Smart is the new sexy. After a few years where being cool and skipping school was the popular thing to do, being intelligent is now highly prized. The rise of Silicon Valley and tech geniuses is probably part of the reason behind this change. If you want your child to be the next Steve Jobs or Albert Einstein, start by using one of these 70 baby names that mean smart. With any luck, your child will take the hint later on.
40 Baby Names That Mean Smart for Boys
1. Cato
This is a name that comes from Latin. In ancient Rome, Cato the Elder was born with the name of Marcus Portius. He was famous as an intelligent diplomat from the era of Julius Caesar.
2. Mendel
Mendel is a Yiddish name that means wisdom and learning. It was the name of the father of modern genetics, Gregor Mendel.
3. Nester
Nester was a ruler during the Trojan War who led the Greeks. The name actually means traveler.
4. Rainier
Rainier is a name that comes from royal families in Europe. It means wise army. It is also the name of a beautiful mountain in Washington State.
5. Bertrand
Love him or hate him, Bertrand Russell certainly made his mark on the world. He was a famed philosopher, mathematician and Nobel prize winner. This name is actually French and means glorious or intelligent.
6. Conrad
This name means wise counsel.
7. Charles
Charles was a name made famous by the English royal family as well as the naturalist and creator of the theory of evolution, Charles Darwin. It was also once the name of a famous astronomer called Charles Thomas Bolton.
8. Hakim
This is an African and Arabic name that means intelligent or wise.
9. Ronald
This name sounds English, but it actually comes from Norse languages. It was said to mean wise counselor.
10. Dara
This name actually appeared in the Old Testament. In the Bible, Dara was a descendant of Judah who was well known for his intelligence. In Hebrew, this name was said to mean nugget of wisdom.
11. Favian
Favian is a Latin version of the more common name, Fabian. It is said to mean man of wisdom. The name arrived in Latin countries in the 17th century and has remained fairly popular in Europe since then.
12. Alfred
This British name is said to mean wise counselor. You can also shorten it to the nickname, Fred.
13. Kendry
Kendry is a name that was popularized in Madagascar. This name was said to mean wise man.
14. Redmond
Redmond is actually an Irish variation on the more common name, Raymond. It was said to mean wise protector. Years ago, it was the name of the popular outlaw, Redmond O’Hanlon.
15. Solon
Solon was once the name of a Greek lawmaker. The name was said to mean lawmaker.
16. John
John originally became popular after it was one of the name of the Apostles of Jesus in the Bible. It was the name of one of the Founding Fathers in the United States as well as the name of John Locke.
17. Vivek
Vivek is a name that comes from India. This Sanskrit and Hindu name means intellect or judicious wisdom. It actually became popular in the United Kingdom recently because of the large Indian population in that country.
18. Conroy
Conroy is a name that comes from Ireland. In Irish, this name means wise adviser. A more modern version of this name is Connor.
19. Shannon
Shannon may sound like a girls name, but it was actually a boys name first. It was said to mean old and wise, and it is also the name of an Irish river. A more masculine version of this name could be Shanahan.
20. Zeki
Zeki is from a Turkish word that means clever. It can also be a nickname for names like Zachary, Isaac or Ezekiel.
21. Tallis
Tallis is a Persian name that means wisdom.
22. Alden
Alden is an old English name that means wise friend.
23. Reginald
Reginald was a name that was one of the most popular names in the 1980s. It was also quite popular during the Middle Ages. In modern times, many guys with this name go by the nickname, Reggie.
24. Aldo
Aldo is German name, but it is actually quite popular in Italy. This name means wise and old.
25. Aakil
This unusual sounding name comes from Hindi. The name means smart and intelligent.
26. Quinn
Quinn is such a hip, modern sounding name. It can be used for either gender and means an intelligent man or counselor. Famously, it was the name of the American guitarist, Quinn Alman. It was also the name of Sharon Stone’s son.
27. Ethan
Ethan is a name that comes from the Old Testament. In the Bible, Ethan the Ezrahite was a man who was known for his wisdom. The name actually means strong. It was the name of the Revolutionary War leader, Ethan Allen.
