Extremely amiable, open-sounding surname that's gradually being taken over by the girls. 

Bailey

So uncool it's almost cool, Bertie makes for a boyish nickname for Alberta, Roberta, Bertille, Albertine... or just use it on its own, à la Billie or Frankie.

Bertie

The name Christian has fallen a bit from its 90's and 00's heights, but it's still quite popular. Once considered overly pious, Christian is now seen as making a bold statement of faith by some, while also having secular appeal for others. Christian's enduring popularity may be influenced by such celebrities as Christian Slater and Christian Bale, not to mention the fashion world's Dior, Lacroix, Louboutin and Audigier.
 In the Middle Ages, Christian was a female name, but turned male with the introduction of the hero of John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.
 Today, there's a whole new genre of <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/modern-christian-names-have-spirit">Christian names</a> that go far beyond Christian to telegraph faith and a religion-based style, with names such as Saint, Zion, and Shiloh prime examples.

Christian

Christmas is a day name long and quietly used as a <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">name for babies born at Christmas</a>. Prettier and more modern than Noel or Noelle.

Christmas

Edith was a hugely popular name a hundred years ago that's being revived among stylish parents in Stockholm and London. It's currently beginning to gain traction in the US among those with a taste for old-fashioned names with a soft but strong image. 
 The name of two American First Ladies, Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, as well as that of several early English queens, Edith is one of the oldest surviving Anglo-Saxon names. Widely used in nineteenth century novels, Edith was chosen by Louisa May Alcott for the heroine of her first novel The Inheritance, written when she was seventeen.
 Edith Wharton makes a fine literary namesake, with other noted bearers including poet Edith Sitwell, iconic Hollywood movie designer Edith Head, and for francophiles, there is the reference to Edith Piaf. With the rise of so many other E-starting names from Ella to Evelyn, and the adorable short form Edie, we predict that Edith will soon sound more like a cute toddler than a dated granny, especially with the Despicable Me character and the emergence of one of the most interesting characters on Downton Abbey, Lady Edith Crawley.

Edith

Eleanor's straightforward feminine image combined with its royal medieval history is striking just the right note for parents in search of a girls' name that combines substance and style.
 
Big plus: Eleanor is a serious name, with two nicknames—Ellie and Nell/Nellie—that are seriously endearing. Nell is more distinctive, but Ellie is undeniably one of today's top <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/508/cute-baby-names-for-girls">cute girl names</a>.
 While some think Eleanor is a variation of Helen via Ellen, it actually derives from the Provencal name Aliénor, of highly-debated meaning. It may come from the Germanic name Adenorde, meaning "ancient north" or "noble north". Another theory is that it derives from the Latin phrase alia Aenor, meaning "other Aenor," used to distinguish some original Eleanor, who was named after her mother Aenor. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine brought it from France to England in the twelfth century. Other spellings include Elinor and Eleanore.
 
Diane Lane has an Eleanor, and Katie Couric has an Elinor, using the variant spelling. (Jane Austen used both versions—Eleanor in Northanger Abbey and Elinor in Sense and Sensibility.)
 
A notable namesake is First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Two other English queens bore the name: the wives of Henry III and Edward I. Eleanor Shellstrop was the protagonist of television show The Good Place.
 
Eleanora and Leonora are pretty, more feminine variations. Ellen and Lenore are shorter forms.

Eleanor

This Celtic goddess and Arthurian name may sound terminally old-ladyish to many ears--but so did names like Ella and Etta not so long ago. So Enid is yet another forgotten four-letter E-possibility: she's has been M.I.A since 1954. 
 You might not know it to look at her, but Enid is Welsh, from the word meaning 'life' or 'soul.' Back in the Age of Chivalry, to call a woman 'a second Enid' was the greatest of compliments, as she was a legendary romantic figure, revived in Tennyson's Idyll of the Kings. In more modern times, Enid is the title of a Bare Naked Ladies song and a quirky character in the quirky film Ghost World.

