In scary times, as Mr. Rogers famously said, “look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” And in these uncertain and frightening times, we look to the helpers–the doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery store clerks, delivery people, maintenance workers, and we see them, appreciate them, and thank them for everything they do to keep the world running.
In honor of those on the very front lines, today’s list is inspired by the great minds and pioneers in the medical field. Their work has extended and improved people’s lives. We salute them, and we salute the brilliant, hardworking women and men of today who are going beyond their calling during this pandemic.
Alexander
Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, and from all of us who’ve ever suffered from bacterial infections and lived to tell the tale, we thank him. His fitting name (it means “defending men”) continues to be a perennial favorite. Currently, it sits just outside the top 10 male baby names in the US.
Anthony
Dr. Anthony Fauci is top of mind for many these days. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the US, Dr. Fauci has provided guidance and advice to many Americans during the coronavirus pandemic. For all he has done, his first name of Anthony seems apt. It means “highly praiseworthy.”
Barton
American Red Cross founder Clara Barton was born Clarissa Harlowe Barton, after Samuel Richardson’s character Clarissa Harlowe. Barton was a nurse in the American Civil War and is known for her advocacy and humanitarian work. We love all of her names– Clara, Clarissa, Harlowe, and Barton! But in this moment, we’re loving Barton as an alternative to Bartholomew and a fresh way to get to nickname Bart.
Beck
A water baby name meaning “one living by a small stream,” Beck is also a surname name that has the feel of a nickname name, too. In this case, our inspiration comes from Dr. Aaron Beck, who is considered the father of cognitive therapy and cognitive behavior theory. This leader in the field of psychology reminds us that our health isn’t just our physical health but our mental health, too.
Benjamin
Classic Benjamin is an evergreen name, always popular yet never overdone. It’s one of our personal favorites, too. For this list, we turn to two doctors named Benjamin. First, Dr. Benjamin Spock, the revolutionary pediatrician who changed how parents raised their children, and Dr. Ben Carson, a former pioneering neurosurgeon and now Secretary of Housing and Development.
Blackwell
Though British, physician Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female physician in the US, paving the way for generations of brilliant and dedicated women physicians. We love her classic first name, but we’re intrigued by Blackwell, too. Meaning “black well or stream,” the English name has real flair and drama for parents who love surname-style baby names. It sounds great as a middle name, or as a first name with the on-trend nickname Wells.
Cicely
The name Cicely is a variant of Cecily and Cecilia. It’s on this list as the name of Dame Cicely Saunders, a pioneer of pain management, and Cicely D. Williams, the first Jamaican-born woman to earn a medical degree. Cicely is also a botanical name. A herbaceous perennial, cicely is also known as sweet myrrh and sweet chervil.
Dorothea
Dorothea Dix was a nurse and activist who advocated for the better treatment of those with mental illness. Her work helped to change the field of medicine. We love the formality and grace of Dorothea, but you could also go with the name Dixon as an alternative way to honor this inspirational woman.
Echo
Author and critical care nurse Echo Heron has inspired countless readers with her first-person accounts of life as a nurse. She is probably best known for her first book, Intensive Care: The Story of a Nurse, which was a New York Times’ bestseller. Her work as a nurse and as an advocate for health care professionals is notable, as is her unusual and gender-neutral name.
Edward
The English physician Edward Jenner played an immense role in the creation of vaccines and is considered one of the fathers of immunology. His first name is another timeless classic, though more prone to the ups and downs of trends than some similar steady names like John or James. It’s been the name of doctors, kings, actors, athletes, and even sparkly vampires!
Florence
The name Florence Nightingale is synonymous with nursing. Considered the founder of modern nursing, her efforts laid the groundwork for professionalizing nursing. A vintage name, Florence is already asserting itself in our collective consciousness with singer Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine and actress Florence Pugh.
Helen
The name Helen used to be a top five favorite amongst parents with baby girls, but it’s now sitting in the middle of the pack of popularity at #416. It’s a classic beauty, though, with its associations from Helen of Troy to Helen Keller. And then there’s Helen Brook Taussig, the pediatric cardiology pioneer who became the first female president of the American Heart Association.
Jonas
Jonas Salk was the physician and researcher who developed one of the first and most successful vaccines for polio. A remarkable thing about Dr. Salk? He never patented the vaccine, saying, “Could you patent the sun?” which allowed the vaccine to be widely used and without cost. A name meaning “dove,” Jonas is a sweet-spot name that is derived from Jonah. Besides its medical associations, it has modern musical ones: The Jonas Brothers and the Weezer song, “My Name Is Jonas.”
Louis
Louis Pasteur was a doctor, though not of medicine (he was a chemist and biologist). But his work on pasteurization, microbial fermentation, and vaccination was of tremendous importance for disease prevention. While Louis may sound “old fashioned” to some modern ears, it’s still surprisingly popular, and we think, further on the rise after Prince William and Kate Middleton gave their baby boy this name in 2018.
Rosalind
Chemist and X-Ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin was an integral and unsung member of the research team led by Crick and Watson that unlocked the secrets of the structure of DNA, RNA, and viruses. And is if this namesake weren’t reason enough, add its floral feel and literary sophistication and you’ll see why it’s one of our trend-forward name picks for 2020.
Solomon
Solomon Carter Fuller was the first black psychiatrist in the US recognized by the American Psychiatric Association. He is most known for his research on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, though the extent of his contributions wasn’t fully recognized until late in his career. Now, the AMA gives an annual Solomon Carter Fuller Award in his honor and the health center at Boston University, where he taught, bears his name. A Hebrew name meaning “peace,” Solomon is a modern Biblical choice that could also honor Fuller’s remarkable legacy.
Virginia
If you’ve already had a baby, you’re probably very familiar with the Apgar Score, named after Dr. Virginia Apgar, its innovator. The assessment helps to access a newborn’s health quickly and swiftly after birth, which has helped to combat infant mortality. The name Virginia’s been around forever–so it’s both a classic and a name with vintage vibes.
That’s our list of healthcare-worker-inspired baby names! Thank you to all the nurses, doctors, and hospital staff out there who are putting themselves at risk for us. Readers, if you’re in a healthcare field, let us know so we can thank you personally.