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There are many qualities we want our kids to have and many believe that the names we give our children can factor into that. Give your child a smart name, he will be smart. Sounds probable. So why not look to the geniuses, the great thinkers, the people who made amazing changes and help foster progress in this world for some baby name inspiration.
Here are the names of 20 incredibly smart men — maybe you will be inspired to name your baby boy after one of them.
- William, as in William Shakespeare or Gates. Thou art more lovely and more temperate … to have a son named after the man who wrote that would be indeed lovely. But the name William can also be inspired by William "Bill" Gates … now that's big money, big power, big brains.
- Ludwig, as in Ludwig Beethoven. This influential (to put it mildly) composer has an usual but eccentrically fantastic name. Love it.
- Vincent, as in Vincent Van Gogh. Vincent is a great name, so is Van, and this incredible painter gives so much inspiration though his art drenched in creativity.
- Leonardo, as in Leonardo da Vinci. This was my grandfather's name, so I'm a little partial. da Vinci was a painter, mathematician, engineer, writer, and inventor … and more. Genius.
- Albert, as in Albert Einstein. He's the name we see when we think of geniuses.
- Emanuel, as in Emanuel Swedenborg. Not only was Emanuel a theologian and philosopher, but he was considered a mystic and had his own followers after his death dedicated to his way of thought.
- Galileo, as in Galileo Galileo. If you're an Indigo Girls fan, you know the song Galileo: "I call on the resting soul of Galileo. King of night vision, King of insight." He was a physics genius and astronomer.
- Bobby, as in Bobby Fischer. Chess king. No, not the defunct store for men in malls, but a real prodigy at the game.
- Blaise, as in Blaise Pascal. What a cool name. Math wouldn't be math without Blaise … which makes this name either loved or not so loved depending on how you feel about the theory of probability.
Johann
, as in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Johann is one of the greatest writers — he wrote Faust. He also studied just about everything. Ambitious name? Yes.- Sigmund, as in Sigmund Freud. Brains? Yes. Freud developed psychoanalysis. Also, wouldn't Sig or Siggy make a great nickname?
- Franz, as in Franz Schubert. This insanely smart composer is known for creating the most beautiful melodies. His name sounds nice, too.
- Edgar, as in Edgar Allan Poe. The name Raven is popular in part due to Poe, and the name Poe is also incredible for a girl, so naturally Edgar — poet and intensely creative writer — is worthy of baby name inspiration.
- Mark, as in Mark Twain. Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Mark Twain gave himself a new name though there is inspiration in every name he's had. And also in his writings … Huck, Finn? Great boy names.
- Gustav, as in Gustav Mahler. Gus or Gustav is a great name inspired by this romantic composer.
- Dante, as in Dante Alighieri. This Italian Medieval poet was quite a thinker and led a tangled life. Fascinating and brilliant.
- Isaac, as in Isaac Newton. The name Isaac feels classic and yet still modern — timeless we shall say. He also made discoveries on light, optics, and gravity.
- Stephen, as in Stephen Hawking. I love this spelling of Stephen and of course Hawking's accomplishments (groundbreaking scientist who actually got people to like science) makes this name on the list a must.
- Nikola, as in Nikola Tesla. While there is a band named after his last name, Nikola's first name is quite cool. Some may even say it's electric.
- Terence, as in Terence Tao. Tao is a young, modern day mathematician inspiring students at UCLA. Great name for your own little smartie pants.
Which names are your favorites?
Image via Paul Inkles/Flickr and ©iStock.com/mdmilliman
