Anselmo

In Spanish cultures, and spelled either Bastian or Bastien, this is a fairly common nickname name. The German fantasy children's book The Neverending Story features a young boy character called Bastian Balthlazar Bux, and it has also been seen in several screen versions. 
 Bastian has been enjoying recent popularity in Latin America: it reached Number 11 in Chile--as well as in Germany and Scandinavia, and is just beginning to be appreciated here. Jeremy Sisto used it for his son.
 Alternate spelling Bastien is also a fashionable Euro form with a possible future in America. There is a one-act comic opera by Mozart titled Bastien und Bastienne.

Bastian

Everything ella, from Ella to Bella to Arabella, is red hot right now. Bella is one of the most, well, beautiful <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/b">girl names starting with B</a>. It carried a hint of a nice Old World grandmotherly veneer, until it became attached to Twilight's Bella Swan. 
Bella derived as a diminutive of Isabella and other names with the suffix -bella, such as Anabella and Arabella, but has a meaning all its own: beautiful.That's because Bella is related to the word for "beautiful" in languages including Spanish, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, and Greek. Belle means "beautiful" in French.
 
If you're thinking of naming your daughter Bella, be aware that there are a lot of little girls whose proper names are Isabella, Arabella etc. who are called Bella, so you may hear the name more frequently than you'd guess judging by popularity statistics.
 In pre-Twilight literature, Bella Wilfer is the central character in Charles Dickens's Our Mutual Friend.
 Mark Ruffalo, Billy Bob Thornton, David Boreanaz and Eddie Murphy are all dads to Bellas. A strong feminist namesake is Bella Abzug. One current Bella is child star turned pop star Bella Thorne, born Annabella.
 Bella was in use as far back as the thirteenth century, then disappeared until the eighteenth when it became fashionable. 
 Today, Bella is among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/dogs">most popular dog names</a>.

Bella

Brianna's popularity in the US came later than father name Brian's, peaking in the 1990s, two decades after Brian's Top 10 reign of the 1970s.

But Brianna is more popular than Brian now, along with sister name Briana even taking a slight upward turn recently. That fresh sheen might be credited to Brienne of Tarth, a warrior-heroine of Game of Thrones.

Though it sounds like it might be a modern invention, the name actually appeared as far back as the sixteenth century in Edmund Spenser's poem The Faerie Queen. And Brian goes back a lot further, to Irish high king Brian Boru's reign around the year 1000.

Brianna

In ancient Rome, Cornelia was considered the paragon of womanly virtue, making it a handsome name with an excellent pedigree. It's rare today, so if you want a name no one else is using, somewhat reminiscent of Amelia and the Shakespearean Cordelia, Cornelia should be on your list. Cornelia's short forms might include Cora, Nelia or Nell--anything but Corny.
 The name of the mother of famous second century Roman reformers, Cornelia emerged in England in the seventeenth century, probably brought in by Dutch immigrants. The painter Jan Vermeer had a daughter named Cornelia.
 Cornelia has not made a mark on the U.S. popularity list since 1965--so she's more than due for reconsideration. In the meantime, it's been associated with contemporary socialite Cornelia Guest, giving the name an elite image.

Cornelia

Cosima, the kind of elegant and unusual name the British upper classes love to use for their daughters, is given to a handful of baby girls in the US after being chosen by two high-profile celebs in the same month; cool couple Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars as well as supermodel Claudia Schiffer. It was used earlier by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, while the male form, Cosimo, was given to the son of Marissa Ribisi and Beck.
 
The most famous Cosima in history had strong musical ties — Cosima Wagner was the daughter of composer Franz Liszt and the wife of composer Richard Wagner. Cosima is well used in Germany, Italy and Greece, but in the US, it was given to only ten baby girls in 2021, the same number who got the name in 2010.
 
A note on pronunciation: in Germany, Italy, and Spain, they say KO-zee-ma, like cozy ma. In the UK, they rhyme the first syllable with boss. In the US, you can do whatever you want.

Cosima

Dramatic and worldly, Cosimo was chosen by singer Beck and his wife, Marissa Ribisi, for their son. Now that Cosima has emerged as a starbaby favorite, twin brother Cosimo could join her.
 Cosimo de Medici was the first of the Medici dynasty to wield power in Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance and was noted for his patronage of the arts. An inspirational name for creative parents.

Cosimo

Though closely associated with the great medieval Florentine poet Dante Alighieri -- who's so famous most people skip the last name -- it's not as much of a one-man name as you might think. Heck, it's not even a one-poet name, thanks to British pre-Rapahaelite Dante Gabriel Rosetti. Though especially well used in the Italian-American community, it would make a striking name for any little boy.

Dante

Darius is a historic name via Emperor Darius the Great, a key figure in ancient Persian history, and several other Persian kings. His name today has an appealingly artistic image, which might well be found on a concert program or gallery announcement. 
 Among its cultural inspirations is composer Darius Milhaud. Journalist Christiane Amanpour, who was raised in Tehran, named her son Darius.

Darius

Despina is best known as the clever and wily maidservant character in Mozart's opera Così fan tutte. It is a name of Greek origin, derived from Despoina, who in Greek mythology was the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon. 

 In its native Greece, Despina is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable – DESS-pi-na -– but in Italy, Portugal, and other countries where the name is often found, it's usually pronounced dess-PEE-nah.

Despina

Dusty

Doria

Slimmed down spelling is well-established and makes an old name more modern, for better and worse.  Katie Couric spells her Elinor's name this way.

