75 Badass Baby Names for Boys and Girls

Lisa Milbrand

Looking for the perfect baby name for your future trailblazer? Consider one of these badass baby names for boys and girls that are all a bit brash, bold—and maybe just a little bit dangerous. In a good way, of course!

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Monsters of Rock Baby Names

There's nothing more rock 'n' roll than naming your kid after your favorite music legend—or your favorite rock anthem. Some of the more popular names in this genre include surname picks like Jagger, Hendrix, and Lennon (after Mick, Jimi, and John, naturally), but there's plenty of anthemic baby name picks out there.

  • Alice — think Alice Cooper, or the Jefferson Airplane classic Alice

  • Axl — mercurial Guns 'n' Roses front man Axl Rose

  • Bowie — David, of course

  • Dylan — i.e. Bob

  • Elton — as in John

  • Elvis —Presley or Costello!

  • Freddie — after Queen frontman Freddie Mercury)

  • Genesis — from the hall-of-fame English rock band

  • Gibson — after the legendary guitar maker

  • Grace — as in legendary Jefferson Airplane singer Grace Slick

  • Hendrix — as in Jimi

  • Jagger — as in Mick

  • Jett — as in Joan Jett

  • Joplin — as in Janis

  • Journey — 80s anthem rockers

  • Jovi — Jersey rock great Bon Jovi

  • Jude — Beatles' classic "Hey, Jude"

  • Kurt — Cobain

  • Layla — Eric Clapton's classic

  • Lennon — as in epic Beatles' singer/songwriter

  • Lola — the classic tune from the Kinks

  • Marley — after reggae legend Bob Marley

  • Presley — surname of the King of Rock & Roll

  • Prudence — from the Beatles' classic

  • Queen — from the legendary rock band

  • Ramone — from the legendary punk band

  • Rhiannon — Fleetwood Mac's legendary witchy classic

  • Rio — as in the Duran Duran classic

  • Santana — guitarist extraordinaire

  • Stevie — for Stevie Wonder or Stevie Nicks

  • Ziggy — as in David Bowie's alter ego, Ziggy Stardust

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Hero & Heroine Baby Names

Your favorite leading ladies and guys could inspire perfect badass baby names, whether you're looking at action heroes like Rocky or take-no-prisoners literary badasses like Elizabeth Bennet.

  • Arya — fierce fighter from the Stark clan in Game of Thrones

  • Bennet — surname name from beloved classic Pride & Prejudice

  • Bruce — Batman's alter ego

  • Ferris — beloved school-skipper Bueller

  • Hermione — from brilliant badass witch Hermione Granger)

  • Holden — Caulfield, from classic Catcher in the Rye

  • Huck — short for Twain hero Huckleberry Finn

  • Indiana — Jones, AKA everyone's favorite adventurous archaeologist

  • Josephine — AKA Jo March from Little Women

  • Katniss — Everdeen, of Hunger Games fame

  • Kent — Superman's alter-ego surname

  • Leia — as in Star Wars badass Princess/General Leia Organa

  • Logan — AKA Wolverine

  • Luke — Skywalker

  • Natasha — AKA the Black Widow)

  • Phoenix — AKA Jean Grey's alter-ego Dark Phoenix

  • Rocky — ultimate boxer Rocky Balboa

  • Sawyer — Mark Twain's wild child hero Tom

  • Scarlett — antebellum vixen Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind

  • Snow — surname given to Stark-Targaryen heir, Jon Snow, from Game of Thrones

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Groundbreaker Baby Names

Want to honor a hero from history—or a more modern model citizen? Consider some of these names:

  • Amelia — as in famed female aviator Amelia Earhart

  • Edison — inventor Thomas Edison gives us this cool take on Edward

  • Greta — after small-but-mighty climate activist Greta

  • Harriet — as in Underground Railroad founder Harriet Tubman

  • Hawking — as in legendary physicist Stephen

  • Hemingway — after the classic author and adventurer, Ernest Hemingway

  • Lincoln — the 16th president's surname is also trending for girls

  • Malala — Yousafzai, student activist

  • Nelson — Mandela, South African activist

  • Serena — as in tennis great Serena Williams

  • Susan — B. Anthony

  • Sojourner — African-American abolitionist and women's rights advocate Sojourner Truth

RELATED: 15 Unisex Last Names That Make Cool First Names

Wild Baby Names

Some baby names are simply wild by definition—or by being a little more creative. Consider some of these options for your kiddo.

  • Ace

  • Atlas

  • Athena

  • Bear

  • Blaze

  • Eagle

  • Freya

  • Jade

  • Juno

  • Karma

  • Maverick

  • River

  • Wilden

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