nose?)

i like this challenge and will be back later with more ideas! just have to go afk now so take what i’ve come up with so far ^^

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hmmm okay

maybe names like:
Sage
Clover
Fern
Wilder
River
Hazel

names of famous scientists could work, or names related to science in some way, like:
Darwin (Charles Darwin)
William (Bill Nye)
Galileo (Galileo Galilei)
Leonardo (Leonardo da Vinci)
Rosen or Franklin (Rosalind Franklin and Benjamin Franklin)
Newton (Isaac Newton)
Florence or Nightingale (Florence Nightingale)
Firenze (fee-den-zay) could also work for Florence Nightingale
Claude (Claudius Ptolemy)
Neil (Neil DeGrasse Tyson)
Stephen or Hawk (Stephen Hawking)
Ezio ā€œhawkā€ could also work for Stephen Hawking
Richard (?) (Richard Dawkins)
Sagan or Saga (Carl Sagan)
Most of these names also apply to humanism, since they mostly come from humanists/atheists

Astro
Mars
Jupiter
Callisto
Lune
Helio ā€œsunā€

Names that mean intelligent/smart:
Vivek ā€œwisdomā€
Hugo ā€œintellectā€
Sage ā€œwise and knowingā€
Cato ā€œall knowingā€
Feivel ā€œbrilliant oneā€
Kendry ā€œwise manā€

this is kind of a stretch but Reverie means daydream, so Revere could be a masc form of that

I hope these help!! the search to find good, not religious names is difficult so I totally feel you there lol. good luck! <3

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[name_m]Petrichor[/name_m]

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@anon35922409 thank you!! I literally love all of those meanings so much! Can’t wait to see the rest!

@venezio thank you! :relaxed: I didn’t notice how many boy names have religious meanings until I realized that it would bother me. I love…
[name_u]Sage[/name_u]
[name_u]Wilder[/name_u]
[name_u]River[/name_u]
[name_m]Darwin[/name_m]
[name_m]Galileo[/name_m]
[name_u]Nightingale[/name_u]
[name_u]Claude[/name_u] (or Ptolemy!)
[name_m]Ezio[/name_m]
[name_m]Astro[/name_m]
[name_u]Mars[/name_u]
[name_m]Feivel[/name_m]
[name_u]Kendry[/name_u]
[name_u]Revere[/name_u]

@Harvest-Endellion thank you! [name_m]Petrichor[/name_m] is interesting, what does it mean?

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more suggestions!

Wilder (ā€œuntamed, wildā€)
Farren (ā€œwandererā€)
Gatlin (ā€œwandering manā€)
Nestor (ā€œtravelerā€)
Viator (ā€œvoyagerā€)
Ferdinand or Dinand (ā€œbold voyagerā€)
Bonaventure (ā€œgood fortuneā€)
Kota (ā€œgood fortuneā€)
Esmond or Osmond (ā€œgraceful protectionā€)
Emmon (ā€œrich protectionā€)
Wilkie or Wiley (ā€œresolute protectionā€)
Julian (ā€œsky fatherā€ - too religious?)
Coel (ā€œbeliefā€)
Petrichor (ā€œthe scent of fresh rain on dry groundā€)
Damek (ā€œson of the red earthā€ - too biblical due to etymological link to Adam?)
Mies (ā€œson of the earthā€)
Holt (ā€œson of the unspoiled forestsā€)
Dagwood (ā€œshining forestā€)
Roscoe (ā€œdeer forestā€)
Zale (ā€œsea-strengthā€)
Almeisan (ā€œthe shining oneā€ - also the name of a star in Gemini)
Gilbert (ā€œshining promiseā€)
Painter (obvious)

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the beautiful scent of rain after long dryness

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In the spirit of wandering, I love [name_m]Meander[/name_m] as a name.

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I love these parametres, and I love your take on naming. I also share your not using specific honours but using very meaningful names style.

Amedeo •Amedeo Modigliani , a famous Italian painter and sculptor
Aqil •means intelligent/wise in Arabic
Arlotto •I just discovered this, it looks like it possibly comes from an old French word meaning vagabond or tramp
Atlas •the obvious connection to the word atlas always gives me traveling vibes when I hear this name
Ayan •means road, path or solar path in Bengali
Benigno •means kind/friendly
Beren •means strong/smart in Turkish
Caiseal • Caiseal Mor, an Australian sci-fi and fantasy novelist, artist and musician
CĆ©zanne •from the French artist, Paul CĆ©zanne
Chares / Charis •means grace/kindness, Chares was also the name of a Greek sculptor
Domenico •Domenico Veneziano was a Renaissance painter
Elisedd •means kind
Enki •means lord of the earth or lord of the ground. it’s a name from Sumerian mythology. Enki was the Sumerian god of water and wisdom. I’m not sure how you feel about mythological names?
Hozan •means poet/intellect in Kurdish
Irfan •means knowledge/awareness/learning in Arabic (I especially love the thought of the awareness meaning)
Kahlo •Frida Kahlo
Keefe •loosely means descendant of beauty/gentleness/kindness
Kees •a Dutch painter, Kees van Dongen
Koios or Coeus •Meaning, origin and history of the name Koios - Behind the Name this potential meaning seems like the epitome of what you are looking for to me
Matisse •from French artist, Henri Matisse
Mungo •gentle/kind
Phintias • Phintias was an ancient Greek vase painter
Pictor •Latin meaning painter, also a constellation
Romare • for the African American artist, Romare Bearden
Veremund •means vigilant or cautious protection
Walker •the obvious meaning makes it feel like a traveling name
Wasi •means broad-minded/liberal/learned in Arabic
Winslow •famous American painter, Winslow Homer

I got my meanings from behind the name website. Since I couldn’t find any name meanings that related to art, I went with names of artists. I’m not sure if that kind of connection is something you are interested in.

