Names I Just Really Wanna Use

Marino is an Italian first and surname with distinct crossover possibilities, having pleasant seaside undertones, and is far more unusual in the U.S. than sister Marina.

The Hawaiian word for sunflower is also used figuratively for people who gaze toward the sun, and has a nice resonance with Lion King name Nala.

An obscure possibility...for a girl.

Feminine form of Ophir, a Biblical place name famed for its riches.

Some cutting-edge parents might revive Osbert as a substitute for Oscar. We like the "divinely brilliant" meaning. Cool or terminally nerdy? Your call.

Poppy, unlike most floral names which are sweet and feminine, has a lot of spunk. Long popular throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Poppy is finally starting to rise toward the top in the US, where it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2016.

A bit syllable-heavy, but a pretty name for a springtime baby.

Nature girl played by Audrey Hepburn in "Green Mansions," it now has an old-style bohemian feel.

More often spelled Romolo,a name sometimes heard in the Hispanic and Italian communities; this version was used by singer Monica.

With the prevailing popularity of Samuel, some parents are considering this more (literally) powerful biblical name, which shares the desirable nickname of Sam.

Interesting name with a cool, upbeat sound.

Savita is among the most popular Hindi names for girls, and one that could easily immigrate. Want more ideas? How about the Italian or Spanish Sarita or the simplified Vita or the Scandinavian Sunniva?

An old aristocratic English name which also belongs to Cambridge college, named for George Augustus Selwyn, the first Bishop of New Zealand, subsequently Bishop of Lichfield.

Simple, Zen-like name of a mythological forest elf.

Appealingly peaceful and placid.

With the rise of ancient Roman names, the now-obscure Silvius may be rediscovered. Sleek and silvery, Silvius was the name of several legendary kings and an early saint. It survives in the contemporary world in its Spanish and Italian form Silvio, used for the character played by Steven Van Zandt on The Sopranos.

An attractive French word name known here via former child TV star Soleil Moon Frye, aka Punky Brewster. It started to be lightly used in the U.S. in the 1920s and is now attracting some attention as both a sunny nature and an international word name. It's currently in the Nameberry Top 500.