28. Boman
This is a Persian name that means great mind. It would be the perfect option if you want baby names that mean smart.
29. Raghnall
Raghnall is certainly an unusual name to hear today. It sounds like it comes from the 1930s, but it actually originated in Latin. Originally, it meant wise and powerful.
30. Albert
Albert is a name that comes from Germany. It means intelligent. This name was famously the name of the genius and creator of the theory of relativity, Albert Einstein.
31. Solomon
In the Bible, Solomon was a king of Israel who was known for his wisdom, intelligence and wit. He succeeded the throne after his father, David.
32. Beowulf
Beowulf is the name of an Old English epic poem. This Old English name means intelligent wolf. The actual poem is believed to be the oldest poem in history.
33. Senan
Senan can also be spelled as Seanan. This Irish name means wise and old. Since it is rarely used in the United States, it would be a great choice for a smart baby name.
34. Mika
This is one of our favorite baby names that mean smart. This Scandinavian name means intelligent raccoon. You may remember it as the name of the raccoon in Pocahontas. It is also a popular name in the Netherlands and Germany.
35. Socrates
Socrates was a Greek philosopher who created the Socratic method. This name is said to mean wisdom.
36. Hugo
Hugo is a Latinized variation on the name Hugh. This name is said to mean intellect or mind.
37. Alvis
Alvis is an Old Norse name that is said to mean all-wise. In Norse myths, was the name of a dwarf called Alviss who fell in love with the daughter of Thor.
38. Frode
This name is Old Norse in origin. It was the name of a number of Danish kings. The name means wise and appeared in the epic poem, Beowulf.
39. Raymond
Raymond is a classic baby name that means intelligence. It originally became popular in England after the Norman Conquest.
40. Apollo
Apollo was the Roman and Greek god of knowledge and wisdom. In more recent times, it was the name of NASA’s Apollo program.
40 Baby Names That Mean Smart for Girls
1. Alberta
Alberta is a female variation on the name Albert. It originally meant intelligent and bright. This name became popular after Queen Victoria named her daughter Louise Caroline Alberta.
2. Minerva
Minerva is well known as the Roman goddess of wisdom. Because of this, it is unsurprising that this name means intellect or mind in Latin. In addition, Minerva was a character in the Harry Potter series and a Charles Dickens’ novel.
3. Abbey
Abbey is such an adorable name. It started as a nickname of Abigail, but it is often heard as a full name today. This name is said to mean beautiful and intelligent.
4. Farzana
Farzana is an Islamic name that means intelligent. Interestingly, it means fake in Arabic and Hindi.
5. Bernadette
Bernadette is a lovely French name that means intelligent.
6. Labiba
Labiba is actually a name that comes to us from Africa and is extremely old. This name means intelligent and wise.
7. Alvie
Alvie is an English name that was once a shortened form of Alvina. This name meant elf friend or intelligent.
8. Kayla
Kayla may be a popular name in the United States, but it actually comes from Arabic. It originally meant wise child. There have been characters on Desperate Housewives and NCIS with this name.
9. Sonia
Sonia is a European name that became popular after a Norwegian skating movie appeared in the 1940s. It is said to mean wisdom.
10. Cassidy
Cassidy is an adorable baby name that started as a baby name. Now, it is also used as a name for baby girls. This name is said to mean clever.
11. Saffi
Saffi was originally a Greek version of the name Sophia. Like Sophia, it is said to mean wisdom.
12. Akilah
Akilah is an Arabic name that means intelligent or logical.
13. Sorcha
Sorcha is certainly an unusual name to hear today. This name comes to us from Ireland and means intelligent. It can be pronounced as sur-aka or sor-ca.
14. Felisberta
Felisberta is a Germanic name that was quite popular during the 1920s. This old-fashioned name is said to mean intelligent.
15. Najiba
This African and Arabic name is said to mean excellent intelligence. It can also be spelled as Najeeba.
