People have said that in the age of GPS there is no longer a place for adventurers and explorers. These people are clearly suffering from a very narrow view, unless they’re talking about Internet Explorer in which case, yes, kill it with fire.
The point is, it’s not about sticking a flag someplace no other human has seen (gross?). It’s more about overcoming the limits of the human mind and body to expand what we can know, see, and experience. Your kid could explore virtual worlds created by machine learning. You might become an explorer of how far you can push an umbrella-stroller in extreme conditions. It’s all good.
So, here are a few names inspired by explorers past and present, perfect for filling a kid with a sense of adventure and a desire to see the world in a new way..
Names For Boys
For: Roald Amundsen
Why: Amundsen is the first person to ever reach both of the earth’s poles. He was first to the South Pole and also the first to traverse the Northwest Passage. Also, he’s famous for his deep logistical skills and famously said, “Victory awaits him who has everything in order … ” so, yeah, you’re screwed.
For: David Livingstone
Why: Livingstone was a great explorer of Africa with an inexhaustible desire to find the source of the Nile river. This was based on an idea that would give him enough fame to speak out against and eventually end the slave trade, which he was deeply opposed to. But the best thing about giving your kid this name? The fact that when they’re born, you get to say “Baby Livingstone, I presume?”
For: Leif Eriksson
Why: This salty old Nordic badass was actually the first European to explore the shores of North America, having sailed across the stormy Atlantic from Iceland. He landed in what’s now Southeastern Canada and found — no kidding — lots and lots of grapevines. And also trees. But it wasn’t enough to impress his father, whose big claim to fame was discovering Greenland.
For: Guion Bluford
Why: Blufor became the first African American in space in 1983 when he crewed STS-8. It was just one of 4 missions that saw the man log nearly 700 hours orbiting our blue marble. While up there, Blufor did a ton of crazy jobs, including deploying a classified payload from the Multi-Purpose Experiment Canister, which coincidently is what you should start calling your grill.
For: Felix Baumgartner
Why: Baumgartner went up into stratosphere in a balloon. He reached an altitude of 24 miles above our planet. Then, he opened the door of his special capsule, looked down onto the earth below him and freaking jumped. The free fall lasted over 4 minutes and reached speeds over 800 miles per hour. Therefore, he was the first human to break the sound barrier outside of a vehicle. Perfect for your kid who’ll try to break sound barriers inside a vehicle. And a house. And a school …
Names For Girls
For: Nellie Bly
Why: Many reasons exist to name your girl after Bly. She improved how mentally ill women were treated in asylums through an article she wrote after faking insanity. She promoted women’s rights as a dogged journalist. But for the the current purposes, she had a deep spirit of adventure that saw her setting a 72-day record for circumnavigating the globe on her own. All from a lady whose name was due to a misspelling. Meaning your girl is sure to be type-o.
For: Lady Grace Marguerite Hay Drummond-Hay
Why: Most notably, Lady Hay Drummond-Hay was the first woman to circle the world in the air. As a journalist she was the only female passenger on a LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin that floated around the earth via Germany, Tokyo and Los Angeles. Of course, being deeply associated with the history of zeppelins, her’s is the perfect name for any girl you might expect to Ramble On.
For: Bessie Coleman
Why: Bessie Coleman was the first female African American pilot to ever have an international pilot’s license. The accomplishment was both due to a passion for flight and simple necessity because flight schools in the United States refuse to teach her based on her race and gender. So this name is great for any girl that might turn out to be flighty.
For: Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz
Why: In 1978, Chojnowska-Liskiewicz became the first woman to sail solo around the world. Her lonely journey on her sloop called the Mazurek took her 401 days to complete. As a result, she logged over 31,000 nautical miles, ending her voyage where it began in the Canary Isles, which Austin Powers would deem very appropriate for an amazing bird.
For: Junko Tabei
Why: Tabei is the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, a feat she accomplished in in the late 70s. In addition, she became the first woman to climb the tallest mountain on each of the 7 continents. So you can expect lots of great things from your own little Junko. But don’t be surprised if she later develops desire to get high.