By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 430 pages
of 430
Literary name
A subtle literary surname choice: Estlin is the second "E" in E.E. Cummings (the first being Edward). Works equally well on both men and women.
Fictional name
With "Eve" and "Ever" names trending in a big way, The Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen’s surname definitely has first-name potential for adventurous parents. It was chosen as a nod to Bathsheba…
Welsh
"white, fair, blessed"
Yet another member of the Gwyn/Gwen/Finn family of names ultimately deriving from a Celtic element meaning "white", Guin gets rare use in England and Wales; a notable bearer is Olympic-medal winning…
Irish
"grey lady"
An old Irish saint’s name and the name of a lovelorn poetess in Irish folk legend. Liadain and Líadan are other variations.
A variation of an old Irish saint’s name, Liadin, and the name of a lovelorn poetess in Irish folk legend. Be prepared for some clumsy pronunciation outside Ireland, however.
German diminutive of Charlotte
This sweet and spunky German nickname for Charlotte has a fun literary connection: Das doppelte Lottchen (English title: Lottie and Lisa ) is a children’s book by German author Erich Kästner, which…
Breton contraction of Mari and Gwenn
French actress and film director Maïwenn Le Besco uses only her striking given name professionally; it’s a contraction of Mari (the Breton form of Marie) and Gwenn ("white, fair, blessed"). The name…
"beautiful sheen"
A slimmed down spelling of the more traditional Aoibheann. It's a beautiful name, growing in popularity in Ireland, but the spelling and pronunciation might (will) throw off some non-Irish natives.
Scots Gaelic
"name of a bird species"
Ptarmigan is the common English name for the genus Lagopus, in the grouse family of birds. The name is derived from the Scottish word for the bird, tàrmachan (meaning unknown), with the initial P-…
Cornish
"white rose"
A rare and beautiful member of the "Rose" family of names, Rosenwyn is a modern Cornish compound name meaning "white rose" or "fair rose". There is a popular Cornish folk song titled An Rosen Wyn ,…
"gentle, kind"
Used for both genders in its native country, though more often for girls, Tirion is a rare Welsh name with a lovely sound and meaning. Tirion and similar names have appeared many times in fantasy…
Cornish place name
"accompany, bring together"
The name of a beautiful village on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall, Veryan actually derives from a series of misunderstandings: Sen Veryan ("Saint Veryan") is a Cornish corruption of Severian,…
"white / fair"
Like the variation Wenna, Wenn is an early Cornish form of Gwen. Confusion with the English word "when" leads us to suggest that the longer form Wenna would be more "name-like".
Persian
"golden"
An old Persian name meaning "golden" or "shining like gold". Today, the short form Zari is often used as a standalone.
Variation of Maelle
English surname
"noble"
An attractive unisex surname name, possibly derived from Adeline. May also be a variant of Eadlin.
Variation of Mirin and Merryn
Merran is a name that feels like a real name but is more a variation on the ancient saint's name Mirin which has morphed through several spelling variations and origin points, traveling from Ireland…
Hindi and Arabic
"valuable, precious"
This theoretically unisex name has an unfortunate homonym in English.
Armenian variation of Ziazan
"rainbow"
Fun and zippy Z name with a cute meaning to boot.
English
"son of Robert"
Not often used for girls, but George Lucas used it as the middle name for his daughter Everest.
