River

River is exactly what it says: moving water, headed somewhere. The name sat almost entirely dormant in English until the late twentieth century, when actor River Phoenix made it briefly, achingly famous. It has climbed steadily since, entering the U.S. top 200 in the mid-2010s and now used across genders with easy parity. Two syllables, one soft and one softer, the whole thing gliding forward like its source material. It belongs to the nature-name wave alongside Wren, Wilder, and Sage, but holds its own cool, slightly Pacific Northwest register. River feels unforced, a little free-spirited, and quietly alive.