Updated October 2026
Across 215 pages
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Variation of Madeleine, French
"of Magdala"
Too trendy and too prone to needing to be spelled every time. Just go with the classic (and classy) accepted spellings: Madeleine, Madelyn, or Madeline.
Delainey is a feminine name that evolved as a modern variant of Delaney, which itself originated as an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic 'Ó Dubhshláine,' meaning 'descendant of Dubhshláine.' The…
French variation of Eleanor, meaning unknown
The final e introduces pronunciation questions. Is Eleanor pronounced just like Eleanor, or is it the more elaborate el-LAY-ah-nor? Or something else? If you live in the U.S. and you want a version…
Macedonian, Czech, Russian, Bulgarian, and Greek form of Katherine, Greek
"pure"
Katerina and its near-identical twin Katarina have a pleasingly lilting European sound, though for some Americans they may be uncomfortably close to Katrina, which will be linked for a long time to…
Khadijah is a feminine name of Arabic origin with deep historical and religious significance in Islamic tradition. It honors Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad and the…
Spanish
"gracious gifts, benefits"
Mercedes is one of the few names attached to luxury living that we can wholeheartedly recommend, it being a legitimate Spanish appellation stemming from one of the epithets given to the Virgin…
Variation of Raleigh or Raylee
"meadow of roe deer; beam of light + meadow"
Inspired by either Raleigh -- a North Carolina place-name and the surname of the explorer Sir Walter Raleigh - or by Raylee, a modern creation, blending Ray and Lee, Rayleigh has been steadily used…
Roselynn is one of the smoosh baby names most popular a generation or two ago.
A French variation of Natalie that's used occasionally in contemporary America. In England and Wales Natalie remains about 10 times as popular as Nathalie.
Latin
"soft horse or pretty rose"
Rosalind has a distinguished literary history – used and popularized by Edmund Spenser and Shakespeare via one of his most charming heroines, in As You Like It . Along with a bouquet of other Rose…
English surname and American place name
"Anis' town; Annie's town"
A name with plenty of celebrity glamor and contemporary flair, Anniston has a variety of origins. On one hand, it's a place name, deriving from a city in Alabama of the same name. Founded in the late…
Combination of Emma and Lynn
"universal lake"
An updated form of Emmeline or Emmaline or a compound name that makes your chosen pronunciation more obvious. Spelling variation Emmalyn reached the US Top 500 in2017, but has since fallen out of Top…
Word name
Name that makes a dramatic musical statement.
Variation of Harley
Harley in a dress.
French, feminine diminutive of Paul
"small"
It's interesting how names imported to the US from other countries and cultures have fashion cycles based on their culture of origin. Paulette along with cousins Annette and Claudette were the most…
Literary invention
Invented by author Stephenie Meyer for the Twilight series for the half-human, half-vampire daughter of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, it's an amalgamtion of the names of Bella's mother Renee and…
"miracles"
Even in the Hispanic community, very religious and old-fashioned.
Spelling variation of Adeline, French
"noble, nobility"
The sweet old-fashioned Adeline is one of the prime up-and-coming vintage baby names ; Addilynn is a phonetic spelling. The only dubious advantage Addilynn offers is that is clarifies pronunciation.…
French variation of Angela
"angel"
With Angelina becoming so popular thanks to Ms. Jolie, this could be a new twist—but everyone will always misunderstand it as Angelina. While it currently ranks at Number 951 in the US, it's Number…
Emberlee is a modern feminine name that combines 'Ember' (suggesting warmth and glowing embers) with the popular '-lee' suffix. This contemporary creation has roots in nature-inspired naming trends…