Names I Love in General
- Adella
Origin:
Variation of Adele or AdelineDescription:
Now that all names Adel- are the height of fashion, Adella is an unusual name that nevertheless sounds very trendy. Adella is one of Ariel's sisters in The Little Mermaid.
- Annelise
Origin:
Danish variation of Anneliese, German, DutchMeaning:
"grace + oath"Description:
A streamlined version of Anneliese, or perhaps a hybrid of Ann and Elise.
- Colleen
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"girl"Description:
Midcentury Irish-American favorite, never used in Ireland itself, being the generic word for "girl"; rarely given today.
- Nevaeh
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Nevaeh: an already bold word name with the unusual twist of being spelled backwards; a nightmare for those who love traditional, classic names; a divisive option on name forums across the internet; and a spelling and pronunciation that aren’t quite intuitive at first glance.
- Charity
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"charity"Description:
Charity is one of the Big Three abstract virtue names, along with Hope and Faith, though far less widely used than the others. But as Faith, Grace and Hope grow more common, some parents are beginning to look at the more unusual three-syllable choices like Verity, Amity, Clarity and Charity, which sound much fresher and also have that pleasingly rhythmic 'y'-ending sound.
- Abilene
Origin:
English from HebrewMeaning:
"grass"Description:
Abilene is a rarely used place name, mentioned as such in the New Testament, that combines the cowboy spunk of the Texas city with the midwestern morality of the Kansas town where Dwight D. Eisenhower spent his boyhood. Abilene is a much more untrodden path to the nickname Abbie/Abbie than the Top 10 Abigail.
- Dillon
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"loyal"Description:
Different origin from the Welsh Dylan, but increasingly used as a variant spelling to honor Bob Dylan or Dylan Thomas. Still, the Dylan spelling is found 20 times as often as Dillon.
- Janelle
Origin:
American, modern elaboration of JaneDescription:
It's far cooler to drop the first syllable and go for Elle.
- Keturah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"incense"Description:
Keturah, the Old Testament name of Abraham's second wife, is a possibility for anyone seeking a truly unusual and interesting biblical name; certainly a lot more distinctive than that of Abraham's first wife, Sarah.
- Cheyenne
Origin:
SiouxMeaning:
"people of a different language"Description:
The name of a courageous tribe, Cheyenne became quite popular in the 1990s, inspiring a wide range of spelling variations—Shyanne is one example that's still on the rise.
- Kya
Origin:
Spelling variation of Kaia, Latin, Scandinavian, or HawaiianMeaning:
"to rejoice or sea"Description:
Kya, a variation of the popular Kaia, the feminine form of the also-popular gender-neutral name Kai, was one of the fastest-rising girls' names of 2023.
- Catriona
Origin:
Scottish form of Katherine, GreekMeaning:
"pure"Description:
This Katherine variation, used through Ireland and Scotland, is pronounced like Katrina. The name became popular after the Crusaders brought home stories about the colorful fourth century martyr, Catherine of Alexandria. Its later popularity increased following the success of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1893 Catriona, the sequel to Kidnapped.
- Tierney
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of a lord"Description:
Tierney is a Celtic surname with a definite Irish twinkle, a name just waiting to be discovered. Though now sometimes used for girls (in the US, not Ireland), as in jazz singer Tierney Sutton, it still has plenty of masculine punch.
- Casiphia
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"place of the treasury"Description:
A Biblical place name referred to by the Old Testament prophet Ezra. It may be a corruption of Caspian, or may derive from Hebrew keceph "silver, money".
- Brayleigh
Description:
Brayleigh is a modern feminine name that embodies contemporary naming trends combining popular sounds and elements. Created as a variation blending the popular prefix 'Bray-' (as in Brayden) with the trendy suffix '-leigh' (a stylized version of 'lee'), the name represents the creative combination style that gained popularity in the early 2000s. Brayleigh has a melodic quality with its flowing syllables and soft ending sound. The name has particularly gained traction in the United States, appealing to parents seeking something distinctive yet following familiar phonetic patterns. While some might view it as part of the trend toward newly-created names, others appreciate its fresh sound and the personalization it offers. Brayleigh typically evokes images of brightness and modernity.
- Daulton
Origin:
Spelling variation of DaltonDescription:
Stick with the original.
- Neviah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"forecaster"Description:
All too likely to be confused with the ultratrendy Nevaeh.
- Adanna
- Shailene
- Josiah
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