Polish Names

Most famous as a Dracula victim (where Mina is short for Wilhelmina), Mina is a name that can stand on its own or be a diminutive of any name ending in -mina, most usually Wilhelmina.

Emilia is the feminine form of the Roman clan name Aemilius, which derived from the Latin aemulus, meaning "rival." In Shakespeare’s Othello, Emilia is the wife of Iago and confidante of Desdemona. Amelia, although homonymous, has a different root and meaning.

Angelica is by far the choicest form of the angelic names -- more delicate than Angelina, more feminine than Angel, more modern than Angela. But though Angelica is so lacy and poetic, it lags behind the bolder Angelina (probably for obvious reasons).

Casimir, a traditional name of Polish kings, could do quite well these days as we see the rise of Caspian, Cassius, Castiel, et. al. Like Leopold and Laszlo, Casimir is strong and worth considering if you've got an adventurous streak — and bet your son will too.

Rye has the potential to become the masculine version of Rue—a short and sweet name for nature lovers (and whiskey fans too!). Rye might be short for Ryder or Riley or Rylan or any Ry-beginning name, but increasingly it stands on its own. It can also be considered a place name, after the town in England.

A light and pretty pan-cultural name which can be considered a variant of either the Greek name Selene or Selena, meaning "moon", or of the French Celine, meaning "heavenly". An attractive choice that is surprisingly rare in the US: out of the Top 1000 since 2006.

Marcia is an ancient Roman name which derives from Mars, the god of war. It was used by Dante in the Inferno and later by Thomas Hardy and others.

In the contemporary US, Minka attracted notice via actress Minka Kelly, who played the gorgeous Lyla on Friday Night Lights.

This unusual and alluring choice was used by David Mamet for his daughter, who is now grown and an actress on the hit show Girls.

Jasper and its many international variations, from Kasper to Casper to Gaspard, is finding new popularity.

A short form of Izabela, popular as a stand-alone name in Slovenia where it ranks in the Top 50. It might also be used in Poland, Czechia, Georgia, Hungary, and elsewhere as a form of Izabela/lla, Izidora, Izolda, Elizabeth, Adeliza, and similar.

Makes a serious name frilly and feminine, which, depending on your viewpoint, might be a good or a bad thing. In this case, we vote good.

This diminutive of Valeria has a strong and striking sound to match its meaning. It has also been used in Brazil in recent decades.

Though the name Kinga has penetrated the international consciousness via the Slovakian model Kinga Rajzak, it's a rare choice for American baby girls: Only six were named Kinga last year. Is that because Kinga sounds like pseudo-royalty, ala Princessa? Though with names such as Reign and Royal rising through the ranks, the time-honored Kinga may see more widespread usage.

An attractive and little-known member of the group of romantic, Euro-chic boys' names ending in -ian: think Julian, Fabian, Florian, Adrian.

Kalina, known as a girls' name throughout Eastern Europe, translates literally to viburnum in Polish, making it a botanical name. Viburnum is a flowering shrub. Some sources translate this name as simply "flower." Variations may include Kaline, Kalena, and Kalene.

An medieval English diminutive of Edith, which could make an unusual addition to simple vintage revivals like Eva, Ada and Ida. In Turkish, it means "well mannered".

This Old Norse girl name has a lovely meaning and a familiar yet distinctive sound.

As Theodore gets more popular for boys (it's now in the Top 10, and may even reach Number 1), Theodora is becoming more widely-used for girls, which means various spellings and short forms will spring up.

The least used of the Three Wise Men's names, but a strong option for bold namers to consider.