By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 294 pages
of 294
Italian, diminutive of Daniela, Arabic
"God is my judge; close, near"
Dania is a fun, offbeat name with international flair that would be a wonderful choice to honor a Danielle, Daniel, or a Dana. It is both an Italian diminutive of Daniela and a spelling variation of…
Hawaiian, English, Greek
Kalia is name of Hawaiian origin, light, sparky, and easily accessible in various languages. It could be a variation of Kalei meaning "the flower wreath" or "the child"; a form of Kalea, meaning…
Feminine variation of Claude
"lame; enclosure"
Claudia is a classic name with ancient Roman roots. Never truly in or truly out, Claudia feels like a strong, modern choice that hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.. Claudia was…
Old Norse
"Victory"
Mia, Gia, and now Sia! Born Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, the Australian singer-songwriter scored a major international hit with "Chandelier" in 2014, and put her short, uncommon name on the radar. Sia…
Spanish
"Greece"
An elegant country name that evokes the climate and culture of Greece. Grecia is a Top 200 name in Mexico, but in the US it's poised just under the Top 1000, without any significant rises or falls in…
Italian variation of Julia
"youthful"
An Italian version of an English classic beginning to be adopted by cutting-edge American parents, including Entourage 's Debi Mazar.
Diminutive of Briana or Gabriella
"hill, high; God is my strong man"
Sweet and sparky but maybe a little bit stuck in the 90s for some, Bria is a nickname-y style choice with various origins. Unheard of until the 1970s, Bria only started to see substantial use in the…
Spanish and Greek variation of Melanie
"black"
The current wife of Donald Trump, Slovenian model Melania Knauss, brought this pretty version to the fore. Saint Melania was an heiress who freed thousands of enslaved people.
Basque or feminization of Anaiah, Hebrew
"brother; God has answered"
As a female name, Anaia is typically used in its Basque form, where it is derived from the word anai , meaning "brother." In the Bible, Anaiah is the name of two minor male characters.
Latin
"from the woods"
This original form of the name -- the more familiar Sylvia spelling came later -- seems more modern now.
Spelling variation of Kenya
Kenia debuted on the US Top 1000 list in 1992. Even though it currently ranks higher than original spelling Kenya, this is a hard sell as it alters the spelling of the African nation. The significant…
"from Antium"
Antonia is stronger than most feminized boys’ names , reflecting the pioneer spirit of Willa Cather's classic novel My Antonia . Antonia is hovering near the bottom of the US popularity list, which…
Flower name, from German surname
"Zinn's flower"
Zinnia is an unusual floral choice with a bit more edge and energy than most and beginning to find its way onto namers' wish lists of botanical possibilities. Named after the 18th-century German…
Russian and Scandinavian variation of Sophia
"wisdom"
Early European import, well known in the 1940s via Norwegian skating movie star Sonja Henie, that has sailed back across the Atlantic, despite the rising popularity of other Russian names.
Italian, nickname from Greek Kaleas
"good or beautiful person"
A highly unusual Italian word-name that is nevertheless attractive and easy to pronounce and spell.
"noble, patrician"
Patricia still sounds patrician, though its scores of nicknames definitely don't. Wildly popular from the forties (alternately Number 3 and 4 throughout the decade) to the sixties, Patricia has been…
Portuguese form of Natalia
The more familiar spelling Natalia currently sits much further up the list and has even made two brief appearances in the Top 100 during the last decade. Nathalia on the other hand has never been a…
Amilia is a feminine name that represents a variant spelling of Amelia, which derives from the Germanic word 'amal' meaning 'work' or 'industrious.' This alternate spelling maintains the melodic…
Greek and Latin
"earth mother; rejoicing"
Floral, bright, and subtly powerful, Gaia is a name with two separate origins. In Greek mythology, it is the name of the earth goddess and the universal mother, who takes her epithet from the Ancient…
Spanish, feminine variation of Noel
This name of an admired Puerto Rican pop singer has been picked up by hundreds of Hispanic parents.
