The Great Big List of Cottagecore Names
- Fauna
Origin:
Roman, English word name, from LatinMeaning:
"young deer; all the animals that live in a particular area"Description:
Fauna is the Roman goddess of the earth as well as one of the fairies who protected Disney's "Sleeping Beauty". It can also be considered a word name with a scientific, nature focused feel. Used to as a way to refer to all the animals in a particular area, habitat, or time period, many might think of the phrase "Flora and Fauna" on seeing the name.
- Marilla
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"shining sea"Description:
Marilla is a names that's familiar via its resemblance to Mary and variations, but also distinctive: It hasn't been on the Top 1000 since the 1800s and was given to only 27 baby girls last year.
- Abbott
Origin:
English, Hebrew, AramaicMeaning:
"priest; father"Description:
Abbott is a neglected masculine surname with religious overtones, used to describe the head of a monastery or a prominent church figure, such as a priest. Though the feminine nickname Abby could be seen as a slight drawback, that's hardly stopped Abner or Abraham rising up the charts, and besides, there's nothing wrong with a gentler boy name.
- Brigitte
Origin:
French variation of BrighidMeaning:
"strength or exalted one"Description:
Brigitte is the French version of the ancient Irish Brighid long associated with 1950s sex symbol Brigitte Bardot. If you want to pronounce Brigitte the French way, it's brih-ZHEET.
- Petunia
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"trumpet-shaped flower"Description:
Literary heritage: the "Loony Tunes" girlfriend of Porky Pig. But with the increasing popularity of all kinds of unusual botanical names, Petunia may be a name we start to hear more of. Perhaps-more-pleasing Petunia alternatives: Petal, Posy, Poppy.
- Calico
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"cotton cloth imported from India; a blotched or spotted animal"Description:
A word name with fashionable o-ending that has associations with both the homespun fabric and the mottled cat. Alice Cooper named his daughter Calico decades ago.
- Vale
Origin:
Geographical nameDescription:
Vale is part place name, part nature name -- a poetic term for a type of valley. Today Show coanchor Savannah Guthrie put Vale on the baby name map when she chose it for her daughter, but there's no reason the name can't work equally well for a boy. Vale might also be a short form for Valentine or a spelling variation of the city name Vail.
- Thorne
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"thorn thicket"Description:
Rose and Briar are popular, and Hawthorn is cool – so why not the equally prickly Thorne? The E ending gives it a surnamey spin à la Hawthorne.
- Yarrow
Origin:
Botanical name, EnglishMeaning:
"rough stream"Description:
Highly unusual as a baby name for either gender, Yarrow is an herb that grows wild and has long been used for its medicinal property. It's named for the mythical Achilles, who was said to carry yarrow into battle.
- Pomona
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"apple"Description:
This name of the Roman goddess of fruit trees is also associated with a suburban town in Southern California.
- Spruce
Origin:
Tree nameDescription:
A handsome, spruced-up post-Bruce tree name.
- Orville
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"gold town"Description:
Only if you're an aviation buff or seriously addicted to popcorn.
- Brea
Origin:
Spelling variation of Bria or short form of Breana, EnglishMeaning:
"strong, virtuous and honorable"Description:
Brea is another spin on the increasingly-popular Bria, another entry in the stylish Mia-Leah-Gia sisterhood. While Bria is on the charts with an arrow toward the top, Brea is used more quietly, maybe because the spelling makes the pronunciation less clear. Is it bree-a or bray (answer: bree-a).
- Mariposa
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"butterfly"Description:
Mariposa is a rare, romantic choice with an intriguing meaning.
- Thistle
Origin:
English flower nameMeaning:
"to prick"Description:
Quirky and charming flower name. Thistle is Scotland's national symbol.
- Falcon
Origin:
Bird nameDescription:
There is a whole new species of bird names open to the baby namer, from the light and feminine Lark to the sleek and powerful Falcon.
- Mirabell
Description:
Mirabell is a rare feminine name with romantic literary origins. It derives from Latin elements "mirabilis" (wonderful or miraculous) and "bella" (beautiful), creating a name that essentially means "wonderfully beautiful." The name appears in literary works, most notably in William Congreve's Restoration comedy "The Way of the World" (1700), where Millamant and Mirabell are the witty romantic leads. Despite its beautiful meaning and pleasant sound, Mirabell has remained quite uncommon throughout history. The name has a fairy-tale quality with its melodious four syllables and romantic connotations. Variations include Mirabelle (more common in France) and Mirabella. The name evokes images of beauty and wonder, making it an uncommon but enchanting choice with historical and literary connections.
- Cliff
Origin:
Topographical name or short form of Clifford or CliftonDescription:
Cliff is a familiar, timeless short form -- never too popular, yet widely known -- that you might also think of as a geographical name ala Vale or Field.
- Wilda
Origin:
Variation of the word wild or GermanMeaning:
"to strive"Description:
Wilda (or Wylda) has two widely divergent images. Pronounced vill-da, it feels like a cousin of Hilda: a sturdy and none-too-attractive prairie settler. But you can also think of her as wild-ah, as in the feminine of wild and wilder.
- Eartha
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"earth"Description:
Used by the Puritans but off the US charts completely since the mid-1990s, Eartha is best known today as the name of American singer Eartha Kitt, as well as of the philanthropist and humanitarian Eartha M. M. White.