16. Kyna
Kyna is a name that means intelligent. This Gaelic name is an adorable name for baby girls.
17. Chalondra
Chalondra is a lovely African name. You hear it occasionally in the United States, but it is quite popular in Africa. This name means one who is intelligent.
18. Veda
This beautiful baby girl name is Sanskrit in origin. Long ago, it meant wisdom and knowledge. You may also recognize this name as the Vedas, which are the sacred books in Hinduism. In the United States, this name has started to grow more popular. It was famously the name of the actress, Veda Ann Borg.
19. Minda
Minda is a short, sweet name. During the 18th century, names with an ‘inda’ ending like Belinda and Florinda rose in popularity. This old-fashioned, adorable name is said to mean love and knowledge.
20. Salvia
Salvia is the name of a type of herb that is illegal in some states if it is a certain genus. Since it is a kind of sage, we think it would be a great name for twins. You could name your son Sage and your daughter Salvia.
21. Pallas
Pallas is a name that comes to us from ancient Greece. Long ago, it was an alternative name for the goddess of wisdom, Athena. This name from Greek mythology is said to mean wisdom, which makes it a fitting option for a smart, wise little girl.
22. Prudence
Prudence is actually an English word that means intelligent and cautious.
23. Wisdom
If you want to clearly show intelligence and smarts in your child’s first name, just choose Wisdom. You can be pretty certain that no other children will have this name.
24. Athena
In Greek myths, Athena was known as the goddess of wisdom and war. She was the daughter of Zeus in Greek myths and called Minerva in Roman mythology. Her name means wise. Despite its ancient origins, this name has a surprisingly modern appeal.
25. Berit
Berit is an adorable, short name. This name is a Scandinavian variation on the name, Brighid. It means wise.
26. Galena
Galen is often considered the father of modern medicine, and he lived during the start of the first millennium. Galena is a Spanish variation on the name Galen. This name is said to mean intelligent or small.
27. Mary
Mary is well known as the mother of Jesus in the Bible, but there are also a number of geniuses with this name. Mary Shelly was a polymath who had this name. Meanwhile, Marie Curie was the mother of radioactivity.
28. Mackenzie
Mackenzie is a name that comes to us from Gaelic or Irish. This name is said to mean son of the wise ruler. While it was originally a boys name, it is quite common to hear it as an exclusively girl name today.
29. Monique
Monique is a French variation of the name, Monica. It is quite common to hear in European nations. This name is said to mean wise counsel.
30. Belle
Bell is actually a name that means beautiful. The longer version of this name is Isabelle. It was once the name of the noted novelist, Isabelle Allende.
31. Ethelind
Ethelind sounds old-fashioned, but it is actually a somewhat common German name. In German, this name means intelligent.
32. Zakiya
We think that this is a creative, beautiful baby name. In Arabic, this baby girl name means intelligent.
33. Bernadea
Bernadea is a Swedish variation on the name Bernada. This name means intelligent.
34. Bertha
Bertha is a name that sounds like it came from decades or centuries ago. While it was in the top 100 names during the 1930s and earlier, it was actually the seventh most common name in 1880. This name means intelligent.
35. Sage
This is a Latin name that means wise. Because of the New Age movement, Sage has been growing in popularity since the 1990s. While it originally started as a boys name in the 1990s, it is now more common to hear it as a girls name.
36. Ulima
Ulima is an exotic name that means wise.
37. Michiko
Michiko is one of the only Japanese names on this list. It is an adorable name that means child of beautiful wisdom in Japanese. Interestingly, it was the name of the first commoner in Japan to become empress. You can also use nicknames like Michee or Michi.
38. Sophia
Sophia is a name from Greece that means wisdom.
39. Anne
This is the name of a number of documented geniuses. It was the name of the 17th century British poet, Anne Bradstreet. It was also the name of the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Anne Sexton.
40. Huberta
This German name means brilliant mind. Originally, it was quite popular in Germany in the 1920s. While it declined in popularity, it stayed in the top 50 names for another decade. Now, it is fairly rare to hear this as a baby name.