Enid

Ezra has a lot going for it: the strength of its heroic Biblical legacy, its quirky sound, and its fresh but familiar feel. Ezra is now at its highest point ever, but its intuitive streamlined spelling and deep roots could make it a worth successor to Elijah in the Top 10 -- or even to Liam or Noah at Number 1.
 Ezra just misses being among the elite group of male names that's always been in the US Top 1000, having dipped below the cutoff in 1964 and '67. Ezra also makes the Top 100 for boys in other English-speaking countries along with the Netherlands.
 Ezra is an abbreviation for the Hebrew phrase Azaryahu, meaning "Yah helps". In the bible, Ezra led a group of fifteen hundred Israelites out of slavery in Babylon and back to Jerusalem. 
 
Other notable Ezras include poet Ezra Pound and New York Times political columnist Ezra Klein. Ezra Cornell was a founder of Western Union and co-founder of the university that bears his name and Ezra Jack Keats is a popular children's book author-illustrator. 
 Both Paul Reiser and Taylor Hanson are dads to boys named Ezra, and there are Ezras to be found in Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone and Daniel Deronda by George Eliot.
 And let's not forget the band—Better Than Ezra—along with rising actor Ezra Miller, Vampire Weekend musician Ezra Koenig or the character Ezra Fitz from Pretty Little Liars.
 As unlikely as it may seem, Ezra is also growing in popularity as a girls' name, making the girls' Top 1000 in 2018 ad still rising. About 450 baby girls were named Ezra last year, but about 8000 baby boys, which puts Ezra below our 10% minimum to be considered a unisex name.

Ezra

Finn is a name with enormous energy and charm, that of the greatest hero of Irish mythology, Finn MacCool (aka Fionn mac Cuumhaill), an intrepid warrior with mystical supernatural powers, noted as well for his wisdom and generosity. 
 While Finn is a distinctly Irish name, it's achieved astonishing international popularity in a diverse range of cultures. Along with all the English-speaking countries, Finn ranks in the Top 100 for baby boys in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria.
 Finn was chosen by cool couple Christy Turlington and Ed Burns for their son, and also by Jane Leeves and Autumn Reeser. Played by Cory Monteith prior to his death, Finn Hudson was a prominent character on Glee.
 Other up-and-comers in the same family: Finlay and Finley, Finian and Finnian, Finnegan and Finnigan, and, from Germany, Fynn. And then there are the Ph versions such as Phineas.

Finn

Gertie has a certain homespun charm, summoning to mind butter-yellow braids and denim overalls, summoning mind the adorable character played by little Drew Barrymore in E.T.  Is the world ready for the return of Gertie and Gertrude? Maybe?

Gertie

Hunter has been dropping a bit for the past few years but is still one of the leaders of a distinctive band of boys' names that combines macho imagery (Hunter, Austin, Harley) with a softened masculinity. Hunter was for years attached to gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson; Josh Holloway used it for his son.

Hunter

A "modernization" of Leonora that has suddenly come back on the radar along with the many other Leo names--both male and female. With literary cred via a famous eponymous poem by Edgar Allan Poe (and also in his even more famous The Raven,) Lenore was steadily in the top half of the popularity list until the mid-fifties, falling off in 1973. Cameron Diaz played a Lenore in The Green Hornet.

Lenore

While there is some disagreement over the origins of this name, it's clearly fashionable and a new idea, for English speakers, of a way to spin either an old classic or a familiar favorite. Still, Loic is one of those <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/498/french-names-for-boys">French names for boys</a> that is rarely heard outside its native land.

Loic

Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby namers. Max is a widely used name internationally.
 
Max was transformed from cigar-chomping grandpa to rosy-cheeked baby in the 1980s, along with card-playing partners Sam and Jake. Never quite as popular as it seemed, Max is now close to the the highest it's been on the Social Security list since 1917, after which German-sounding names went out of favor. 
 
Max has been a popular starbaby name for decades, most recently for the sons of Christina Aguilera, Cynthia Nixon and Charlie Sheen, while other celebs, such as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, have used more formal appellations--Maximilian, Maxwell, Maxfield--on the birth certificate to get to the nickname Max. Skater Scott Hamilton put his own spin on it by maximizing the spelling of his son's name to Maxx.
 
