The 241 Nerdiest Names Parents Actually Gave Their Children
Whether you are curious about the unique and interesting nerdiest names in the US, or are looking for lists for names to consider yourself, then look no further!
The Top 50 nerdiest names parents gave their kids last year
- Abcde
- Anakin
- Aragorn
- Aristotle
- Arwen
- Atom
- Beowulf
- Calcifer
- Curie
- Daenerys
- Decimus
- Dracarys
- Draco
- Eevee
- Ethereal
- Galadriel
- Galileo
- Gamora
- Gandalf
- Gotham
- Hermione
- Illidan
- Infinity
- Jedi
- Kalel
- Khaleesi
- Kratos
- Lancelot
- Leonidas
- Lucario
- Magic
- Matrix
- Mercury
- Merlin
- Navi
- Newton
- Nymeria
- Ollivander
- Polaris
- Quest
- Seven
- Sherlock
- Socrates
- Sylvanas
- Tauriel
- Tron
- Tycho
- Valkyrie
- Xerxes
- Zenith
The nerdiest names based on astronomy
This group of nerdiest names may come from famous astronomers, or things you find in space. This section overlaps a lot with the Greek names in the next section, making the nerd connections even stronger.
If you’re on the hunt for the nerdiest names for characters in something you’re writing, this section is full of great choices!
On the other hand, it’s very interesting to see that names like Nova and Orion are fairly common!
- Armstrong (7 boys)
- Cassiopeia (10 girls)
- Cosmo (49 boys)
- Galaxy (34 girls, 6 boys)
- Galileo (29 boys), Galilea (427 girls)
- Gemini (15 boys)
- Helio (5 boys)
- Helios (30 boys)
- Horizon (8 girls)
- Jupiter (33 boys)
- Mir (10 boys)
- Moon (25 girls, 7 boys)
- Nova (4294 girls, 254 boys). I’ve always thought names related to astronomy sound pretty nerdy. So I was amazed to see that the girl’s name Nova is the 51st most popular name in the US in 2019! And it’s the 864th most popular boy’s name!
- Orion (1072 boys), Orian (22 boys), Oriyan (5 boys). In 2019, Orion was the 312th most popular boy’s name in the US!
- (6 girls)
- Rigel (21 boys)
- Rocket (23 boys)
- Sagan (36 boys)
- Saturn (7 girls)
- Sol (64 boys)
- Solar (7 boys)
- Solaris (9 boys)
- Stellar (8 girls)
- Sun (8 boys)
- Taurus (15 boys)
- Tycho (26 boys). Tycho Brahe, the Danish astronomer, has one of the nerdiest names in my book! In Greek mythology, Tyche was the goddess of destiny and coincidence. But Tycho likely comes from the Norse elements for Thor. Does it get any nerdier than astronomy and Norse mythology?
- Zenith (10 girls)
Nerdy Greek and Roman Names
- Aeneas (18 boys)
- Aesop (6 boys
- Alpha (67 boys)
- Apollo (589 boys)
- Aristotle (25 boys)
- Atlas (1,649 boys)
- Cato (26 boys)
- Chiron (16 boys)
- Circe (18 girls)
- Decimus (5 boys)
- Deimos (5 boys)
- Denarius (6 boys)
- Dionysus (9 boys)
- Hercules (10 boys)
- Hermes (20 boys)
- Icarus (9 boys)
- Io (6 girls)
- Janus (5 boys)
- Juno (20 boys)
- Kratos (15 boys)
- Leonidas (603 boys)
- Mars (88 boys)
- Mercury (9 boys, 8 girls). Some of the names in this section might just sound unique, like Juno or Alpha. But Mercury is well-known as a Roman god, the liquid silvery element that used to be used in thermometers, and a planet, so it qualifies as one of the nerdiest names in my mind!
- Midas (13 boys)
- Noctis (21 boys)
- Nyx (34 girls, 6 boys
- Odysseus (43 boys)
- Omega (52 boys, 16 girls)
- Ozymandias (9 boys)
- Pandora (38 girls)
- Perseus (103 boys)
- Poseidon (31 boys)
- Prometheus (9 boys)
- Ptolemy (5 boys)
- Romulus (15 boys)
- Socrates (5 boys)
- Theseus (30 boys)
- Triton (58 boys)
- Virgil (89 boys)
- Xerxes (11 boys)
- Zeus (174 boys)
The Geekiest Names from Literature and Books
- Abcde (14 girls): I wonder if these parents were inspired by the little girl who was mocked by the flight attendant in 2018. The mother clarified that it’s pronounced “Ab-city.”
