Indiana is one of those place-names (think Camden and Trenton) that sounds cooler than the place that inspired it. Its fashionable -ana ending certainly sounds eminently name-like, and Indie/Indy/Indi is one of the hottest nickname names for girls right now.

Ancient saint's name used for cowardly cartoon lion.

Acre feels at home with other modern, fresh word names like Rumor, Snow and Ace. But with the feeling of wide open spaces and nature, Acre also offers a softer, earthier tone that will appeal to those seeking a unique name with a distinctly Americana feel.

Way out.

Sunny Italian surname name for a little girl. Solari was the name of a character on Xena: Warrior Princess.

Gentle but mighty, Oaklen is one of the "Oak" names that are currently on trend. Inspired by the surname Oakland, it entered the UK Top 1000 in 2022.

This pretty name found in Spanish-speaking countries shares the diminutive of Romy—also spelled Romi—with Rosemary. It joined the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2015.

Laird is a Scottish title for the landed gentry – it ranks just below a Baron – with a pleasantly distinctive Scottish burr that must have appealed to Sharon Stone, who chose it for her son.

Name hovering near the bottom of the Top 1000 that may move higher with the fashion for two-syllable surnames. You could do worse...but you probably could also do better.

Nice Scottish sound, but too tied to sweaters and socks.

Unusual name chosen for her son by actress Nia Long, who combined it with the even more unusual literary middle name, Zhivago.

Not as popular for girls as Kylie or Kyla, but we prefer its simplicity.

Immigrated into American pop culture in the person of 1940s superstar Tyrone Power, Jr. It has been on a steady decline since the 1970s.

Caledon, the name of the arrogant Billy Zane character in "Titanic," is an Irish place-name related to Caledonia, the Latin word for Scotland thought to be derived from the ancient Celtic word for "hard." Cal is a wonderful nickname, and Caledon an inventive way to get there.

All names ending in ville are in nowheresville.

Up-and-coming surname name that may evoke thoughts of ballet dancer Misty Copeland or one of the many towns called Copeland.

Some will see this as spirited, others stuffy. The protagonist of the Edith Wharton novel The Age of Innocence was a popular and successful lawyer named Newbold Archer.

Country singer Waylon Jennings bestowed a kind of outlaw image on his name, and parents have been loving the suave cowboy name Waylon in recent years — enough to crack to Top 100 in 2021. Alternative spelling Waylen is beginning to climb as well, entering the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022.

Short for Indiana or Indio... or just use it on its own. Indi makes a cool and punchy option for either sex.