Warning: Max has long been among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/dogs">most popular dog names</a>.

May is a sweet old-fashioned name that hasn't been on the national charts in several decades, but is definitely sounding fresh and springlike. Parents are beginning to see it once more as one of the prettiest middle name options. May was as high on the list as Number 57 in the 1880s; it's now 228 on Nameberry.
 May started as one of the innumerable pet forms of Mary and Margaret, as well as a springtime month name along with April and June. She's represented in literature by May Bartram in Henry James's The Beast in the Jungle and May Welland in Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence. 
 Actresses Emily Morton and Madeline Stowe named their daughters May, and Eric Clapton and Jodie Sweetin used it in middle place for theirs.

Melbourne

Noelle is the feminine variation of Noël, a masculine given name derived from the French word for "Christmas." As a word, Noël originated as a variant of nael, which evolved from the Latin natalis, meaning "birth." Noelle and Noel have traditionally been given to children born around Christmastime, particularly in the Middle ages.
 
Feminissima, with a French gloss. Noelle and her usually-male counterpart Noel can make perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/577/names-for-december-babies">names for December babies</a> and of course are also traditional <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">names for Christmas babies</a>. For extra French flair, add the diaeresis over the first E to get Noëlle.

Noelle

Though greatly overshadowed by the trendy Olivia, Olive has a quiet, subtle appeal of its own -- and is now enjoying a remarkable comeback. Olive is one of only four <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/o">girl names starting with O</a> on the US Top 1000. Cool couple Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen chose it for their daughter, reviving the name to stylishness, and now Drew Barrymore has a little Olive too, as has country singer Jake Owen. 
Olive has positive associations to the olive branch as a symbol of peace and the ancient olive wreath that celebrated success.
 Olive was the name of the adorable Abigail Breslin character in the popular movie Little Miss Sunshine. Olive Chancellor is a major character in Henry James's The Bostonians and Olive Kitteridge is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Elizabeth Strout novel that was adapted into a TV miniseries in 2014. Kids might be familiar with Olive the Other Reindeer.
 Olive came into fashion at the end of the nineteenth century along with other botanical names, when it had a run in the Top 100.

Olive

In the past, Orson has felt like a one-person moniker, tied to film director Orson Welles, who dropped his given name of George in favor of his more distinctive middle. While the Citizen Kane creator seemed to own the name during his lifetime, it's now an interesting possibility for any parent seeking an unusual yet solid name. It's started to appear to the celeb set too -- both Paz Vega and Lauren Ambrose have little Orsons.
 
Unusual but grounded, Orson sounds enough like the word “awesome” that it immediately feels really cool. It is derived from an old Norman nickname, meaning “bear cub”, giving it the animal/nature connection of the popular Arthur, Oscar, and Leo, plus the possibility of well-loved nicknames Teddy and Bear.
 
While it hasn't appeared in the US Top 1000 since the beginning of the 20th century, over the last decade use of Orson has more than tripled. Given to around 130 babies in 2023 - the highest number of Orsons born in a single year so far - it could well continue to rise up the charts. 
 
Other noteworthy namesakes include the comic actor Orson Bean and theDesperate Housewives character Orson Hodge. 
 Orson also appears in a 15th century story about two brothers named Valentine and Orson, in which the latter was carried off by a bear and raised as one of its cubs. And, for a literary connection, in Charlotte Bronte's novel Villette, the narrator Lucy Snowe gets called the French variation of the name Ourson as one of the many nicknames bestowed on her by Ginevra Fanshawe.
 
In the UK, Orson is in the Top 500 and it is also a Namberry favorite.