- Beowulf (7 boys)
- Dartagnan (32 boys), Dartanian (10 boys)
- Ender (103 boys)
- Eragon (7 boys)
- Finnick (101 boys), Finnic (5 boys)
- Gatsby (10 boys)
- Grimm (11 boys)
- Hamlet (13 boys)
- Hemingway (5 boys)
- Holmes (6 boys)
- Huckleberry (19 boys)
- Huxley (469 boys)
- Ishmael (140 boys)
- Jubal (12 boys)
- Kipling (9 boys)
- Numair (5 boys)
- Oberon (26 boys)
- Othello (10 boys)
- Sherlock (6 boys) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective Sherlock Holmes takes his name from the last name “shear lock,” referring to someone with close-cut hair. Would you name your child for the extraordinarily intelligent sleuth?
- Tempest (27 girls)
Related post: Looking for more nerdy names? Check out my full list of the best nerdy baby names!
Lord of the Rings
- Aragorn (9 boys)
- Arwen (144 girls)
- Galadriel (5 girls)
- Gandalf
- Peregrine (15 boys)
- Pippin (7 boys)
- Rohan (315 boys, 7 girls). In 2019, quite a few children were named after this fictional land that JRR Tolkien invented in Lord of the Rings.
- Samwise (15 boys)
- Tauriel (18 girls)
- Theoden (37 boys)
Related post: Check out over 80 unique Lord of The Rings names here!
The Nerdiest Names Based on Arthurian Legend and Medieval Themes
Many of these names just sound nerdy to me, since they are so closely associated with medieval fantasy. But some have a bohemian vibe too!
- Aegis (6 boys)
- Armor (11 boys)
- Axe (11 boys)
- Bastion (33 boys)
- Bow (18 boys)
- Cannon (557 boys)
- Castle (19 boys)
- Ethereal (5 girls)
- Fairy (5 girls)
- Knight (70 boys)
- Lancelot (6 boys)
- Magic (17 boys, 6 girls)
- Meliodas (19 boys)
- Merlin (52 boys), Merlyn (6 boys)
- Morningstar (8 girls)
- Percival (37 boys), Perceval (5 boys)
- Pixie (12 girls)
- Quest (68 boys, 6 girls)
- Saber (12 boys), Sabre (10 girls)
Nerd Names from Harry Potter
- Alastor (37 boys)
- Albus (12 boys)
- Draco (99 boys) Of course, Draco means dragon. Dragons are practically the symbol of nerds! This Greek name also refers to a constellation. And there’s Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter. Draco was also the first law scribe in ancient Greece. Finally, actress Danica Kellar named her son Draco!
- Fawkes (6 boys)
- Hermione (89 girls)
- Nox (28 boys), Noxx (10 boys)
- Ollivander (35 boys), Olivander (18 boys)
- Severus (12 boys)
- Sirius (53 boys). This one belongs under the astrological names too!
Related Post: Discover over 2,300 nerdy names from the Wheel of Time
Nerdy Movies and TV Shows
- Calcifer (9 boys) That’s right, there are 9 boys named after the fire sprite from Howl’s Moving Castle. Did you know the Studio Ghibli movie is loosely based on the book by the same name by Diana Wynn Jones?
- Deckard (26 boys)
- Goku (7 boys)
- Inigo (9 boys)
- Jareth (57 boys). Did you know this name was invented for Labyrinth?
- Neo (122 boys)
Star Trek
- Jeanluc (23 boys)
- Seven (59 girls). Who can say if parents named their girls after Seven of Nine, or Seven from Final Fantasy, or the tv show of the same name. I’ll just assume Star Trek, which is the nerdiest source in my opinion!
=Related Post: 115 Star Trek Baby Names=
Star Wars Themed Names
- Anakin (222 boys), Aniken (5 boys). Does it get much nerdier than the name Anakin Skywalker? George Lucas invented this name, possibly basing it on his friend Ken Annakin.
