Valentine's Day Names

This fragrant, almond-scented name has hardly been heard in this country, which is a pity--we've loved it since John Malkovich used it for his now grown daughter.

In the Zulu and Xhosa languages of Southern Africa, Phila is a unisex name pronounced "PEE-la" and means "to live of life" It's also the feminine version of the ancient Greek name Philo, pronounced "FEE-la", meaning friend or lover and present in several contemporary names and words used throughout the Western World. The name Philip, for instance, means lover of horses, while the city name Philadelphia means "brotherly love" and philosophy means "love of wisdom".

Memorable thanks to the Robert Redford character, Hubbell Gardiner, who captivated the young Barbra Streisand in the classic movie, "The Way We Were", Hubbell is an English surname, likely derived from the French Hubaut or the German Hubald. As such, it combines the elements hugu ("mind, heart") with bald ("bold"), and can therefore be interpreted to mean, rather poetically, "brave heart", or perhaps "bold mind", making this an interesting consideration for a spirited, independent boy.

Peaceful and melodic, but a bit pretentious.

Simple African name all-but-unknown in the U.S. and Europe, which is exactly why it might make a perfect choice. Similarity to such popular names as Ava and Eva (and the Irish Aoife) makes it more familiar, but potentially more confusing.

Tegwen is a Welsh name that balances between clunky and mystical, sweet and tough. Created back in the 19th century by blending the element teg "beautiful, pretty", with the element wen "fair, white, blessed", it may appeal to those who enjoy Teagan, Gwen, Gwendolyn, and Tesni.

Anahita is the name of the water goddess who rules, among other things, fertility and wisdom. Associated with Venue, Anahita is a stylish Iranian name for girls.

Charity is one of the Big Three abstract virtue names, along with Hope and Faith, though far less widely used than the others. But as Faith, Grace and Hope grow more common, some parents are beginning to look at the more unusual three-syllable choices like Verity, Amity, Clarity and Charity, which sound much fresher and also have that pleasingly rhythmic 'y'-ending sound.

Rhythmic and energetic, Drury is of French origin, with the wonderful meaning of "dear one, sweetheart."

The Welsh word for "love" and a term of endearment turned modern word-name, Cariad is a sweet possibility that might work well as a name for a February or Valentines baby or a name for a Christmas baby. A famous bearer is British comedian Cariad Lloyd.

A diminutive of the (male) name Dafydd, the Welsh form of David. In the US, it's strongly associated with the candy.

The kind of French name that seemed daring -- and darling -- in the sixties.

Dylan has become a go-to name for boys in the last generation, thanks to poet Dylan Thomas, musician Bob Dylan, and fictional characters like Dylan McKay of Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling variations include Dillon and Dilan. Alternately, Dilan is a feminine Turkish name meaning "love." Due to the ultra-popularity of Dylan, Dilan will likely be misspelled frequently.

This traditional Arabic name, found throughout several other Middle Eastern and African languages and cultures, is one of the 99 names of Allah. Colorful and energetic, it was brought into the realm of crossover possibility via the lively personality of Aziz Ansari, stand-up comic and star of "Master of None" as well as a featured actor on "Parks and Recreation," playing cocky Tom Haverford (born Darwish Sabir Ismael Gani).

Friendly and energetic name from the Mende language of West Africa.

Amada is an unusual Spanish name that's becoming more famous thanks to Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes, who named their second daughter Amada Lee and their first Esmeralda Amada. Amada was also the name of two characters played by Mendes and, not coincidentally, her grandmother's name. In 2015, it was used for only 21 girls while brother name Amado was used for twice as many girls, but we predict the name will become more popular thanks to its new star power. Related names include the Latin saints' name Amatus, the musical Amadeo, and even Amy and Amanda.

Darrell and all its variations was a trendy name in the 1950s and 1960s, an update on David and Daniel that began to fall out of favor by the 1970s and fell out of the Top 1000 completely at the turn of this century.

Forever Lucy's.

Connelly is an open, inviting, and rarely used Irish surname that can make a perfect alternative to the overused Connor or Colin for a boy.

Cordis is an unusual and substantial unisex choice.