Names That Mean Freedom

Corliss, eccentric yet well-established, has an independent and artistic air.

A worldly and attractive choice for a child of any background. Two early New World explorers were Hernandos — de Soto and Cortés.

Charlie in all its forms has been a popular gender neutral name since the early 2000s and is now given almost equally to girls and boys. While it did once lean more (statistically) masculine, it has been used on girls too since the before the 20th century.

As this word is less often used to mean derriere, it becomes more possible to view Fanny as the kind of appealingly quaint nickname name, like Josie and Nellie, that many parents are favoring now.

This short form has been pretty much replaced by Frankie, however, it could fit in with other clunky but charming names, like Peggy, Bess, and Enid.

While Franklin and Frankie might feel familiar in the US, Fran may feel like an unlikely choice for a boy today, however, it is currently one of several cool one syllable names of the Slovene Top 100. Also borne by football great Fran Tarkenton, it could make an alternative to Finn or Dan, and fit in with softer or gender neutral leaning options like Rowan, Jay, Beau, and Ozzie.

Charley is, at this point, an old-fashioned spelling for the most popular short form of Charles, better known these days as Charlie. But Charley is a classic and relates more directly to Charles.

Charlize is a name that owes its very life to a star: elegant blond South African actress Charlize Theron. She was named after her father, whose name was Charles. Charlize jumped onto the popularity lists in 2004, the year the actress won the Oscar for lead actress in Monster.

Deriving from the same East Asian root as Malaysia and Malay, Malaya is a name that recalls the more popular Maya and the name of 2014 Nobel Peace Laureate Malala Yousafzai. It first appeared in the US Top 1000 in 2006.

Scheherazade -- or Sheherazade --is a legendary Persian queen immortalized as the narrator of all one thousand stories in the One Thousand and One Nights. Her story is even more remarkable than the tales she tells.

Frost is a name parents are beginning to warm to, appreciating its icy simplicity and connection with the venerable poet Robert. Frost, along with Winter, Snow, and January, are also perfect names for winter babies.

Dermot is an appealing, relatively undiscovered Irish mythological hero's name long popular in the Old Country, and imported into the American consciousness by actor Dermot Mulroney. We see it in the next Celtic wave following Connor and Liam.

A surname name, most popularly associated with actor Heston, has a blue-blooded ring to it. Charlton is also a more unusual pathway to evergreen nickname Charlie.

Old fashioned nickname that some girls just might be able to pull off. You'd just have to be sure your little Fancy was one of them.

An uncommon surname name with that energetic -er ending. Might appeal especially to baseball fans.

So far out it's almost ready to be let back in.

This name from the Igbo language of Africa, which feels like the more-familiar Arabic Ahmad, might be an original and attractive choice.

Hippolyte is the name of an Amazonian princess AND her son, both unfortunate mythical figures. The name Hippolyte, later borne by several saints, is a not an uncommon boys' name in France, but has barely set foot on American soil and is unlikely to do so. It was the middle name of famed French playwright Jean Giraudoux.

This unique baby name is stronger, more distinctive than April or Avril.

Armani is catching on along with other brand names, and this one is among the most gender-neutral — sitting in the Top 500 for both boys and girls. Its similarity to the likes of rising stars Amari, Arlo, and Amias, along with the more classic Arthur and Giovanni helps it feel more "name-y" than "brand-y".