This fragrant, almond-scented name has hardly been heard in this country, which is a pity--we've loved it since John Malkovich used it for his now grown daughter.
 A French diminutive of Amanda, it was the birth name of novelist George Sand--born Amandine Aurore Lucile-- and is in the Top 100 in France.
 Of course, amandine is also a French culinary term for a garnish of almonds.

Amandine

Angelou

Asha is an Indian name that comes from the Sanskrit word for hope or desire, but it is also a Swahili name derived from Aisha, meaning life. Since the ascendance of Ashley through the 1980s and 90s, all baby names Ash-related have been used in the U.S. for both girls and boys, from Ashlyn to Ashby, Ashton to Asher. Despite its separate roots, Asha is part of this group.
 
Asha is finding new life through its Game of Thrones connections. Disney has announced an upcoming film titled Wish, which will feature a heroine named Asha who may likely be the next Disney Princess.
 
Read more about Asha and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Asha

Asher—an excellent, soft and sensitive Old Testament choice—is a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">baby boy name</a> on the rise, and is a Nameberry biblical favorite. 
 
Asher's ascent is especially amazing given that the took a century-long hiatus from the Top 1000, from the 1890s until it reappeared in the 1990s. Asher has been in the US Top 100 for more than a decade now.
 
In the Bible, Asher was one of Jacob's twelve sons who gave their names to the tribes of Israel. Asher is derived from the Hebrew word osher, which means "happiness." Rabbinical scholars claim that the Asherites lived up to this meaning, as they had the most oil, wisdom, and male children compared to the other tribes.
 
The novel My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, often taught in schools, is the story of a New York Hasidic Jewish boy with artistic aspirations.
 
Oh—and another plus for Asher: the handsome diminutive Ash.

Asher

Avalon, an island paradise of Celtic myth and Arthurian legend--it was where King Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds-- and also the colorful capital of the California island of Catalina-- makes a heavenly first name. Actress Rena Sofer and British musician Julian Cope used it for their daughters.
 Avalon manages to blend the appeal of Ava and Evelyn, while sounding more interesting and unique.

Avalon

Duncan is jaunty, confident, and open, a Scottish <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/453/royal-baby-names">royal name</a> that's brimming with friendly charm and makes it into our golden circle of names that are neither too popular nor too strange. Popularity aside, Duncan is one of the most classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/473/scottish-names-for-boys">Scottish names for boys</a>. 
 From a surname based on a clan name, Duncan was the name of a Scottish saint and two early Kings of the Scots. The beneficent Duncan I, who lived in the eleventh century, was immortalized in Shakespeare's Macbeth. 
 The brave and handsome Major Duncan Heyward is one of the main characters in James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans. Other cultural references include Duncan Idaho, the only character to appear in all of Frank Herbert's Dune novels; Duncan MacLeod, the immortal protagonist of Highlander; one of Garp's sons in The World According to Garp; and singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik.
 David Bowie's son Zowie changed his name first to Joey and then finally to Duncan.
 
Duncan peaked int he late 90s and has been a downfall since, even falling out of the Top 1000 in 2021 — but made a reappearance in 2022.

Duncan

Florentine is an unusual member of a group of names destined for great popularity for girls. Its primary members are Flora and Florence, but rarer choices such as Flory and Fleur and Florentine are sure to flower in the years ahead.

Florentine

Gideon is a no-longer neglected Old Testament name, but still makes an excellent choice for parents looking to move beyond such overused biblicals as Benjamin and Jacob. In the Old Testament, Gideon was a judge called on by God to rescue the Jews from the Midianites, and the name was popular among the Puritans.
 Gideon was given a spike by the short-lived TV series Gideon's Crossing, and has been heard more recently as a main character in Criminal Minds, as Molly Weasley's brother Gideon Prewett in the Harry Potter series, and as an anti-hero, Gideon Gordon Graves, in the Scott Pilgrim series.
 The ubiquitous, in-every-hotel-room Gideon bibles were named because Gideon symbolizes great work done by few people.
 Among the celebs who have chosen Gideon for their sons are Neil Patrick Harris and Ziggy Marley.

Gideon

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. 

Halcyon

Iris has so much going for it. It's a fashionable flower name. It's a mythological name, from the Greek goddess of the rainbow. And it's a classic name, always ranking in the girls' Top 1000 but now at its highest point ever.
 
Iris is directly derived from the Greek word iris, meaning "rainbow." In Greek mythology, rainbow goddess Iris was a messenger for Zeus and Hera who rode the rainbow as a multicolored bridge from heaven to earth. 
 The botanical iris also carries evocative symbols. In ancient times, the Iris was considered a symbol of power and majesty, the three petal segments representing faith, wisdom and valor. This image led to the naming of the colored part of the eye.
In the contemporary world, Iris has amazing international versatility, ranking highly throughout the English-speaking world as well as in a diverse range of countries from Spain to Slovenia, France to Sweden.
 Part of Iris's rise is due to its celebrity power: Jude Law and Sadie Frost, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, and Renee O'Connor all chose Iris for their daughters.
 A notable modern bearer was the prolific British novelist Iris Murdoch. Frequently seen on screen, characters called Iris have been played by Jodie Foster, Jane Fonda and Kate Winslet, and Iris Chase is the narrator in the Margaret Atwood novel The Blind Assassin.

Iris

Biblical Jacob ceded his Number 1 spot to biblical Noah, in 2013, after holding first place on the list of <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">baby boy names</a> from 1999 to 2012, given a huge boost by the Twilight phenomenon.
 
