Classic Baby Names with a Twist

  1. Sarita
    • Origin:

      Italian and Spanish diminutive of Sara, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "princess"
    • Description:

      Sarita is a delicately pretty name all but unknown in the US, where it can make an original honor name for an ancestral Sara....or Rita. Rita is a midcentury favorite tiptoeing back into style among adventurous parents.
  2. Kalman
    • Origin:

      Latin, short for Kalonymous
    • Meaning:

      "gracious, good reputation"
    • Description:

      This is a rarely heard multi-cultural name, related to a 14th century Jewish scholar named Kalonymous ben Kalonymous, who translated important texts from Arabic to Hebrew. It is also a Hungarian derivative of Colman, via the Latin Columba, meaning dove, and was the name of a 12th century king of Hungary. Its modern sound make it an interesting option.
  3. Christo
    • Origin:

      Slavic
    • Meaning:

      "one who carries Christ"
    • Description:

      This unusual name, which is jauntier than Chris when used as a diminutive of Christopher, is associated with the Bulgarian installation artist of that name, responsible for wrapping many public institutions and known especially for The Gates of Central Park and Running Fence. Christo is his full given name.
  4. Zandra
    • Origin:

      Variation of Sandra and Alexandra
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      A name that is rarely heard and might be worth considering as a way of zipping up a namesake Sandra. It has long been associated with iconoclastic British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes.
  5. Victory
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "victory"
    • Description:

      A winning unisex word name, fresher than Victoria or Victor. While Victory ranked only once on the US Top 1000, in 1918 at the end of World War I, it's a Top 25 name for girls in France.
  6. Jennica
    • Origin:

      Compound name, from Jenifer and Jessica
    • Meaning:

      "bright white to behold"
    • Description:

      Two past favorites blended into one, but Jennica has never made the US Top 1000.
  7. Chas
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Charles, French from German
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Retro nickname for Charles that has the potential for revival, a la Hal, Ike, and Gus.
  8. Xoana
    • Origin:

      Galician variation of Jane, English
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Juana with an X factor.
  9. Ruta
    • Origin:

      Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian
    • Meaning:

      "compassionate friend; rue"
    • Description:

      The Polish form of Ruth has mostly been lost outside of Poland, but though rare, it can still be heard in Polish and Eastern European communities. Ruta has only ever appeared on Illinois' state data, due to Chicago's large Polish population. With Ruth now on the ascent, Ruta may be worth rediscovering.

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