An ancient city in Assyria, where Jonah was sent to spread the word of God.

How to spruce up Fisher or Beau? This French surname-name might be an option for a parent unafraid of the unusual. The name derives from Barbel, a type of fish, which is how it became a surname for some fishermen.

Now deeply associated with the gemstone Lapis Lazuli, Lazuli is derived from one of the places where the stone was first mined. The word Lazuli is the root for words like azure. Lapis Lazuli is a deep and rich blue color and was used for pigments and jewellery. Lazuli can be used for a boy or a girl.

Unusual alternative to Fisher with a brisker surname appeal.

Nahla is a lovely name chosen by Halle Berry for her daughter. Not to be confused with the Disneyfied Nala.

Popular in its native Italy, Giada has been quietly and stylishly used in English-speaking countries for several years now. Television cook Giada De Laurentiis made this a possibility — then semi-subtly self-referenced when she named her daughter Jade.

Turquoise is similar in hue to Aqua, which is one of the cool new color names on the palette. Other blue-hued options: Cerulean, Cyan, Indigo, or Blue itself.

Bardo has a poetic beginning and upbeat ending, with roots in several diverse cultures. It may be most familiar today via George Saunders' novel Lincoln in the Bardo, which refers to the Tibetan Buddhist state of suspension between one life and the next, resembling the Christian idea of Limbo. Bardo is also an ancient saint's name: Saint Bardo was the eleventh century bishop of Mainz, in Germany. Actress Sandra Bullock chose Bardo as her son's middle.

Kerouac could make for a meaningful possible modern literary inspiration, via On the Road author Jack. The writer's baptism certificate read Jean Louis Kirouac, though he later claimed his full name was Jean-Louis Lebris de Kerouac.

If January, April and August are useable and fashionable, why not February? February as a word derives from the Latin februa, which was the name of a purification feast coming at the end of winter, to prepare for the coming spring.

If you're German and you love to fish -- then maybe.

Diminutive form of Tholf, itself derived from the Old Norse Þórulfr which gives you the cool meaning "thunder wolf". It coincides with the Icelandic word for "twelve".

Niloufar is a gorgeous Persian name used in Iran, Turkey (as Nilüfer), and Azerbaijan. It has many alternate spellings including Nilofar, which is used by Urdu speakers.

Swam into style and quickly out again, on Chad's fish- er, coat-tails.

With the rise of all those other popular feminine W names, like Winnie, Willa and Winona, why not consider the lovely Winika? Win and Winnie are likely nicknames and it is associated with a dainty Pacific orchid that blossoms at Christmas time. If you're looking for international names for Christmas babies, this is one for the short list.

Unusual and simple: a winning combination. But it was the name of a fifteen-thousand-ton monster in a midcentury "Godzilla" movie.

In modern Hebrew, sigal is the word for the violet flower.

Couldn't be simpler...or more worldly — though it could lead to some head-scratching.

For theater-loving parents — an homage to one of our premiere playwrights.

A rare Spanish and Portuguese flower name that is rarely heard elsewhere.