Latin Names

In the days of huge families, this name of the Roman goddess of prophecy and childbirth, and one of the Fates, would be saved for bambina number ten. Now it might be used for a girl born in October, the tenth month.

In France, pronounced PRO-spare, Prosper is a fairly common name; here it presents a worthy aspirational message for a child.

A welcoming name that seems to say "hello". Celio can be thought of as a much rarer male variation of Celia. With heavenly names in the ascendant, we may be hearing lots more of Celio.

Will assure your daughter she's numero uno.

Pronounced KILL-on, might lead a young boy astray--though that doesn't seem to have halted the progress of the popular Killian.

The newly-styled Maxon takes its cue from Jaxon, another elaboration of a classic name on the rise. Maxon is not bad, as invented names go, yet it's hard for us to advocate for Maxon over Maxwell, Maxfield, Maximus, or just plain Max.

Capella, the eleventh brightest star in the sky, carries much mythological and astrological significance. In Roman mythology, Capella represented the goat that suckled Jupiter, whose horn became the Cornucopia or horn of plenty. In Hindu mythology, Capella is called the heart of Brahma, while English legend calls it the shepherd's star.

This variation on the Julia theme has stayed in play due to the popularity of Julianne Moore, though it now sits at the bottom of the US Top 1000.

Leta has hipster cred as the daughter of cool mommy blogger Dooce. Related to the Greek mythological Leda, a great beauty who mothered another great beauty, Helen of Troy, Leta is a name that's as unique as it is historic: Only 14 baby girls were named Leta in the US last year, and 18 were named Leda. Pronunciation is lee-tah.

Caesar, the name of the greatest Roman of them all, is rarely used outside Latino families, where the Cesar spelling is preferred —as in activist Chavez and Dog Whisperer Millan. Its original meaning is debated — either "long-haired", "blue-gray" (as in eyes), or "cut" (because Julius Caesar was supposedly born by cesarian section) — it came to be the title to denote all Roman emperors and it is from the name Caesar that many other European royal titles are derived, including Kaiser and Tsar.

This Latin word for love is not traditionally used as a name, but why not? It's got a pretty sound and some distinctive flair. Variants Amori or Amorie can also be thought of as different spellings of Amory, which has a very different meaning and roots. Only downside: Sounds almost exactly like "amorous," meaning in the mood for love, which could provoke some adolescent teasing.

Faustine has a positive meaning, although the association with the character who sold his soul to the devil may be off-putting. This name is among the Top 100 girls' names in France, but was given to fewer than five baby girls in the US last year.

Annora is a noble name, a distinctive twist on its most essential form: Honor. Other variations to explore include Honora and Nora.

This intriguing name of an ancient Etruscan queen renowned for her prophetic powers was long associated with the prima ballerina Tanaquil LeClerq.

We approve of this name for a girl, but prefer the au, Laura-Laurenish, spelling.

This name of a showy, lemony plant makes an unusual entry into the name garden.

Roman statesman's name with a cool and quirky sound. Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman scholar, orator and lawyer who had an immense impact on the Latin language.

An old aristocratic English name which also belongs to Cambridge college, named for George Augustus Selwyn, the first Bishop of New Zealand, subsequently Bishop of Lichfield.

A combination name that might be dismissed as a clown and cow name. The sounds are nevertheless pretty and the meaning is good - though spellings Claribel or Clarabel might help distance it from the cow association.

Both this form and Quentin are authentic modern forms of the Roman family name Quintus. Your choice. In the US, this spelling lags behind Quentin and Quinton.