North's image and gender status was irrevocably changed when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their newborn daughter. But why not? West is firmly established as a name, Easton is coming up strong, and North has a nice solid sound as well -- certainly as appropriate for either gender. South, though, not so much.

This evocative term for a stone or shell carved in relief could make a striking first name for a girl, though she would have a starring role in her story, rather than a cameo.

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" or "oh darling.

The original Zooey, hero of J.D. Salinger's Franny & Zooey, was male, but nowadays the name is more closely associated with actress/singer Zooey Deschanel. With Zoe at number 31 for girls and Zoey in the Top 50, the related Zooey feels more female than ever. But it's distinctively quirky for either sex.

Anglicized form of Ruadh

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?)

Irish surnames are hot, and this one can successfully cross the line to work for girls, replacing the outdated Casey. And only a dozen girls were named Clancy in the US in one recent year (along with 27 boys), making it one of those rare Irish names that are both accessible and distinctive, classic and cool. Clancy is a winner for either gender.

While in Armenia, Italy and Nigeria Saro is regarded as a masculine name, in English Saro is a rare feminine name, familiar because of the old English folk song Pretty Saro, which was rediscovered in the 20th century, having been preserved through Appalachian oral tradition. In the song, Saro is a girl whom the singer has had to leave behind in his home country after emigrating, which might give an indication as to how it came to be found in North America. Saro in this case is generally thought to be a diminutive of Sarah.

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 "Fin" sound but want a more unusual name.

Minty isn't a fresh word name — it's an old-fashioned nickname for Araminta, the romantic smoosh name coined by playwright William Congreve in 1693.

This down-to-earth Bible name is surprisingly little-used, considering the popularity of other Old Testament names. Shem was Noah's eldest son, and is the origin of the term Semitic (as in the language family).

A rarely heard biblical name, Zadok is borne by no less than nine Old Testament men.

Scottish actor Dougray (born Stephen) Scott made us aware of this name when he took on his French grandmother's surname as his stage name.

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.

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.

A halfway house between full-on Anglo-Saxon Eoforhild, and the modern-day version Averil. Everild makes for an interesting blend of medieval with the on-trend "Ever" sound.

Selby, a rarely heard British surname, feels sleeker and more distinctive than Shelby. Todd Selby, known primarily by his last name, is a hip photographer of interiors.

The kind of serious old-school name that sounds appealing again; perfect for the intrepid baby namer. More commonly spelled Rosamund but highly unusual these days in either version, with fewer than 20 baby girls named Rosamund in the US last year while Rosamond didn't even register with five.

The last name of folksinger Joan is melodic in its own right.

Wilbert is one of the new old grandpa names marching -- shuffling? -- back into style, taking the place of names like Gus and Max which now sound totally baby-friendly. Wilbert and cousin Wilbur could take a little longer.