Rainbows List Of Names I Like

  1. Louise
    • Origin:

      French and English, feminine variation of Louis
    • Meaning:

      "renowned warrior"
    • Description:

      Louise has for several decades now been seen as competent, studious, and efficient—desirable if not dramatic qualities. But now along with a raft of other L names, as well as cousin Eloise, Louise is up for reappreciation—sleek and chic, stylish in Paris, and starting to become so in the US as well. Louisa is perhaps more in tune with the times, but Louise has more edge. Louise has been on the rise lately, and reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time in a quarter century in 2016.
  2. Luca
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Luke and Lucas
    • Meaning:

      "man from Lucania"
    • Description:

      The related Lucas and Luke are both hugely popular boy names in the US and internationally, and now Luca has joined them on boys' popularity lists around the world.
  3. Lucas
    • Origin:

      Latin form of Luke
    • Meaning:

      "man from Lucania"
    • Description:

      Lucas is a Top 10 boys' name with a slightly-less-popular almost-identical twin brother, Luke. Like Elijah and Elias, Lucas and Luke come from the same root and have the same meaning and so feel even more popular than they are.
  4. Lyric
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lyre"
    • Description:

      A musical name with Greek roots, appealing to parents who like such other names as Harmony, Melody, and Cadence.
  5. Lorainna
    • Lorainne
      • Macy
        • Origin:

          English surname, variation of Massey
        • Meaning:

          "hill"
        • Description:

          Singer Macy Gray has popularized this cute and upbeat choice—once solely associated with the department store—a modern replacement for Stacy and Tracy.
      • Marcy
        • Origin:

          Diminutive of Marcia
        • Meaning:

          "Mars, god of war"
        • Description:

          Marcy is about as hip as bobby sox and saddle shoes – which is to say, it's probably due a revival in the not-too-distant future! It was a typical Peanuts character name, which peaked in the seventies, but is starting to attract attention again across the pond, where soundalikes like Macy, Marnie, Maisy, Darcy and Lacey are already popular.
      • Maria
        • Origin:

          Hebrew or Egyptian
        • Meaning:

          "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
        • Description:

          As a highly popular girls’ name in all Spanish-speaking countries, this saintly Latin variation of Mary retains a timeless beauty. Through the centuries, Maria remains one of the most widely-used girl names starting with M.
      • Marsha
        • Origin:

          Variation of Marcia, diminutive of Marcella
        • Meaning:

          "warlike"
        • Description:

          Marcia is the most common version of this group of names in the U. S., now found more often among moms and grandmas than babies. Marsha was a Top 100 name in the 1950s, when Marcy was its common go-by name.
      • Mary
        • Origin:

          Hebrew or Egyptian
        • Meaning:

          "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
        • Description:

          Mary is the English form of Maria, which ultimately was derived from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).
      • Mateo
        • Origin:

          Spanish
        • Meaning:

          "gift of God"
        • Description:

          Mateo vaulted into the boys' Top 10 in 2023, ranking all the way up at Number 6. Counting Mateo and Teo along with Anglo equivalents Theodore and Theo make this by far the Number 1 boys' name in the US.
      • Matteo
        • Origin:

          Italian
        • Meaning:

          "gift of God"
        • Description:

          This attractively energetic Italian version of the classic Matthew is primed to move further and further into mainstream American nomenclature. Mateo is technically the Spanish version, but many parents in the US use the two spellings interchangeably.
      • May
        • Origin:

          Diminutive of Margaret and Mary; month name
        • Description:

          May is a sweet old-fashioned name that hasn't been on the national charts in several decades, but is definitely sounding fresh and springlike. Parents are beginning to see it once more as one of the prettiest middle name options. May was as high on the list as Number 57 in the 1880s; it's now 228 on Nameberry.
      • Maya
        • Origin:

          Greek; Central American Indian empire name; Latinate variation of May; Spanish, diminutive of Amalia; variation of Maia; Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "water"
        • Description:

          Maya, which has an almost mystical image, has been steadily climbing in popularity in the US and the English-speaking world, along with a range of other countries, including France, Germany, Israel, and Brazil. It's ranked in the US Top 100 since the turn of this century, but has never risen to the top of the list, which you may consider a good thing.
      • Michael
        • Origin:

          Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "who is like God?"
        • Description:

          Michael was the Number 1 American boys' name for almost half a century. While Michael has moved out of the Top 10 baby boy names, it's still widely used.
      • Miles
        • Origin:

          English form of Milo
        • Meaning:

          "soldier or merciful"
        • Description:

          Miles, which has a permanent veneer of cool thanks to jazz great Miles Davis, is a confident and polished boys' name that's an American classic. Always ranking in the US Top 1000, it's been drifting up the charts for the past half century but has never been TOO popular.
      • Milo
        • Origin:

          Latin and Old German
        • Meaning:

          "soldier or merciful"
        • Description:

          Milo is most commonly considered to be Germanic name derived from the Latin word miles, meaning "soldier." However, there is evidence to suggest it also may have independently spawned from the Slavic root milu, meaning "merciful." Milo predates brother name Miles, a variation that evolved when the name immigrated to the British Isles in the Middle Ages. Mylo is an alternate spelling.
      • Miranda
        • Origin:

          Latin
        • Meaning:

          "marvelous"
        • Description:

          Miranda, a shimmeringly lovely, poetic name that was invented by Shakespeare for the beautiful and admirable young heroine of his play, The Tempest, is still a recommended choice even though its popularity peaked in the 1990's, partially as an antidote to Amanda. But while Amanda now sounds dated, Miranda retains a good measure of its charm.
      • Miriam
        • Origin:

          Hebrew or Egyptian
        • Meaning:

          "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
        • Description:

          The oldest-known form of Mary, serious and solemn Miriam has been a particular favorite of observant Jewish parents. But we can see it extending beyond that sphere into the next wave of Old Testament names post-Rachel, Rebecca, Sarah, Hannah, and Leah. Miriam is currently the Number 1 girls' name in Israel.