Guilty pleasures

  1. Darcy
    • Origin:

      Irish or French
    • Meaning:

      "dark one, or from Arcy, or from the fortress"
    • Description:

      Delicate ballerina name with grace, charm, and heft courtesy of Jane Austen's Mr.
  2. December
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "month name"
    • Description:

      Cooler than April, May, or June, but also a tad icy.
  3. Denver
    • Origin:

      English or French place-name and surname
    • Meaning:

      "from Anvers"
    • Description:

      Before there was Aspen, Denver was the Colorado city name of choice, and it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after a 14 year absence as a stylish two-syllable boys’ name with its trendy -er ending. Its decade of greatest use was the 1920s, when it reached as high as Number 422.
  4. Draco
    • Origin:

      Greek from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "dragon"
    • Description:

      For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis.
  5. Dream
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Singular and serene noun name that's been used by a couple of celebs.
  6. Evergreen
    • Forest
      • Origin:

        French occupational name
      • Meaning:

        "woodsman or woods"
      • Description:

        The Forest variation of Forrest, used by actor Whitaker, nudges the meaning more toward the woods and away from the woodsman.
    • Gliss
      • Halcyon
        • Origin:

          Greek
        • Meaning:

          "kingfisher bird"
        • Description:

          This highly unusual name -- the Halycyone was a mythic bird who could calm the seas -- conjures up images of utter peace and tranquility because of the phrase "Halycon days"...and the sleeping pill.
      • Harbour
        • Indigo
          • Origin:

            Greek
          • Meaning:

            "Indian dye"
          • Description:

            Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from plants native to India, is particularly striking for both girls and boys. Indigo is the name of a character in the Ntozake Shange novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, and was used for his daughter by Lou Diamond Phillips.
        • Indus
          • Origin:

            Place name
          • Description:

            From the name of the river which flows through Pakistan, India, and Tibet.
        • Iridessa
          • Jameson
            • Origin:

              English
            • Meaning:

              "son of James"
            • Description:

              Stylish surname way to go if you want to name a girl after a James, and is more substantial than the passé Jamie; it was chosen for their daughter by Chynna Phillips and Billy Baldwin.
          • Jersey
            • Origin:

              English place name
            • Meaning:

              "Geirr's island"
            • Description:

              The New Jersey cities of Camden and Trenton are in, but the name of the state has not caught on to anywhere near the same extent. The origin of the name of the British island of Jersey is not certain, but it may derive from the Norse name Geirr.
          • Javaad
            • Kalel
              • Origin:

                Spelling variation of Khalil
              • Description:

                Kalel first entered the US Top 1000 as a one-off appearance in 2009, then reentered in 2013. It's possible that some parents see it as a spelling variant of the classic Arabic name Khalil, meaning friend. Or maybe some—Nicolas Cage, we're looking at you—were inspired by the birth name of Clark Kent, AKA Superman, Kal-El. Cage was long associated with attempts to remake a big screen story about the Man of Steel. He and wife Alice Kim gave the name to their son in 2005.
            • Kedar
              • Kennedy
                • Origin:

                  Irish
                • Meaning:

                  "misshapen head"
                • Description:

                  This attractive surname name still projects that Kennedy family charisma. While it didn't come into widespread use until long after the deaths of martyred heroes President John F. or Senator Robert Kennedy, Kennedy is now one of the most popular unisex names for girls as well as the top girls' name starting with K. This is one name that manages to sound trendy and classic at the same time.
              • Kinsley
                • Origin:

                  English
                • Meaning:

                  "king's meadow"
                • Description:

                  Light and glittery, but with plenty of spirit, Kinsley has risen quickly into the US Top 100. Balanced between preppy and cutesy, it feels like a fresh alternative to Kelly, Kaitlyn, or Kimberly.