Kerala, the name of the most beautiful and touristed state of India, has recently debuted on the U.S. extended popularity list as a first name for girls. And why not? Kerala sounds lovely and rhythmic and in tune with the Kardashian-influenced taste for all names K.

The old word name Temple has gained some recent notice as a girls' name via admired autistic writer and inventor Dr. Temple Grandin (born Mary Temple), subject of an acclaimed biopic, in which she was played by Claire Danes.

A mystical name with a watery feel to it, selkies are mythical creatures that resemble seals in the water but assume human form on land. Appearing in Scottish folklore, their name comes from the word selch meaning "gray seal".

A Scottish surname name, more popular as the Presidential McKinley, meaning "son of the fair hero".

This name of an admired Puerto Rican pop singer has been picked up by hundreds of Hispanic parents.

Classic name used by the Romans, the Puritans, and the Bard, but pretty much taboo today due to the objectionable connotations of both its front and back ends.

Zsa Zsa is a zippy Hungarian nickname name, sometimes used independently, linked for decades with the Hungarian-born actress Zsa Zsa Gabor--who was born Sari.

Dutch, Limburgish and Afrikaans diminutive of Anne.

Iliana is one of the vaguely but usually undefinably international names that have a wide range of spellings and pronunciations. Ilium was the poetic name of the city of Troy, and variations of this name — especially Ileana and Ileanna — have been widely used, projecting a rather bohemian image. The traditional Greek pronunciation would be ee-lee-AH-nah while in English speaking countries, it might be ill-ee-AH-nah.

Connor is an ancient Irish mythological name in the US Top 100 for boys but also used in increasing numbers for baby girls.

Very popular surname choice — it's in the Boys' Top 100 — beginning to catch on for girls. First female association: novelist Carson McCullers.

A name with a sound that is both unique and familiar, Beulah is a Biblical name, reminiscent of Bella, Luna, and Selah. In the Bible, Beulah is a place, applied to the land of Israel by the prophet Isaiah. Its meaning, "married", comes from the idea that the Israelites would "marry" the land, though other sources interpret it as meaning "inhabit".

Lilian is the far less popular than the 'Lillian' spelling. To avoid a lifetime of mistakes and misspellings, we suggest you go with the Lillian spelling, which also looks more polished on paper. Whichever spelling you prefer, these names are benefitting from the fashion for girls' names starting with L.

Potentially a cool route to Ellie and similar in sound to Alexa and Elisha, Elixir is a word name associated with healing, magic, and gold. Yet to appear in the US stats, it would make a very cool choice for a fictional character.

The French Miley? This trendy choice from Brittany, which is pronounced either as Miley or May-lee, is related to the traditional (male) saint's name Mael, traditionally feminized as Maelle.

Now that all names Adel- are the height of fashion, Adella is an unusual name that nevertheless sounds very trendy. Adella is one of Ariel's sisters in The Little Mermaid.

This spelling variation of Fern may appeal to those who enjoy the sounds of the plant name, but want something that looks and feels less "wordy" for their baby — just as people choose Scarlett over Scarlet or Brooke over Brook. While Fern is currently the more popular option, Fearne features in the England and Wales Top 1000, and it even outranked Fern between 2012 and 2017.

Swap two letters of Birdie and you get Bridie, a traditional diminutive of Bridget. Bridie fits perfectly with the trend for standalone vintage nicknames like Betty and Sadie, but is surprisingly rare.

While Haidee may sound like a variant of Heidi or Hailey, it's actually a separate name with a literary history. First appearing in Byron's epic poem Don Juan (1819), it was likely inspired by the Greek word aidoios meaning "modest, reserved".

A particularly beautiful member of the Oriana and Orane clan,Oriane is the first name of a major character in Proust's In Search Of Lost Time, the Duchesse de Guermantes. Also borne by climber Oriane Bertone, the name may derive from the Latin aurum meaning "gold" or from oriens meaning "rising, sunrise". It was give to just 8 girls in a recent year in the US, but was a popular choice in France in the 2000s.