- Han (26 boys, 19 girls)
- Jedi (19 boys)
- Kylo (233 boys), Kailo (34 boys), Khylo (5 boys)
- Mace (60 boys)
- Solo (6 boys)
The nerdiest names from Game of Thrones
- Aegon (5 boys)
- Aemon (24 boys)
- Daenerys (142 girls), Daenarys (7 girls)
- Dracarys (5 boys)
- Jorah (35 boys)
- Khaleesi (552 girls), Caleesi (14 girls), Khalessi (32 girls). You know, like Daenerys’s title from Game of Thrones. Starting in 2014, 369 children were named Khaleesi, with more receiving the name each year! In 2019, it was the 582nd most popular girl’s name in the US! I’m intrigued by the fact that this name is more popular than Daenerys!
- Nymeria (22 girls), Nymere (5 boys)
- Oberyn (18 boys)
- Olenna (16 girls)
- Renly (47 boys), Renley (32 boys)
- Rhaegar (10 boys)
- Samwell (10 boys)
- Sandor (11 boys)
- Stark (27 boys)
- Tirion (5 boys)
- Tully (12 boys, 10 girls)
- Tywin (5 boys)
=Related post: over 1,600 Game of Thrones name ideas=
The nerdiest superhero and super villain- themed names
- Arrow (158 boys)
- Bane (52 boys)
- Banner (38 boys)
- Flash (5 boys)
- Gamora (8 girls)
- Gotham (22 boys), Gautham (19 boys), Gowtham (5 boys)
- Kalel (232 boys). Did you know Nicholas Cage named his son Kal-El, after Superman’s birth name? According to the show’s writers, it means “star child.” From 2013 onward, over 200 babies in the US have been named Kal-El or Kalel every year!
- Kent (122 boys)
- Marvel (31 boys), Marvell (13 boys)
- Odin (1007 boys) (Ok, maybe the Norse names deserve their own separate section- what do you think? )
- Quill (63 boys)
- Ragnarok (5 boys)
- Thanos (18 boys)
- Thor (95 boys)
- Tron (7 boys)
- Valkyrie (108 girls)
- Xena (193 girls). Do you remember the TV show Xena, Warrior Princess? In 1996 and 1997, 279 and 275 were named Xena! Looks like it is declining in popularity, but in 2019, there were still 193 babies named Xena!
Names from Video Games
- Daedric (5 boys)
- Demon (6 boys)
- Eevee (56 girls).
- Eldar (11 boys)
- Gannon (189 boys)
- Ganon (19 boys)
- Garrus (11 boys)
- Illidan (6 boys). You were not prepared! (to name your child after a World of Warcraft character!)
- Link (151 boys)
- Lucario (7 boys). This name sounds pretty awesome, but I just can’t help but think of the Pokemon!
- Luigi (38 boys)
- Mana (9 boys)
- Navi (104 girls, 32 boys)
- Roxas (36 boys)
- Sims (6 boys)
- Sora (39 boys)
- Sylvanas (8 girls)
- Tauren (25 boys)
- Yennifer (7 girls)
- Zelda (434 girls)
Related post: Check out 329 Magic: The Gathering baby names here!
Math and Science-Based Names
- Atom (55 boys)
- Carbon (7 boys)
- Chaos (7 boys)
- Coal (7 boys)
- Copper (20 boys)
- Curie (8 girls)
- Darwin (223 boys)
- Davinci (20 boys)
- Escher (23 boys)
- Helix (11 boys)
- Infinity (42 girls)
- Ion (13 boys)
- Iron (5 boys)
- Kilo (8 boys)
- Lazer (44 boys)
- Logic (13 boys)
- Machiavelli (7 boys)
- Matrix (6 boys)
- Mega (13 boys)
- Mendel (71 boys)
- Million (24 boys)
- Neon (10 boys)
- Newton (30 boys)
- Nobel (12 boys)
- Power (5 girls)
- Reality (13 girls)
- Tesla (6 boys)
- Trillion (9 boys)
FAQ
How did you put together this list of names?
Each year, the Social Security Administration publishes the names of all children in the US who receive social security numbers. If there are less than five children with that name, the names aren’t published for privacy reasons.
I downloaded the full list and manually read through it. I am a nerd so I thought it was a lot of fun!
If you’d like to download the list yourself, or see other interesting name data, check out the SSA site here!