Dog Names That Mean Miracle

Isidore and variants are remarkably underused and ripe for revival, a la Theodore and company.

Despite sounding feminine to English speakers, Shaya is a unisex name more common among baby boys — the male version also has roots in Arabic.

Benevolent name found in Israel in several forms, including Doran and Doroni.

Darina comes from the Slavic element "dar" which means gift; the name is found in Czech, Bulgarian, and Slovak cultures and translates easily for English speakers. Darina may also be an Anglicization of the Irish Dairine, which means "fruitful."

The power of the popular ella sound is sapped in this cross-cultural choice.

Cinderella stepsister type Victorian-valentine name.

The ultimate ethereal name for lovers of fairies, pixies, and sprites.

If you're looking for a Euro-chic alternative to Max, Mats is a strong possibility. It's a fading classic in Norway, but is popular in the Netherlands and Belgium, where short names are the height of style.

More common for girls in Japan, thanks to the prevalence of the related name Keiko.

Friendly and charming international variation of Matthew, common in Estonia.

Central European form of Matthew.

One of the most unusual of the "iah" names, it comes with the appealing and usable nickname Zev.

If you're a movie fan or a sports fan, you might be attracted to this name, via the film "Donnie Darko" or the Serbian-born basketball star Darko Milicic. It is kind of dark, though.

Very rarely used for girls, but New York socialite Kelly Bensimon and photographer Gilles Bensimon gave it to their youngest daughter in 2000.

Some people may prefer this spelling to clarify the name's connection to John, but it could be one h too many, exemplified by its steady decline over the past two decades.

Neo, indeed--though it was a male character in "The Matrix."

Diarra has a nice meaning, but we could see it leading to possible teasing re association with a certain digestive problem.

Jenica might work if you can't decide between Jennifer and Jessica. It's certainly a more distinctive option.

Upbeat name with an auspicious meaning.

Although it's a traditional male name in the Middle East, Ata has a more feminine read in the US.