Orson

Vibrant, sassy, and bubbly, Ruby is a vintage gem that hasn’t lost any of its sparkle. Currently popular in a number of English-speaking countries, Ruby is proof of the 100 Year Rule, trending again for the first time since its heyday in the 1910s. 
The name of a precious stone, Ruby was ultimately derived from the Latin ruber meaning “red”. Despite its sweet, shiny contemporary feel, Ruby has in fact been used as a given name since the 1500s, though it really took off in the Victorian era, alongside Pearl and Opal. 
Many cultures consider rubies to be the stone of kings, and the gem is surrounded by symbolism of wealth, power, life blood, success, and protection. It is also the birthstone for July, which could make it a discreet honor for a July-born relation or just right for a July-born baby. 
In the US, Ruby was a popular choice in the early 20th century, and it peaked at #22 in 1911. By the 1940s however, it was falling down the charts, and while it never left the Top 400, parents turned away from Ruby and to the likes of Judy, Crystal, Rebecca, and Robin instead. 
Then, in the mid-2000s, Ruby made big moves in the UK, leaping to #1 in 2007. Propelled upwards by the catchy song by The Kaiser Chiefs which was released the same year and influenced by celebs such as Tobey Maguire and Charlotte Church choosing it for their daughters, Ruby moved back into the US Top 100 in 2013. 
A truly musical name, Ruby has featured in hits by The Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens, and Kenny Rogers, while namesakes of the fictional and famous variety including Rue from “Euphoria”, Ruby from “Steven Universe”, and Ruby Rose of “Orange is the New Black”, have kept the name in the public eye. 
Given to more than 3000 babies in the US every year and continuing to climb the charts, Ruby is one of those <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/339/vintage-baby-names">vintage baby names</a> that feels totally modern and full of life. 
Love Ruby but want to beat the trends? You could try another vintage gem like Edith, Lula, Twila, Betsy, or Fern, or perhaps something with a similar sound, like Thisbe, Prue, Billie, or Rumi.

Ruby

Butler name, and also that of the rat in Charlotte's Web.

Templeton

As unlikely as it may seem, Theodore is a hot new hit name, vaulting into the Top 10 in 2021 for the first time ever and rising three more points last year to rank at Number 7.

Friendly nickname Theo may be responsible for some of that, though there are plenty of baby boys given Theo as their full name too. Add their numbers together along with those for Mateo and Teo, and they hands-down become the Number 1 boys' name.

Theodore and Mateo are far from interchangeable names, for sure, and some Theodores are called Teddy....or Theodore. But we predict an overwhelming number of little boys called Theo or Teo on American playgrounds over the coming years.

Theodore is a derivative of the Latin Theodorus, a variation of the Greek name Theodōros. The components are from the Greek words theos, meaning "God," and dōron, meaning "gift," giving Theodore the meaning "God-given" or "gift of God." Names with similar origins include Theodora, Dorothy, and Dorothea.
 
When Theodore Roosevelt took office in 1901, the name Theodore was in the Top 40 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boy names</a>, with Teds and Teddys everywhere. After some damaging stereotypes—the chubby Chipmunk Theodore and Beaver Cleaver's real name—Theodore went into a decline, from which it has definitely made a recovery, thanks in part to the popular and likable nickname Theo.
 Theodore has been the choice of several celebrities, including Ivanka Trump, Bryce Dallas Howard, Natascha McElhone, and Ali Larter, not to mention being the fictional son of Christian and Ana in Fifty Shades of Grey.
 The name has a distinguished history. In addition to being presidential, it was borne by novelist Dreiser, poet Roethke, and French painter Gericault, and it was the first name (spelled Theodor) of Dr. Seuss.
 Among the well-known Teds, baseball's Williams and musician Nugent were born Theodore, but Ted Turner was christened Robert, and Ted Kennedy and Ted Danson were originally Edward.
 The beloved character Laurie in Little Women was named Theodore Laurence.

Theodore

Made famous by the iconic and macabre character Wednesday Addams, this name has the spooky and Halloween-inspired feel that some parents might be looking for. The character has appeared in various adaptations of The Addams Family over the years, but the 2022 television series starring Jenna Ortega has given the name an unexpected boost in popularity. 
 
