Once-popular boys' name works better now for girls, as a kind of Dara/Karen blend.

You lick. You like. We didn't think so.

Amarissa is kind of cobbled together from two traditional elements: Ama, which means "love" or "lover" and is found in such more established names as Amabel and Amariah, and -issa, which is a common feminine suffix that functions as a diminutive. While Amarissa is pretty and frilly, it may frequently be misunderstood as Marissa, Melissa, and may ultimately be more trouble than it's worth.

Turning Paul or Paol -- whether it's as Paolo, Paolina, or even Paola -- instantly makes it more romantic and appealing.

As a term of endearment, maybe, but not as a proper name, where it would practically demand the refrain "Banana."

Likable choice for history-minded parents who might want to honor Irish patriot Charles Parnell.

Tyra would be a more modern pick.

An Irish surname name with a combination of boldness and élan. Some might connect it to the founder of the group T. Rex -- Marc Bolan.

Perfect for a child of Japanese Irish heritage.

Aban is the Persian word for the month of October, derived from the Avestan apes, meaning "the waters".

Although the single-named singer is male, this might be a girl's nickname name or a sleek nature name that's perfect in the middle.

A lovely Manx name with an even lovelier meaning.

Properly written with accents: Réaltín. This increasingly popular Irish name is derived from réalta, meaning "star". Réiltín is a variant spelling.

A spelling variant of presidential surname Regan that briefly entered the Top 1000 for boys in the 1960s, but hasn't rejoined the list since. Shakespeare also used the name for a daughter of King Lear, inspired by an ancient king of the Britons in accounts of the medieval scribe Geoffrey of Monmouth.

The double 'e' gives this Celtic surname a genial sound. It derives from an old Irish name — Suibhne (SHEEV-ne) that was borne by several early saints and kings, including, unfortunately, one known as Mad Sweeney who spent his life living in trees and composing nature poetry. Another possible drawback is the association with Sweeney Todd, the bloodthirsty butcher of Sondheim stage-musical fame.

We usually think of place-names as a modern invention, but in fact Arizona ranked on the US Top 1000 from its inception in 1880 until 1911, when it vanished below the surface. It peaked at Number 510 in 1882, before Arizona became a state. One notorious vintage bearer: criminal "Ma" Barker, born Arizona Clark.

The feminine version of the common Welsh name Glyn became somewhat known in this country via the charming Welsh actress Glynis Johns. Variations include Glenys and Glynys. With other Welsh names--Gwyneth, Bronwyn, Bryn, Griffith--now on the American table, Glynis could make a distinctive tribute to an Uncle Glenn.

Spelled Géza in Hungarian, this is the modern form of Gyeücsa. It derives from a Hungarian noble title: gyeü, with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 10th-century leader of the Hungarians, father of the first king István.

The unusual (to English speakers) name Cendrillon is French for Cinderella, though most Americans wouldn't recognize it as such. This might make an excellent middle name for those who are looking for something rare, whimsical, fantastical, and literary. But you must insist on the lovely French pronunciation — if you're choosing a name this uncommon, why not go all the way.

The kind of name last found in northern Wisconsin in the 1950s, and even then it was probably a nickname for Delbert.