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Modern Hero Baby Names

Modern hero baby names send a powerful message about your values and the qualities you hope your child will one day embody. They might be inspired by stars of screen or sports or literature or politics. Modern hero names may also honor heroes and heroines of the past who still inspire us today, such as Eleanor Roosevelt or Duke Ellington.

The particular challenge of hero names is that they honor figures with complicated histories, just like the rest of us. Even among heroes who are long gone or even fictional, there remains the risk of their image becoming spotted after the baby has been named. This isn’t always a death knell — Atticus has remained in good standing despite the sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird revealing him as a less progressive character.

Along with Eleanor and Atticus, other modern hero names in the US Top 1000 include Audrey, Baker, Ford, Iker, Kenzo, Marley, Simone, and Stevie. Distinctive first names that would make cool modern hero names include Indira, Kehinde, Malala, and Noam.

A modern hero name gives your child an inspirational figure to look up to from the very beginning. Search our favorite modern hero baby names below.

Hathaway

Meaning: one who lives near the heath

Origin:English surname
4197
Teresa

Meaning: to harvest

Origin:Spanish
503
Palmer

Meaning: one who holds a palm

Origin:English
2344
Daenerys Daenerys is a name of English origins. In th...
Origin:Literary name
1663
Frida

Meaning: peace

Origin:German
744
Katniss The meaning of Katniss is 'a beautiful plant...
Origin:Literary and botanical name
1311
Chanel

Meaning: dweller near the canal

Origin:French
1144
Rihanna

Meaning: sweet basil

Origin:Arabic
1313
Elvis The name Elvis is from Scandinavian origin. ...
Origin:Meaning unknown
643
Jedi

Meaning: Beloved by the Lord

Origin:Literary name or short form of Jedidiah, Hebrew
8251
Carmelo

Meaning: garden

Origin:Spanish and Italian from Hebrew
1647
Ulysses The name Ulysses is of Latin origin. The mea...
Origin:Latin variation of the Greek Odysseus
607
Hawkins

Meaning: hawk

Origin:English
3873
Parks

Meaning: park-keeper or stone

Origin:English
4886
Legend

Meaning: hero or fable

Origin:English
556
Iker

Meaning: visitation

Origin:Basque
1035
Radley

Meaning: red meadow

Origin:English
5111
Rohmer

Meaning: pilgrim; fame

Origin:German surname
5723
Noam

Meaning: pleasantness, charm, tenderness

Origin:Hebrew
1578
Gable

Meaning: triangular feature in architecture

Origin:French
2567