35 Names You’re Not Using (but maybe you should)

I know more Bennet’s than Beckett’s so I would say that if you like either of them you might love Breccan.

If you like Ashton or Colton, you might like Barton

@dillonsfan01 or Brennan…

Very nice post! This is always my favorite type, they make me expand my baby name paradigm. I love Tillie but none of its root names (except for perhaps, Tulsa?). Waverly is just dreamy. Effie is about to blow up, I believe, with Hunger Games right around the corner. And Alistair, oh how I love thee!

Cheers!

I struggle to like Katniss..I want to like it..but it sounds like catnip..and I also just think it is a little too catty..and weird.

Effie is a good call. I suspect the only reason Effie hasn’t hit big is simply lack of familiarity. But I sort of hope Effie stays a secret. To me Effie has more warmth than Ellie.

I started to love Effie due to the character Effy from the British Teen drama Skins. The show is a great inspiration for names.

In a later season there is a character named Aloysius, but he is called Alo.

If you love Addie or Abbey, you might like Aggie. Which is what I will be using as a nickname for Agatha.
I know a little Matilda who goes by Tilly. So gorgeous.

Can I just say excellent matchups? I like all of the names suggested, especially Petal. Got that one from Jamie Oliver, and while his names are a bit too much for me, Petal is just so lovely.

Anyone who likes Effie should read “Effi Briest,” a great novel by Fontane. I’m sure if this book were more widely read in the states the name would be hugely popular.

Genevieve – Genevra! I adore Genevra. It’s distinctive and uncommon but easily said.

My Josephine has decided Effie is “the choice nickname” this year. Nearly 8, she wants everything to be Effie. Works for me. Beats Ellie/Ella/Emma in my book. Stands out a bit but not too much!
I also love: Aloysius, Balthazar & both Alexander & Alastair (although I prefer the latter spelled Alasdair).

Nice to see I’m not the only one who thinks Katniss is a bit too “catty”!

Lovely, lovely list!

Oh, I love Geneva. It’s my great grandmother’s name!

Sssshh!!!! Do not mention Alistair! I love the name and want it to stay well in the shadows so that when I have an Alistair, people will be wowed! lol

Aria (Arya), Effie, Posey and Cato are going to blow up for sure with Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games.

Ooh I just love this! Milena (actually nn Mila) has crept into my #1 spot of late, nd Geneva has also been on my radar for some time, theyre both beautifully exotic. Posey is absolutely adorable, too!

No no no! Athena is mine, all mine!

Effie is going to explode once the Hunger Games movie comes out, but it’s one of my favourites so I really home it doesn’t!

How about instead of May/Mae/Maeve – Maude?

Ooh, I like that idea, Princess. Maude is one of those names that was threatening to pop a decade ago and never really did, just kind of retreated back to the shadows. But I was thinking the other day (really!) that it could emerge again…

I love Maud and the Michael Balfe setting of Tennyson’s poem, “Come into the garden, Maud” (for the black bat, night, has flown). I have a great recording of John McCormack singing this….
Okay, I really like Ida over Ada (although I pronounce it EEda, Norwegian way). I prefer Athina to Athena, Alasdair to Alistair, Benedict to Bennett, Ciro to Cyrus, Gareth to Garrett, Posy to Posey, Lion to Leon, and Shalom to Solomon. I love Ezekiel and like both Desmond and Therese (Fr). And I think Ezio is cooler than Enzo, although Enzo is cool.

What about Eppie to Effie? I just remember loving Eppie in Silas Marner. Incredibly, my seniors last year actually fell in love with the book and thanked me (!!!) for having them read it. (Hard to imagine with today’s non-readers.) Several said they liked both Hepzibah and Eppie for names….a trend in Florabama, perhaps? If an Eppie is born down here, I’ll be sure to let “you-all” know.

If you love Louisa, you might like Larissa

If you love Natalia, you might like Nadia

If you love Arianne/Iris, you might like Irina/Irene

If you love Elena, you might like Linnea

If you love Grayson, you might Gregory

If you love Aidan, you might like Adam/Anton

If you love Benjamin, you might like Eben

If you love Christopher/Christian, you might like Crispin

My son is named Bennett…I haven’t met another one yet but I always hear about people that know a child named Bennett.

These are some great suggestions! My favorites are…

Aria
Athena
Blythe – on my list!
Geneva
Nova

Alistair – on my list!
Ambrose
Cyrus
Rhett
Solomon – great name…kind of heavy

Aria, Coralie, Lincoln and Alastair were already on my list. Coralie and Lincoln are on my short list. This makes me feel good about myself. Lol.

But… SHUSH YOUR FACE about Lincoln. I don’t want him to get too popular!! Haha

this is funny – both Ramona and Saskia are on my short list for our next daughter but I would never consider Ruby or Sasha!!

LOL! My husband and I were between Dexter and Desmond and have ultimately chosen Desmond (nn: Desi) for our son due in June. Dexter’s chosen for the second son (if we have a second son). I agree with this post: we just thought that Desmond was a quieter, less trendy-sounding name than Dexter.

Lots of other great names on this list, too!

If you like Athena, you might like Althea.

Great list! We ended up naming our daughter Waverly, but Blythe and Geneva were on our short list as well.
Like Bennett for a boy, and Malloy is pretty cool, I had never thought of it before. Love Rhett, but I’d probably go with Everett, Rhett for the nn.

I love Aria, Athena, Waverly,and Alistiar. The rest are okay. My major concern with Effie is that it could have a sudden jump in popularity (thank you, Suzanne Collins!), and then fall, making it what I refer to as a ‘trend name.’

I adore almost every name on that list! Especially Aria(always has been a favourite), Athena, Mireille, and Effie! I don’t know if it’s because she is a Hunger Games character or what, but Effie is starting to grow on me. I expect that after the movie comes out Effie will become MEGA popular.

I know two completely unrelated sibsets consisting of a Kylie (girl) and a Braeden (boy – spelled the exact same way).

So, if you love the boy name Braeden, you’ll love the girl name Kylie.

if you love Ellie or Effie, you might like Eddie?

Can someone help me out here? I like the name Effie, but I feel like it’s too nickname-y. What could it be short for?

Shhh…shhhh….shhhh….don’t let lincoln and leon get popular…..I <3 them! Josephine with the nn effie is cute I !ii

Lincoln and Leon need to stay secrets bc they are two of my favorite boy names

Love a lot of the alternate names here!

As the momma to a Waverly I’m always shocked at it’s low usage. Such a beautiful name, easy to pronounce and spell, with a gorgeous meaning. One celeb will use it and it’ll sky rocket.

I love the name Lincoln and ADORE the nn Link! Coralie and Waverly are still too of my favorite and I can’t believe Waverly hasn’t gained the popularity I thought it would, although I’m happy it’s staying out of the mainstream!

hi Baileystar – Effy is short for Euphemia/Eufimia/Efimia

I love Aria, and like Geneva too. Lincoln is great for a unisex name, ang I like Ida if its pronounced EE-da. I know alot of people like Effie, but its really not my favorite.