May Names

Ochre is an exceedingly rare name, found only a few times since the nineteenth century, and not showing up in any current data. Yet it means much the same thing as popular Sienna (another clay coloured with iron oxide) and sounds similar to fashionable Oakley. A strong earthy nature name that is both unusual and evocative.

The sources that do list this name give it as a boys' name, but Woody Harrelson chose it for his daughter, and it does have a feminine lilt.

Pronounced sham-me, this color and word name is soft and appealing.

Unusual and attractive name, might be worth considering if you're expecting twins.

A Hungarian name rarely heard outside its native culture.

A lively name often used to honor a deceased grandmother in Yoruba culture.

Roman statesman and Caesar rival whose name, like other classical choices, was occasionally used for enslaved people. The Pompeo version could rise again.

Traditional Japanese name for the fifth-born son makes for a unique baby name in the West.

Traditional Arabic choice, used for both boys and girls.

Derby might be considered a word name or a surname-name. In England, it would be pronounced darby, causing confusion with that similar name.

Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon may be a worthy namesake, but "poncey" is British slang for effeminate. An alternative might be Quintus, this name's Latin equivalent, or one of its variations.

Even if you're not planning on having five kids, Enu makes a cute name for a son or daughter.

Delicate and lacy, with less emphasis on the jar syllable.

A perfect example of what a difference a single letter can make. Add an 'a' to the ho-hum Cathy and you have the old name for China, often used by such poets as Edna St. Vincent Millay and Ezra Pound.