This euphonious Italian Italian name for boys, often associated with the painter Modigliani, makes a recommended creative choice. The Spanish tend to spell it Amadeo.

With the growing popularity of Celia and Cecilia, this vintage canasta-playing nickname name could be due for a comeback.

The Biblical Abijah might be temporarily lost to time, but this antiquated short form could move with it into the modern era.

This Dutch nickname has been in use for hundreds of years in the Netherlands, and is as energetic as they come. Of course, the jokes practically write themselves.

Boyish nicknames for girls are trending! Gus - short for the proper Augusta - fits alongside casual cool girls Jo and Lou. With August and Gus rising for boys, maybe Gus will be next to cross over.

Madelina is the Madeline equivalent used in many European cultures. While it's a simple and melodic name, like its mother name it can lead to lots of spelling and pronunciation problems. The first syllable may be "may" or rhyme with dad; last two syllables pronounce lee-na, though of course some will inevitably say lye-na. Only a handful of girls received this name in the US last year, making it a distinctive and pretty classic, but don't choose it ignoring its very real down side.

The Biblical Erastus was an assistant of Paul's in the New Testament. A name used in the 19th century that has fall off the scope, but may be revived as parents dig deeper for undiscovered Biblical choices.

A rarely seen member of the Beatrice clan, with its own distinctive charm.

Fiete is an extremely popular German name for boys that has not migrated to the English-speaking world. But it ranks among Germany's Top 100 boy names.

Abbey might sound exactly like the popular Abigail nickname Abby or Abbie, but spelled this way it is also a churchy word name with a Gothic feel. But hearing it, no one will know the difference.

Tomos is the standard Welsh version of Thomas, both in the Bible and secular texts like Thomas the Tank Engine. It is an enduring classic in the Welsh charts, with diminutives including Twm and Tomi.

Rust is one of the few color names for boys, sometimes short for Russell. As a diminutive for Russell, it's much more modern and cooler than Rusty. Whether you use it as a nickname or it stands on its own, the meaning refers to the color red.

Charming variation on Agnes, for those not keen on the "g" sound.

Edward meets Stewart.

The yoo sound at the beginning of a name has not typically been attractive to the modern ear. Probably the most appealing form of this ancient name has been the feminized Eugenie, thanks to the British princess.

The S may confuse English speakers, but it's a French classic.

Fans of the classic French film actor Jean Gabin might want to consider this one. Gabin is also a harmonica-playing character in the manga and anime series "Mirmo!"

Benthe is a popular Dutch abbreviation of the feminine for Benedict.

Diogo is the much-less-known brother of Diego, both forms of James, which is itself a form of the Biblical Jacob. And Diego itself probably started life as a short form of Santiago, aka Saint Jago, aka Saint James.