Rock

Rock means exactly what you think it means. The main reason for thinking of the word rock as a possible name for a person is the fame of actor Rock Hudson. In the actor's case the name was a stage name, given to the actor to evoke an image of strength (as in Rock of Gibraltar.) His real name was Roy. Rock never caught on as a popular name for boys, but it does make a wonderful name for a dog, either as a name in its own right, or as a shortened form of Rocket.

Jaiden

Jaiden is an interesting name that seems to have simply been invented sometime in the 1980's or 1990's. It may ultimately derive from the Hebrew name Jadon ("thankful,") but it's more likely that it is inspired by the popularity of the name Jade, with spelling possibly inspired by the Japanese word gaiden. Jaiden is being used in the U.S. to name both boys and girls, but seems to most often be used as a masculine name. In both cases it appeared on the U.S. top 1000 lists in 1999, and has risen steadily in popularity for both boys and girls since then.

Joyce

According to the authoritative sources, Joyce became a name this way: First there was the Breton name Iodoc, which meant "lord." The Latinized form of that name was Jodocus. From Jodocus came the Norman name Josce and the Middle English Josse. These were all male names, apparently, as well. None of the forms survived the Middle Ages as given names, but they did survive as surnames, including Joyce. Joyce began to gain some popularity for girls in the U.S. in the late 19th century, and became truly popular in the early decades of the 20th century. It remained in the top 100 names for girls in the U.S. from 1924 until 1966. Joyce also appeared as a name for boys during the first half of the 20th century, possibly often as a transferred use of the surname. Joyce is currently still a top 1000 name in the U.S., and may eventually regain at least some of its former popularity, once it is no longer perceived as being outdated. The original meaning of the name that Joyce is derived from is mostly irrelevant to the name as it is used these days, but it is worth noting that part of the popularity of the name is due to the fact that it contains the word "joy," also used as a name in its own right. For this reason, I think it's fair to consider "joy" as an implied meaning of the name Joyce when it's used as a given name.

Isaac

Although the meaning of the name Isaac is not certain, it is most often said to mean "he laughs." In the Old Testament Isaac was the son of Abraham, the husband of Rebecca, and the father of Esau and Jacob. Isaac was popular among the Jews of the Middle Ages and beyond, and the Puritans of the 17th century. Today the name is used by both Jews and Christians, and is currently enjoying a popularity spike throughout the English-speaking world. Isaac has been a top 100 name for boys in the U.S. since 1995. Famous Isaacs include Sir Isaac Newton, and Isaac Asimov.

Wesley

Wesley comes from the combination of the directional word west, and the word lea, which means "meadow," "field," or "clearing." So Wesley can mean the clearing to the west, or the western field, etc. Wesley is a surname which signified someone who lived in such a place, or who was from one of the places in England which were given the name Westley. Many surnames have been transferred to use as given names, and the use often began as a means of naming a child for his mother's family, with her maiden name used as her son's given name. Wesley is one of these, but also received a boost in use from the founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, with many Methodists choosing name their sons Wesley in his honor. Interestingly, Wesley has been a top 200 name in the U.S. for well over 100 years, with very little real variation--it has never been used enough to become over-used and too common, yet has never been rare. This may be partly due to the Methodist factor, but is probably also due to the fact that Wesley is a reasonably masculine and distinguished sounding name, common enough to not be "outlandish," yet it doesn't really invite nicknames or familiar forms that would bring it into more common use. Consequently, it's often used as a middle name. Famous Wesleys include Wesley Snipes, and the character Wesley from television's Star Trek: The Next Generation. (Before someone yells at me for forgetting him, the character played by Cary Elwes in the movie The Princess Bride was named Westley, which is a simple spelling variation that makes sense for the setting of the book and movie.)

Elmer

Elmer comes from an Old English name which was comprised of the elements ædhel ("noble") and maer ("famous.") Although Elmer was not used much as a given name after the Norman Conquest, but it did survive as a surname. When Elmer is used as a given name today it represents an instance of a surname being used as given name. The practice of using surnames as given names, particularly for boys, and especially the use of the mother's maiden name as a son's given name, was particularly popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and Elmer's popularity coicides with this practice. Elmer seems to be a rare name today, but in the first two decades of the 20th century, Elmer was a top 50 name for boys in the U.S. From the 1920's onward, Elmer's popularity steadily declined until the 1980's, when it more or less stabilized without ever dropping out of the top 1000. Elmer is still given to newborn baby boys enough today that it remains in the top 1000, but it shows no signs of regaining popularity. Elmer's early popularity could have led to its decline in use, due to overuse, and the eventual perception of the name as old-fashioned, but Elmer has more working against it than that. The popularity of Warner Brothers cartoon character Elmer Fudd keeps the name in the public conciousness, while also discouraging its use for babies. Elmer Fudd is so famous and so beloved that Google even has a feature that sort of allows you to search the internet like Elmer Fudd would. Famous and beloved, yes, but still not a character most people would choose to name their sons for. In addition to reminding everyone who hears his name of Elmer Fudd, a child named Elmer might also have to contend with another famous close association with his name, Elmer's Glue. Although Elmer is unlikely to regain much popularity as a name for a child as long as Elmer Fudd is well-known (which we can hope is always,) its still a great name for a pet, particularly for a dog, (or maybe a snake or hamster.)