Elinor

The soft and strong name of a 13th-century Persian poet.

Farid

In English, a fen is a wetland fed by surface and/or groundwater. In Dutch and Frisian, it's a traditional diminutive of names containing the element frid, meaning "peace". Either way, Fen makes a fresh alternative to fashionable Finn.

Gwin

Ivo is an unusual, catchy name with the energetic impact of all names ending in 'o'. Hardly heard in the U.S., it is used a bit more frequently in England, as is the related Ivor, a favorite of such novelists as Evelyn Waugh and P.G. Wodehouse. Ivo is currently most popular in the Netherlands.

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

Jehan

Jacopa

A widespread name in Italy and Romania, the lovely Loredana is often claimed to have been invented by French author George Sand for a character in her 1833 novel Mattea. However, it also belonged to a 16th century Italian botanist, Loredana Marcello, known for developing treatments for various ailments. It probably derives from the Venetian surname Loredan, from the place name Loreo "laurel grove".

Loredana

Martin is one of those names like Arthur and Vincent and George that is in the process of throwing off its balding middle-aged image to start sounding possible again, used in full without the dated Marty nickname. 
 Notable Martins are too numerous to mention as the name has been so well used throughout time and in so many countries. Martin became part of the basic European stock of names, largely due to the popularity of the fourth century St. Martin of Tours. Also influential were the German founder of Protestantism Martin Luther and civil rights leader Martin Luther King (originally born Michael and renamed in honor of Martin Luther), eighth President Martin Van Buren, and influential philosophers Heidegger and Buber.
 More current Martins include actors Sheen and Short, writer Amis, and director Scorsese.
 Two books with eponymous Martin titles are Martin Chuzzlewit by Dickens and Martin Eden by Jack London.
 Martin also is enjoying popularity in countries such as Chile, Spain and Austria.
 Yes, a Martin revival appears to be right around the corner -- if only we can think of a new nickname.

Martin

Meggie

Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/325/mythological-baby-names-for-girls">mythology names for girls</a> that might appeal to adventurous feminist parents. With Juno and Jupiter, she made the Capitoline triad, whose worship was at the very center of Roman religion.
 
Minerva Pott is a character in Dickens's novel Pickwick Papers. In Harry Potter, Minerva McGonagall is a Witch and Deputy Headmistress of Hogswarts, and in the Artemis Fowl books, Minerva Paradizo is equally intellectual. There's also a series of kids' mystery books centering around a Minerva Clark.
 
Minerva was a Top 500 name through the early 1920s, last appearing on the list in 1973. It's well liked on Nameberry though—currently at Number 417. Nickname Minnie fits right in with the other currently stylish vintage nickname names. Curiously, though, actress Minnie Driver was not born Minerva, but Amelia.

Minerva

The Lithuanian form of Martha. Also associated with Morta, the Roman goddess of death.

Morta

Other kids might see a teasible connection to mortician or mortuary. Mortimer is an English family name used a few generations ago as an Anglicization of Moses; it was Walt Disney's original choice for the name of his mouse, until his wife talked him out of it.

Mortimer

Nettle

Name of the legendary ancient Greek poet and musician — whose music was so beautiful it made trees dance and rivers stop to listen — would provide a child with a challenging but indelible identity. 

Orpheus

Paula still seems somewhat stuck in the era of duo Paul and Paula bopping out the song "Hey, Paula." Two pronunciations are possible—the English "PAW-la" and the Portuguese "POW-la."
 Modern bearers of the name include singer-songwriter Paula Abdul and comedian Paula Poundstone, as well as a character on My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Paula is still a common choice in Puerto Rico.

Paula

Piper is a bright, musical name that entered the list in 1999, one year after the debut of the TV series Charmed, which featured a Piper, and it's been a consistent riser since. Piper Kerman is the memoirist whose prison experiences provided the basis for the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black.
 Piper has been chosen by several celebs for their daughters, including Gillian Anderson and Cuba Gooding, Jr., and is now one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/p">girls' names starting with P</a>.
 One of the first Pipers on the scene was Piper Laurie (born Rosetta), after whom actress Piper Perabo was named.

Piper

Pippo

Consider this short form for your little Richard. 

Rico

Rose lovers today would probably prefer Rosemary, Rosamund, or even Rose itself, all more stylish variations of the name. Some may associate this form of the name with actress Rosanna Arquette and your mom may think of SNL's Rosanne Rosanna-Danna, though that reference is lost on millennials. 

Rosanna

Roxane

This shimmery Age of Aquarius unisex flower child name is making a comeback, along with metal and gem names like Steel, Jade, and Ruby. 

Silver

Among the first wave of word names used in the hippie era, it actually is a legitimate girl's name with a lot of luster. 

How do you spell Teresa? Teresa, the simpler phonetic form of this name, was the most popular variation for its early life, when it was used exclusively in Spain and Portugal. Other spellings of Teresa include Theresa, the usual English form, and the French Therese.
 
Teresa and all its variations are far off their mid-20th-century peak now, though the name has many worthy namesakes including Saint Teresa and Mother Teresa. Short forms Tess and Tessa are now more fashionable.

Teresa

Violante

HxneyViolet's list "The Inkheart Trilogy" of 38 great name ideas: Anselmo - Violante!

The Inkheart Trilogy

This list contains names featured in, or inspired by, the Inkheart Trilogy. A series written by Cornelia Funke containing the books: Inkheart, Inkspell and Inkdeath.