Rainbow Baby Names you have not heard of

  1. Benedict
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "blessed"
    • Description:

      Parents who like Ben and Benjamin but find those forms too popular sometimes consider Benedict as a more distinctive choice. Unlike the Old Testament Benjamin, Benedict is the name of the saint who formed the Benedictine Order and of fifteen popes,including a recent one.
  2. Bennett
    • Origin:

      English, medieval form of Benedict
    • Meaning:

      "blessed"
    • Description:

      Bennett is Ben with a bow tie, kind of a cross between Benjamin and Beckett. It's been trending up on the popularity charts in recent years, and its choice by The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Jane Krakowski could shoot it even higher.
  3. Branwen
    • Origin:

      Celtic
    • Meaning:

      "blessed raven"
    • Description:

      This is an attractive Celtic mythological name, popular in Wales and a cousin of the better known Bronwyn. In Welsh mythology, Branwen was turned into a bird.
  4. Callidora
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "gift of beauty"
    • Description:

      An extremely rare name of Ancient Greek origin which could be a novel way to Callie. There is a minor Harry Potter character by the name: Callidora Black (later Longbottom).
  5. Carita
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      Carita may feel like an endearing nickname but it's a name in its own right, used throughout Scandinavia in this form and as Karita, Caritas, and Karitas as a variation on Charity.
  6. Carwen
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "blessed love"
    • Description:

      This feminine version of the Welsh name Carwyn could be a good choice for parents looking for something fresher than Bronwen.
  7. Dariela
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Darrell, French
    • Meaning:

      "dear one, beloved"
    • Description:

      Dariela may have a not-quite-authentic provenance, but it's a pretty name and an unusual choice in the girly Isabella-Gabriella group.
  8. Diarra
    • Origin:

      West African
    • Meaning:

      "gift"
    • Description:

      Diarra has a nice meaning, but we could see it leading to possible teasing re association with a certain digestive problem.
  9. Dolly
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Dorothy
    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"
    • Description:

      Hello, Dolly! Okay, we couldn't resist, but be warned: Most people who meet your little Dolly won't be able to either. This nickname-name, rarely heard since whatever decade Dolly Parton was born, is singing a fashionable note again along with sisters Dottie and Dixie; it was chosen for one of their twin girls by Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell.
  10. Doron
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "gift"
    • Description:

      Benevolent name found in Israel in several forms, including Doran and Doroni.
  11. Dorothy
    • Origin:

      English variation of Greek Dorothea
    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"
    • Description:

      In the 1930s, Dorothy left Kansas and landed in the Land of Oz; by the '80s she had become a Golden Girl, living in Miami with roommates Blanche and Rose, giving her a decidedly older image. But parents today seeking a quiet classic are bringing Dorothy back—she reentered the Top 1000 in 2011 after almost completely disappearing.
  12. Dottie
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Dorothy
    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"
    • Description:

      Dottie and Dot are old Dorothy nicknames that some cutting-edge Brits are bringing back to fashion. It's been half a century since Dottie ranked on its own in this country, one of those nickname names that flourished in the 1890's.
  13. Dorothea
    • Elidi
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "gift of the sun"
      • Description:

        Elidi is intriguing but potentially confusing. Try the French Elodie instead.
    • Erelieva
      • Origin:

        Germanic
      • Meaning:

        "beloved respect"
      • Description:

        A Gothic name belonging to the wife of Theodemir, a 5th century king of the Ostrogoths, and the mother of Theodoric the Great. The name also belongs to a genus of moths.
    • Esme
      • Origin:

        French
      • Meaning:

        "beloved"
      • Description:

        Esmé comes from the past participle of the Old French verb esmer, meaing "to esteem" or "to love." It can also be considered a derivative of the Spanish name Esmeralda, which means "emerald".
    • Esperanza
      • Origin:

        Spanish
      • Meaning:

        "hope, expectation"
      • Description:

        Esperanza is a Spanish classic that's found its way onto the national popularity list in recent years. It came into the spotlight not long ago when jazz singer Esperanza Spalding "stole" the Best New Artist Grammy from favorite Justin Bieber. It's also the name of the main character in the novel The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, about a young Latina growing up in Chicago.
    • Eudora
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "generous gift"
      • Description:

        Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and euphoneous and a possibility for rejuvenation.
    • Feodora
      • Origin:

        Slavic variation of Theodora
      • Meaning:

        "gift of God"
      • Description:

        Feodora is an interesting choice for the intrepid name giver, especially with its dynamic nickname, Feo (pronounced FAY-oh).
    • Fyodor
      • Origin:

        Russian variation of Theodore
      • Meaning:

        "God's gift"
      • Description:

        This variation of Theodore is familiar here mostly via the great Russian novelist Dostoyevsky. It was also the name of three early tsars of Russia.