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Would you ever consider simply using [name_m]Art[/name_m] as a name? Can’t get much more artsy then that!

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@Harvest-Endellion ooh that’s so cool! I love that meaning!

@anon35922409 wow, thank you! I love…
[name_u]Wilder[/name_u]
[name_m]Farren[/name_m]
[name_m]Gatlin[/name_m]
[name_m]Kota[/name_m]
[name_m]Esmond[/name_m]
[name_m]Emmon[/name_m]
[name_m]Petrichor[/name_m]
[name_u]Roscoe[/name_u]
[name_m]Zale[/name_m]
[name_m]Almeisan[/name_m]

@columbiacharm thank you! I love seeing someone else taking this approach too! I don’t mind mythological names, in fact I rather like them, it’s just Judeo-Christian names that I’m avoiding. I love…
[name_m]Amedeo[/name_m]
Arlotto
[name_u]Atlas[/name_u]
[name_u]Ayan[/name_u]
Caiseal
[name_u]Kahlo[/name_u]
[name_m]Keene[/name_m]
Koios (love this!)
[name_u]Matisse[/name_u]
Veremund
[name_m]Art[/name_m] feels more like a nickname for [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] than a name to me but it is quite artsy lol.

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[name_m]Eric[/name_m], [name_m]Carl[/name_m] (Eric Carle)
[name_u]Dale[/name_u], [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] (Dale [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] Chihuly)
[name_m]Frank[/name_m], [name_m]Lloyd[/name_m] (Frank [name_m]Lloyd[/name_m] Wright)

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[name_u]Evren[/name_u]
[name_m]Caspian[/name_m]
[name_f]Monet[/name_f]
[name_m]Angelo[/name_m]
[name_m]Hawthorn[/name_m]
[name_u]Cedar[/name_u]
[name_u]Cypress[/name_u]

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i w i l l t a k e l i t e r a l l y e v e r y n a m e l i s t e d h e r e, t h a n k y o u v e r y m u c h.

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[name_m]Leander[/name_m] (lion of a man)
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] (friend of deer)
[name_m]Alaric[/name_m] (ruler of all)
[name_m]Atreus[/name_m] (fearless)
[name_u]Cato[/name_u] (wise)
[name_m]Rembrandt[/name_m] (a painter’s name meaning sword of advice)
[name_m]Amias[/name_m] (friend)

I’m trying to avoid any obviously [name_u]Christian[/name_u] names, but saints’ names in particular are hard to avoid since there are so many of them. :sweat_smile:

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[name_m]Rainier[/name_m]
[name_u]Everest[/name_u]

[name_u]Noe[/name_u] – rest, peace
[name_u]Payson[/name_u] – son of peace
[name_u]Wendell[/name_u] – seeker, wanderer
Woodard – caretaker of the woods
[name_u]Amory[/name_u] – leader, brave, divine

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@shells15 thank you!! Those names aren’t really my style but I like the people!

@Greyblue thank you!! I love
[name_u]Evren[/name_u]
[name_m]Caspian[/name_m]
[name_f]Monet[/name_f] (love this on a boy!)
[name_m]Hawthorn[/name_m]

@choupette thank you!! I’m really trying not to let saint names bother me because of that lol. I love
[name_m]Leander[/name_m]
[name_m]Alaric[/name_m]
[name_m]Atreus[/name_m]
[name_u]Cato[/name_u]
[name_m]Amias[/name_m]

@PaperGirlAC thank you! :relaxed: I love
[name_m]Rainier[/name_m]
[name_u]Everest[/name_u]
[name_u]Wendell[/name_u]
[name_u]Amory[/name_u]

@tfzolghadr thank you !! I used to be catholic but most of the time, I discover names are saint names when I look them up on BtN. There’s just so many! I love
[name_u]Berlin[/name_u]
[name_u]Morocco[/name_u]
[name_m]Caspian[/name_m]
[name_m]Adrian[/name_m]
[name_u]Denver[/name_u]
Traverse
[name_u]Quest[/name_u]
Aukai
[name_m]Ansel[/name_m]
[name_m]Eamon[/name_m]
[name_m]Aatami[/name_m]
[name_m]Aatos[/name_m]
[name_m]Ahti[/name_m]
[name_m]Dallin[/name_m]
Ilmarinen
[name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Thor[/name_m]
[name_u]Canyon[/name_u]
[name_u]Equinox[/name_u]
[name_u]Solstice[/name_u]
[name_u]Everest[/name_u]
[name_m]Malachite[/name_m]
[name_u]Onyx[/name_u]
[name_u]Falcon[/name_u]
[name_u]Rio[/name_u]
[name_u]Oleander[/name_u]
[name_u]Sage[/name_u]
[name_u]Starling[/name_u]
[name_m]Grayling[/name_m]
Capelin
[name_u]Marlin[/name_u]
[name_u]Sunbeam[/name_u]
Arctic
[name_u]Golden[/name_u]
[name_u]Quill[/name_u]
[name_u]Rune[/name_u]
[name_m]Thorn[/name_m]
[name_u]Nightingale[/name_u]
[name_u]Wolf[/name_u]
[name_u]Cove[/name_u]
[name_u]Eagle[/name_u]
[name_u]Orion[/name_u]
Cosmos
[name_u]Zenith[/name_u]
[name_u]Evren[/name_u]
Keone
[name_u]Kai[/name_u]
Alapai
Nahele
Kawai
[name_m]Keanu[/name_m]

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