Uma is a sweet, strong name for a Hindu goddess... and a Hollywood one. But as popular as Uma Thurman is, other parents have not yet picked up on her name, making it a rarity.

It's the name of an Old Testament archangel that's symbolically given to boys born during Chanukah, but the possibility of unsavory nicknames (urinal?) make the short form Uri a better bet.

A perfectly respectable Old Testament name ruined forever through its association with the odious Uriah Heep in David Copperfield. Some people also find this name just too close to the word urine. These negative connotations may be wearing off, however. (Perhaps because people don't read as much Dickens as they used to.)

This short but strong name, commonly heard in Israel, has a lot of crossover potential, and is among the most usable on the minuscule menu of U names.

Uzziah was an Old Testament king of Judah, among other personages. The initial U is a bit funky for modern tastes; we don't see this one enjoying a revival ala Isaiah and Noah anytime soon.

One of the most unusual of the biblical iah-options, this was the name of a long-reigning king of Judea, and just might appeal to the parent looking for a quasi-unique Old Testament choice. And it avoids the negative Dickensian aura of the other New Testament U-name, Uriah.

That difficult Ur- sound cancels out the feminine appeal of the rest of the name.

Despite its biblical pedigree and popularity in Israel, it has far too many ties to the lethal submachine gun to find many fans here.