Cat Names That Start With B

For 007 fans, a great middle name choice -- or even a first.

This name is usually seen as a surname, but could be used as a first in the tradition of Cooper, Sawyer etc.

A slow and sultry southern choice that's definitely cool for babies of either gender.

You can call your baby "babe," but don't name her that.

Saintly, and a Mother Superior to boot.

Brio is a musical term with great verve and energy, with possibilities as a first name on the heels of such choices as Cadence, Allegra, and Rio.

A slow and sultry southern choice that's definitely cool for babies of either gender. While the word feels French and has its roots in 18th century French Louisiana, it derives from the Choctaw word bayuk, which means "small stream."

The surname Benz derived from the personal name Berthold and was used as a short form of Bernhard and Benedict as well. A small number of American boys are given Benz as a first name each year, likely in homage to the luxury car brand Mercedes-Benz. The company was named after Karl Benz, inventor of the world's first practical automobile.

Comes with a monocle.

Unlike the feminine Blanca, this name for some reason seems to put more emphasis on the "blank" aspect.

Benedita is easy for an English speaker to pronounce yet sounds just uncommon enough to be intriguing. And with Benedict more in mainstream use, Benedita feels possible.

Similar to the Turkish name Bilge (Bil-jeh), which has the same meaning.

There are several fine Ben-beginning boy's names, such as BENJAMIN and BENEDICT, but girls names like this and BENJAMINA don't fare as well.

Blu is a new (nu?) spin on an increasingly popular color name, also spelled Blue and Bleu by celebrity parents. Blu is the spelling used for one of the (male) Waldrop quintuplets, but the name is gender neutral.

Uncommon choice too reminiscent of "bidet". Try Bridie instead.

The saintly Italian form of the saintly Latin Benedicta.

Classic Scandinavian form of Bridget. Saint Birgitta of Sweden is the patron saint of Europe.

In fashion limbo with Anita and Juanita.

The Spanish name Belén is a well-established girl name, but parents have been slower to use the English equivalent. It is beginning to come into wider use, along with other New Testament place names like Galilee and Nazareth.

Wildly optimistic -- and unrealistic -- choice.