Keanu

According to Ask Oxford's Consise Dictionary of First Names, Keanu is a Hawaiian name, and means "cool breeze blowing down from the mountains," but others dispute the meaning. Whatever the meaning, Keanu has appeared in the U.S. top 1000 names for baby boys consistently since 1994, almost entirely owing to the fame of actor Keanu Reeves. Some names have been popularized by movie stars and gone on to become standard names--Gary for instance--but it's doubtful that this will happen with Keanu. I'd recommend it more for naming a dog or cat than for a child.

Sebastian

Sebastian comes from the Latin Sebastianus, which means "man from Sebaste." Sebaste was a town in Asia Minor, and its name came from the Greek sebastos which meant "august" or "venerable," so it is reasonable enough to give Sebastian that meaning as well, if "man from Sebaste" isn't meaningful enough for you. Sebastian was the name of a 3rd century saint. He was an officer in the Imperial Roman Army, and was tied to a tree and shot multiple times with arrows by his own fellow officers after being charged with being a Christian. More about him can be found here. Sebastian is a more popular name than you might think. In the U.S. the name has been steadily in use enough to nearly always appear in the top 1000, and since the year 2000, Sebastian has been consistently in the top 100. It is similarly popular in other English-speaking countries including Australia and Canada, and is even more popular (top 50) in Sweden and Norway. The usual popularity of the name in prior decades can be largely attributed to its status as a saint name, and as a surname but why it is currently enjoying a popularity rise, I haven't got a clue.

Randall

Randall comes from the name Randolf, a Norman given name which means "shield wolf" or possibly "raven wolf." Randall is the vernacular form of Randolf that was used in medieval times--which simply means that the spelling "Randall" represents how "Randolf" was pronounced. The surname Randall comes from the use of Randolf as a given name in medieval times, and more modern use as Randall as a given name in its own right is a result of the surname. Randall enjoyed some real popularity in the middle decades of the 20th century, but has been steadily falling in popularity since the 1960's. It is still used often enough to almost make the top 500 list in the U.S., however, and could eventually regain some popularity. The main drawback to the name is the fact that its most obvious nickname, Randy, is a slang term in England meaning "horny."

Jade

Jade is a gem name, and is simply the word for the precious stone used as a given name. Gem names, such as Ruby, were quite popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Jade was not part of this trend, because "jade" was also a slang term used as a synonym for a floozy or hussy, and also a slang term used for a worn out horse--a nag. Jade only really began to be used popularly as a given name after Mick Jagger's daughter, Jade, was so named, in the early 1970's. Since then, Jade has been a fairly popular name in the U.S., mostly given to girls, but given to boys often enough to have made the top 1000 occasionally since the 1970's. Jade (for girls) has been even more popular other English speaking countries in recent years, and has become especially popular in France and Belgium, as well. Jada and Jayda are both names derived from Jade that have lately been gaining popularity.

Shane

Shane is a variation of the Irish name Sean; basically just a matter of spelling it the way it sounds when pronounced in areas of Northern Ireland. Currently Shane is a quite popular name in Ireland, but less so in Northern Ireland--which makes sense when you think about it. It is a top 50 name in both cases, anyway. In the U.S., Shane began to be used to name baby boys in the 1950's, almost entirely due to the success of the movie Shane. Shane was a top 100 name during the 1970's and 1980's, but in the 1990's it started to slip in the rankings. It has dropped a little each year since the mid 1990's, but is still currently a top 200 name. Shane is normally a boys name, but is very occasionally (very!) used as a girl's name.

Lamont

Lamont comes from the Irish and Scottish surname, and its use as a given name has been mainly confined to the U.S. The surname is derived from Lagman which was a given name used in medieval times. Lagman comes from the Old Norse combination of log ("law") and madhr ("man"). This gives a resulting meaning for Lamont of "lawman" or "law giver." Lamont began to appear in the U.S. top 1000 names list in the 1940's, and its popularity peaked in the 1970's--though it never was a really "popular" name, at any time. Use of the name has declined steadily since the 1970's, and in 2004 the name was still in the top 1000, but barely. The first thing many of us think of when we hear the name Lamont is that it was the name of Fred Sanford's son in the Redd Foxx television show, Sanford and Son.

