If You Like X, You'll Love...
By Pamela Redmond · Updated October 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
Germanic
"fatherland; wealth, fortune"
Though it has never charted in the United States, this frilly name has the elements some brave, modern namers might find attractive—namely, the initial O and the -ia suffix. St. Odile of Alsace, also…
Literature, compound of Arabella and Aminta, Greek
"loveable; unyielding + defender; unfading"
Araminta is a poetic and enchanting eighteenth-century invention with plenty of elegance and a touch of old-fashioned clunkiness. It first appeared in William Congreve's 17th century comedy The Old…
Latin
"pig"
Portia is a perfect role-model name, relating to Shakespeare's brilliant and spirited lawyer in The Merchant of Venice , and is now also a Hunger Games name . Another Shakespearean Portia was the…
Greek
"amber, shining, bright"
Though the plays by Sophocles and Eugene O'Neill and via the "Electra Complex" proposed by psychoanalyst Carl Jung, this name has, unfortunately, become associated with incest and murder.…
German and Swedish
"prosperous"
Form of Ottilie or Odilia
Latin via French
"sunrise; gold"
A particularly beautiful member of the Oriana and Orane clan,Oriane is the first name of a major character in Proust's In Search Of Lost Time , the Duchesse de Guermantes. Also borne by climber…
English and Scottish surname
"dear friend's place"
When Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves chose the old English surname and place name Livingston for their third child, they elevated it from half of a Stanley & Livingston joke to a modern…
Portuguese place name
"yew tree"
Evora is a city in Portugal known for its magnificent Roman aged ruins. It is occasionally seen as a female name, evoking some of the mystique of this region.
Hebrew
"gold"
Feminine form of Ophir, a Biblical place name famed for its riches.
"woman of honor"
This is an eighteenth century elaboration of Honor found in Charles Dickens ( Bleak House ) but rarely heard here and now.
Oriella is a delicate feminine name with Latin and Italian roots. It likely derives from the Latin 'aurum' meaning 'gold,' suggesting radiance and preciousness. It can also be interpreted as a…
Icelandic feminine form of Olaf or Ólafur
"ancestor's relic"
A rare feminine form of Ólafur, Ólafína is officially approved as a first name in its native Iceland, and feels appealingly reminiscent of Eveline, Ottilie, Olive, and Opal.
Variation of Atossa, Greek from Persian
"bestowing very richly, well trickling, well granting"
Author Ottessa Moshfegh is one of the few to bear her name — a rare variation of the ancient name Atossa, rather than Odessa (as many think). The historical Atossa was a character not unlike one in a…
Feminine variation of Ovidius, Roman family name
"shepherd or sheep"
Ovidia is the unusual feminine form of the ancient Roman Ovidius, most famous as the name of the exiled 1st century Roman poet Ovid. Modern male form Ovidio is known in Spain and Portugal. Ovida is…
Italian elaboration of Olivia, Latin
"olive tree"
Olivia is one of the most popular girls' names in the western world, and Olivetta might be thought of as a diminutive or an elaboration. Fewer than five baby girls received this name in the US last…
Oleana is a lyrical feminine name with possible Slavic or Greek origins. It may be a variant of Elena/Helena (meaning 'bright, shining light') or could relate to Oleander, a flowering plant name. In…
German
"wealthy"
The memorable folk singer, an early single-name celeb, brought this into the spotlight. The French variation is Odette.
"joy, gladness"
Letitia is a delicate, once prim and proper sounding name whose staid image has been unbuttoned by numerous phonetic spellings. The original, often used in Spanish-speaking families, would still make…
Italian place-name
Venetia, the name of the region encompassing Venice, has a radiant, picturesque authenticity, as do the related Venezia and Venice. Venetia is the title of a novel by Benjamin Disraeli centering on…
Italian variation of Electra, from Greek
Less electric and more serene than Electra which comes with a lot of tragic and psychoanalytical baggage, Elettra is the Italian form that ranks in the Top 200 in the Italian charts. Nicknames Etta,…
