Popular Names and Name Trends
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
French
"marsh"
This hip Parisian neighborhood name would make a delightful middle for a baby girl.
Diminuitve of Carol or Caroline, English, French ,"free man"
"free man"
Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al.
Welsh
"idol, image"
Romantic and mysterious, Eluned's beauty and intelligence were legendary in Welsh legend; she was the handmaiden of the Lady of the Fountain in a Welsh Arthurian romance, who had a magic ring that…
Latin
"time of sowing"
Winter, Summer, and Autumn are all mainstream names; this covers all bases.
Greek mythological name, meaning unknown
Thisbe, the name of a beautiful but tragic lover in mythology, is lively and cute -- in a slightly thistly, prickly way. Ovid retold the story of Thisbe and Pyramus, young lovers in ancient Babylon…
Portuguese variation of Edward, English
"wealthy guardian"
Incredibly handsome and super smooth, Duarte sounds like it came straight out of a romance novel. You almost wouldn’t believe it’s derived from Edward.
"Lost one"
This buoyant name has the same bouncy rhythm as Rafferty and Barnaby, but is virtually unused. It has plenty of literary cred, too: characters in The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and Thomas…
Hebrew
"daughter of an oath"
Popular with the Puritans, this name of the shrewd and beautiful wife of King David and mother of King Solomon could be a bit of a load for a modern girl to carry. Bathsheba is the name of the…
Spanish surname
The last name of folksinger Joan is melodic in its own right.
Scottish surname, meaning unknown
Basie is a fabulous jazz name to honor the Count, whose birth name was William, the influential pianist, organist, bandleader and composer who led his band for almost fifty years. There are lots of…
Literary surname
Crusoe, as in castaway hero Robinson, is a literary invention by author Daniel Defoe. In the novel, the character says his name is an Anglicization of the German Kreutznaer, which may be a place name…
English place- and word name
This British river name sounds sleek and strong but perhaps a bit too energetic.
Irish
"darling"
More popularly used as an alternative spelling to the popular Hindi name, Arun, the mythic charioteer of the dawn, Aroon is also used as an Irish term of endearment, loosely translating to "darling"…
Hebrew, variation of Aphrah
"dust"
Aphra would make an interesting choice-- especially since it's the name of the first professional female writer in English, the seventeenth century's Aphra Behn. Born in 1640, she was a prolific…
Variation of Agnes
"pure, virginal"
Annis and Anice are both antique variations of Agnes that have fallen out of use, perhaps because of pronunciation problems (ANN-is, or an-EES?)
Finnish
"young man"
Cosmo's Finnish cousin.
Cornish variation of Pascal
"Easter"
Pascoe was popular in medieval times and is definitely deserving of revival, especially for a child born in the Easter season. Other spellings are Pasco and Pascow.
Scottish
"true sovereignty"
Ferelith is an unusual yet deeply-rooted Scottish girl's name, also found in ancient Ireland and drawn from the Gaelic Forbhlaith or Forbflaith. While it went through a period of dormancy after the…
Scottish surname
"wood man"
This unusual Scottish surname was made immortal by Michael Faraday, a British scientist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His name is now a unit of scientific…
Manx
"fair Lugh"
Finlo is a name from the Isle of Man, deriving from that island's pagan sun god, Lugh. Given the popularity of all Finn names right now, Finlo could be a great alternative for people who love the…