Jacob has widespread appeal to a range of parents, with an image of honesty and warmth. Another plus is the friendly nickname Jake — also given on its own to thousands of boys every year — which shares the cool-yet-earthy appeal of equally stylish cousins Max and Sam. 
 Jacob comes from the Latin name Iacobus, which was ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Ya’aqov. In the Old Testament, Jacob was one of the most important patriarchs of the tribes of Israel. He was the youngest son of Isaac and Rebecca and the twin brother of Esau, as well as the husband of both Leah and Rachel. The 12 tribes of Israel evolved from his 12 sons.
 Jacob is still among the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/j">boy names starting with J</a>, along with James, Jack, and Jackson, and is Number 1 for boys among <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/gen-z-names">Gen Z names</a>.
 
The downside is that Jacob is at this point way overused. Jacoby is one trendy variation. Jakob, meanwhile, is an alternate spelling used by the Dutch, Scandinavians and Germans. Some interesting international versions include the Scottish Hamish, the Cornish Jago, and the Dutch Jaap.

Jacob

Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity -- for more than a decade now. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.
 Saint Jude was the apostle who interceded for people with problems and became the patron saint of lost causes.Kelsey Grammer has a son named Jude Gordon. Jude is occasionally used for girls (as in Martha Stewart's granddaughter)--but more often as a shortened form of Judith/Judy.
 Jude's old connections to the traitorous Judas Iscariot and Thomas Hardy's tragic Jude the Obscure have mostly faded from memory, though don't be shocked if Grandma objects to the name on these grounds.

Jude

Nonbiblical Hebrew name used as an affectionate nickname since the Middle Ages. 

Malka

Marcellina is one feminine form of the names derived from the ancient Roman Marcellus.  There was a Saint Marcellina who was a 4th century virgin and the only sister of Saint Ambrose.

Marcellina

Matilda is a sweet vintage name that has been gently climbing the popularity list for the past 15 years, after a half-century slumber. The spunky children's book heroine Matilda is one factor in its rise, along with others of its class like Eloise and Caspian.

The comeback of this sweet vintage name, one of the most stylish girls' names starting with M, has been prompted by a boomlet of starbaby Matildas, beginning with chef Gordon Ramsey's in 2002 and Moon Unit Zappa's two years later. But the renaissance of this name of the charming Roald Dahl heroine was assured when Michelle Williams and the late Heath Ledger chose Matilda for their daughter. 
 Matilda was introduced to the English-speaking world by the eleventh century Matilda of Flanders, queen of William the Conqueror, then used for his granddaughter, known as Maud. In literature, Matilda appeared in Dickens's Nicholas Nickleby.
<p.>Trivia tidbit: The Matilda in the Australian song 'Waltzing Matilda' refers not to a person but to the knapsacks that swing, or waltz, on the backs of itinerant laborers as they walk along.
 Highly popular in England and Australia, Matilda has a choice of great nicknames: Tillie for the bold, Mattie for the shy, Tilda for the slightly more eccentric, such as Tilda Swinton, born Katherine Matilda.
 Molly Ringwald used the spelling Mathilda for her daughter.

Matilda

This Hebrew water name has two main popular associations: Mayim Bialik, who played the title role in the early 90s TV series "Blossom," and the popular Israeli folk dance, "Mayim, Mayim."

Mayim

In the Ossianic poems, Morven is the name of Fingal's kingdom. This name, borne by young Scottish actress Morven Christie, has a darkly intriguing quality to it.

Morven

Rarely used biblical choice -- he's a son of Jacob -- with a bit of a white-bearded image. 

Naphtali

Oscar is one of the most stylish Old Man Names of our era. While it's softened slightly in popularity over the past 20 years, that may be considered a very good thing.
 
In the nineties and the aughties, Oscar looked to be one of the grandpa names heading straight for the top of the charts, ala Elijah or Theodore. But instead of rising into the Top 100, Oscar has settled into that comfortable place between being too far in or out.
 
Oscar has Irish and Norse roots—Norse Oscar comes from the Old English Osgar, a variation of the Old Norse name Ásgeirr. The Irish form was derived from the Gaelic elements os, meaning "deer," and car, "loving." In Irish legend, Oscar was one of the mightiest warriors of his generation, the son of Ossian and the grandson of Finn Mac Cumhaill (MacCool).
 
Oscar also has remarkable international versatility. In addition to being a top name in Sweden, where it has royal connection, Oscar ranks high on popularity lists in all the English-speaking countries as well as in France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and other European and Latin American countries.
 
Actors Hugh Jackman and Gillian Anderson chose Oscar for their sons.Famous Oscars include Wilde (whose given name was Fingal), Isaac, Madison, Hammerstein, Peterson, de la Renta, the Academy Award, and the Grouch.

Oscar

Pearl, like Ruby, has begun to be polished up for a new generation of fashionable children after a century of jewelry box storage. The birthstone for the month of June, Pearl could also make a fresher middle name alternative to the overused Rose. Cool couple Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson named their daughter Pearl Minnie, followed by Jack Osbourne, and several celebs have put it in the middle spot, as in Busy Philipps's Cricket Pearl, Jake Owen's Olive Pearl and Caleb Followill's Dixie Pearl .
After being a Top 25 name in the late nineteenth century, Pearl went into a long slide, but is showing signs of a strong comeback -- it reentered the Top 1000 in 2010.
 In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is the illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne, who gives her the name because she is 'her mother's only treasure.'
 Pearl was also the alter ego name of Janis Joplin, tied to singer Pearl Bailey, and---hmm--the birth name of western writer Zane Gray.
 Variations are PERLE and PERLA.

Pearl

TZVI

Vardit

thedoubtfulguest's list "The Shortlist" of 22 great name ideas: Amandine - Vardit!