Wednesday originates from the Anglo-Saxon times, when it was known as Wōdnesdæg, or Woden's Day -- Woden being the English equivalent to the Norse god Odin -- who is also linked to the Roman god Mercury. Cartoonist Charles Addams who created the character of Wednesday Addams however chose her name based on the popular Monday's Child rhyme, in which "Wednesday's child is full of woe."
 
A choice that is gloomy, offbeat, quirky, wordy and celestial all at once, Wednesday has been quietly climbing up the charts since the 60s, but has been gaining increasing momentum. Not only has the newest adaptation made it feel more familiar, but actors Rupert Grint and Georgia Groome chose if for their daughter in 2020,making it feel more usable for everyone else. 
 
Given to 152 girls in the US in 2023, it's not quite so popular as the sunny Sunday yet, but it is on the rise. 
 Vintage nicknames Wendy and Winnie might make it feel more approachable, or, if you love it but find it a bit much as a given name, Gwendolyn Daisy "Wednesday" perhaps?

Wednesday

An ancient tree that figures in literature from Shakespeare to Harry Potter and is believed to possess magical powers, Willow is a lovely name, as graceful as its inspiration.
 Willow's use as a given name derives directly from the willow tree, whose name was derived from the Old English word welig, meaning "willow." Willow trees are associated with grace and elegance, which gave way to the adjective "willowy." Other names with meanings related to willows include Arava, Willoughby, Dozier, Wellesley, Selby, and Salton.
 
This elegant and charming nature name has been chosen for their daughters by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Michelle Monaghan and Pink. It's been a fast riser in recent years, climbing along with other Will names Willa, William and Will, having taken off here a year after the character of Willow was introduced on Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1997.
 
Willow is also popular in other English-speaking countries including Australia, Canada, Ireland, and Scotland. In 2023, it entered the Top 10 in England and Wales. 
 
The name has transcended its one-time hippie aura to move into the realm of reappraised and appreciated <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/329/nature-baby-names">nature names</a>. The willow is believed by the Romani to possess the ability to heal the sick and rejuvenate the aged.
 
Pink was quoted as saying her choice was influenced by a willow tree she grew up near, and that it is the most flexible tree that nothing can break—no wind, no elements, it can bend and withstand anything.

Willow

Fresher, brisker and, yes, cooler than Summer or Autumn or Spring, Winter is now a full-fledged female choice, especially since Nicole Richie and Joel Madden used it for daughter Harlow's middle name, and Gretchen Mol picked it as her daughter's first, as did media mogul Sean Parker. Winter continues to be the preferred spelling and has risen in popularity significantly over the past few years.
 Although Winter entered the U.S. Top 1000 in 1978, it was been used as a first name as early as the seventeenth century.
 Some interesting international words for winter: Aeneva (Cheyenne, Native American), Cole (Chinook, Native American), Hima (Sanskrit), Jara (Hindi), Saradi (Hindi), Vandi (Kashmiri), Zaya (Old Persian) and Zima (Russian, Bulgarian). Here's a more complete look at <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">winter baby names</a>.

Winter

Wolf is a name with a split personality. It can be seen as one of the fierce animal names, like Fox and Bear and Puma, with a touch of the werewolf, or it can be viewed as a quieter, Wolf Blitzer kind of name, fairly common in German (where is pronounced Vulf) and Jewish families, sometimes as a short form of Wolfgang, or even Wolfram or Wolfhart.

 CNN newscaster Blitzer inherited the name from his grandfather. Other Wolfs of note include British screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz, who was instrumental in the early James Bond films, painter Wolf Kahn, and the hero of Jack London's 1904 novel The Sea-Wolf, Wolf Larsen.

 
Despite all it has going for it, Wolf is relatively rare and has never been given to more than 80 babies in a single year. But now that Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott chose it for their infant son, Wolf is primed to climb the charts.

 Spelling variations Wolfe or Woolf push it into surname territory, while nickname Wolfie definitely domesticates it.

Wolf

dmizzi37's list "Baby names" of 26 great name ideas: Bailey - Wolf!