Drake

Drake is a surname that is also used as a given name. The surname itself comes from two possible sources; an old given name, and an old nickname. The given name was Draca, (meaning "snake" or "dragon,") which was used into the Middle Ages, and spawned some instances of the surname Drake. Drake was also a nickname which meant "duck," and of course Drake is still used as a word for a male duck today. Drake has been gaining popularity with new parents in the U.S. since the early 1990's, and is currently a top 300 name for new baby boys.

Dominic

Dominic comes from the Late Latin Dominicus which is itself derived from dominus, which means "lord." Dominic is therefore taken to mean "of the lord." Saint Dominic was the founder of the Dominican order of monks, inspiring some Roman Catholic parents to name thier sons Dominic in his honor. Dominic, because of its meaning, has also been traditionally used to name a child born on Sunday. Dominic is currently enjoying a popularity spike in many English speaking countries, including the U.S. and Australia. Nicknames for Dominic include Dom and Nick, and the alternate spelling Dominick is sometimes used. The Dominic most in the popular public consciousness presently is Dominic Monaghan, who played "Merry" in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, and who also appears on television's "Lost."

Esteban

Esteban is a Spanish version of Stephen which has gained some popularity in the United States since the 1950's.

Demetrius

Demetrius comes from Demeter. Demeter was the Greek goddess of agriculture, and her name translates to "earth mother." There were several early saints named Demetrius, Shakespeare wrote of a Demetrius in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and John Dryden's translation of Plutarch's Demetrius can be found here. Demetrius has been given to baby boys often enough in the U.S. since the 1950's to remain consistently in the top 1000 names, but has never been what could be called "popular." It will probably remain so; as a classical name and a saint's name, it will likely continue to be used, but it would probably require a super-celebrity with the name Demetrius to push it into a popularity spike. The lack of good nicknames for this name also works against it. Although I can't recommend it as a baby name for anyone but the most adventurous of parents, Demetrius is an excellent name for a dog or cat.

Samuel

Samuel is a Biblical name, which comes from the Hebrew Shemuel, and means "God has heard." Samuel was a judge and a prophet of the Old Testament, and he anointed both Saul and David king. Samuel was popular with the Puritans of the 17th century, and with the Prostestant Noncomformists in the 18th and 19th centuries. Samuel remained popular throughout the 20th century, rarely falling out of the top 50 names for baby boys in the United States. Samuel remains just as popular today, not just in the U.S. and England, but through nearly all of the English speaking world, as well as in France, Spain, and Sweden. Samuel brings with it the nicknames Sam and Sammy. Famous Samuels include Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and Samuel Morse. The Samuel most in-the-news lately has been Samuel Alito, whose confirmation hearings may have caused many people to feel a strong need for a Sam Adams.

Donovan

Donovan is a surname which is also used as a given name for boys. The surname comes from the Irish surname, the Gaelic Ó Donndubháin, which means "descendant of Donndubhán." Donndubhán comes from the combination of donn ("brown") and dubh ("dark" or "black".) Probably the most well known Donovan is the singer Donovan Leitch, famous for such songs as "Mellow Yellow," and "Sunshine Superman." Donovan's music has recently been in the American consciousness once again through the use of his song "Catch the Wind" in a Volvo television commercial, though many people probably don't realize who the singer is, or the signifcance of the song (it was Donvan's first record.) In recent years there has been a strong trend of using surnames (such as Ashley, Reagan, and Kendall,) as given names for girls. Donovan hasn't turned up in this trend so far, and I am vaguely surprised by that; to me, at least, this seems at least as good a choice as Kendall or Reagan. In any case, if you are in search of an Irish or Gaelic derived surname to use as a first name for your new daughter, and you want one that hasn't yet been overused, Donovan is certainly worth consideration.

Gary

Gary has several origins, which mostly all reach back to the same base origin, which is the Germanic element gar, which means "spear." Many names, such as Gareth, Garret, Garland, and Garfield, begin with this element, and Gary was originally a nickname or short form for those names. Widely used nicknames often become given names in their own right, and they also often spawned surnames. Both of these happened with Gary, so today, Gary can be a nickname, a name in its own right, or a transferred use of the surname as a given name. Gary was a very popular name in the U.S. from the 1930's through the 1960's, probably largely because of the fame of actor Gary Cooper. The name is still used, and is still in the U.S. top 500, but has been steadily dropping since the 1970's. Other famous, or at least well-known, Garys include Gary the snail, from the popular Spongebob Squarepants cartoon; actor Gary Dourdan, who plays Warrick Brown on television's CSI; Gary Levox, the lead singer for the country group Rascal Flatts; actor Gary Oldman; and the town, Gary, Indiana. Although this name is still suffering somewhat from its extreme popularity in the 20th century, and not being helped by having a famous snail using the name, Gary will most likely make a comeback and return to popular use eventually.

Vic

Vic is a nickname for Victor, or occasionally for Victoria.