Alexandros

Gentle but grandiose and beloved by British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose was a fast rising name in 2022. Entering the UK Top 1000 for the first time and proving popular among Nameberry users, its elegance, softness, and vintage style means it fits in with popular Theodore, Sebastian, and Jeremiah. 
 With an air of blooming well-being, Ambrose feels a bit upper-class, a little posh, but not too stuffy. It comes from the same Greek root as 'ambrosia', the food of the gods, said to confer immortality.
 Ambrose was the name of one of the important doctors of the early Christian church, the fourth century St. Ambrose. It also belonged to one of the four great Latin teachers of Christianity, who also developed the use of music in church services. TV fanatics might be interested to know that in 1961, Ambrose was designated the patron saint of educational television by Pope John XXII.
 One thing that might given some parents pause is the problem of finding a nickname for the stately Ambrose. Ami? Bro? Amby? They might work for some, but other options include the stylish Bo, the literary Bram, the sweet Ro, or even the unexpected and unisex Rose.

Ambrose

Ambrosi

Ambrosia combines some of the more whimsical qualities of more popular Aurora and Isabella, with a heavenly meaning. 

In Greek mythology, Ambrosia was not a goddess or other figure but literally the food and drink of the gods, said to confer immortality. The Ancient Greek word ambrosios, meaning immortal, gave rise to the Latin name Ambrosius, which became the modern Ambrose.

Only a dozen baby girls were named Ambrosia in the US in the most recent year counted.

Ambrosia

Ambrosio

Arrosa

A felicitous combo of two sweet names; also a Queens, New York neighborhood.

Bellerose

We give Briar Rose its own page thanks to the down-to-earth name of Princess Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty. Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen named their newborn daughter Briar Rose, but we like Briar and Rose better when used separately. Read more about Briar Rose and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Briar rose

CHRISTOPHEROS

Crosby is an attractively laid-back Irish surname with retro musical associations to Bing and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and with a jaunty air. Crosby Braverman was the name of a character on the TV show Parenthood, played by Dax Shepard.
 Crosby entered the Top 1000 list for the first time in 2011.

Crosby

A combination-type name invented by L. Frank Baum for a Princess character who first appears in his book Ozma of Oz.

Evrose

Full-hearted new virtue choice, though five syllables is a lot to handle. 

Generosity

Even in the Hispanic community, very religious and old-fashioned.

Milagros

Penrose – an ancient place-name and surname derived from several villages in Cornwall, Wales, and the Welsh border country of England – would make for an even more unexpected alternative to quirky nature name Primrose. Intuitive nicknames Penny or Rosie make it feel more wearable.

Penrose

A quaint and quirky flower name, until recently considered a bit too prim for most American classrooms but brought back to life in recent years by the attractive character of Primrose "Prim" Everdeen in the Hunger Games series. In the Top 300 girl names in England and Wales and on Nameberry, Primrose remains rare in the US, but is made more accessible by a raft of sweet nickname options, including Rosie and Posy.

 The flower name Primrose derives from Latin prima rosa, meaning "first rose", since primrose flowers are among the first to appear in early spring, heralding the coming of better weather. Primrose also has an alternative history as a Scottish surname deriving from the place name Penrhos, from the Welsh words pren "tree" and rhos "moor." The spelling was later altered due to association with the flower.

 In the H. E. Bates book and 90's British TV series, The Darling Buds of May, there is a character named Primrose Violet Anemone Iris Magnolia Narcissa Larkin, who has twin sisters named Zinnia and Petunia.

Primrose

As sweet-smelling as Rose but with an international flavour, Rosa is one of the most classic Portuguese, Spanish and <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/166/italian-names">Italian names</a>, which is also favored by upper-class Brits, having an ample measure of vintage charm. Rosa has been on the popularity charts for every year that's been counted, especially popular from the 1880s through the beginning of the twentieth century. 
 The name of a thirteenth century saint, Rosa has several other notable namesakes. In literature, she was a character in David Copperfield. Rosa Parks is a Civil Rights icon, Rosa (born Marie-Rosalie) Bonheur was a noted nineteenth century French artist, Rosa Ponselle an American operatic soprano and Rosa Luxemburg a left-wing activist. In the modern world there have been several Rosas in video games, including Final Fantasy IV.

Rosa

ROSABELLA

Rosabelle

Created by lovers of the ae vowel combo. 

Rosae

One of many Spanish elaborations of Rosa. 

Rosalba

The name of a sympathetic character in the best-selling novel The Secret Life of Bees, though it feels more stylish these days spelled Rosaline.

Rosaleen

Elegant and bright with plenty of flair, Rosalia this Sicilian Saint name is familiar in Spain and Italy. It refers back to the annual Roman ceremony of hanging garlands of roses on tombs, which could make it work as a commemorative name. 
 
Derived from rosa, the floral inspired name entered the US Top 1000 in 2020, and has climbed substantially since. Given to more than 500 babies in 2023, it is four times more popular than it was a decade ago.

Rosalia

Rosalie hit its apex in 1938 and then slid straight downhill until it fell off the U.S. Top 1000 completely in the 1980s, only to spring back to life in 2009 as the name of a character in the Twilight series. The beautiful vampire Rosalie Hale has breathed fresh life back into this mid-century name, and the fact that the character is both sympathetic and relatively minor means Rosalie has the chance to thrive again as a baby name without feeling unduly tied to Twilight.
 For a long time Rosalie's main claim to fame was via the eponymous 1928 Broadway musical, which became a movie ten years later, both of which included a hit song.
 Rosalie was used as a character name in literature by Anne Bronte and Oscar Wilde. In the mid-twentieth century, Rosalie was the name of the daughter on The Goldbergs. More recently, Rosalie is a character on Grimm.

Rosalie

A feminine and fragrant member of the Rose family.

Rosalina

Rosalind has a distinguished literary history – used and popularized by Edmund Spenser and Shakespeare via one of his most charming heroines, in As You Like It. Along with a bouquet of other Rose names, Rosalind might be ready for a comeback.

 Despite appearances, Rosalind is not technically a true Rose name. It originally derives from the Germanic elements hros "horse" and lind "soft, flexible, tender", but the spelling was later influenced by the appealing Latin phrase rosa linda "beautiful rose".

 Rosalind was at its height in the 1940's, coinciding with the popularity of the acerbic movie star Rosalind Russell: it was Number 293 in 1943, but fell off the list in 1978.

 Uma Thurman gave her young daughter five names, the first of which is Rosalind – though she is called by her nickname Luna.

Rosalind

Rosalinda

Rosaline, which can be pronounced to rhyme with mine or mean in its final syllable, has a deeper, richer pedigree than it might seem.  Rosaline was used twice by Shakespeare and was also used in the poetry of Edmund Spenser. While we prefer the stronger-sounding Rosalind or Rosamund, Rosaline deserves another contemporary look.

Rosaline

ROSALITA

ROSAMONDA

This lovely, quintessentially British appellation, also spelled Rosamond, is the name of a legendary twelfth-century beauty. Rare on these shores, it is more than worthy of importation.
 There was a time when Rosamund wasn't quite so unusual in the US--she ranked on the Top 1000 from 1881 to 1930, reaching 574 in 1912. Today, fewer than 20 baby girls were given the name in the US, and fewer than five got the alternate version Rosamond.
 Early on, the name was associated with 'fair Rosamond' Clifford, mistress of Henry II, whose story was the basis of the Joseph Addison opera Rosamund and the Swinburne play of the same name. 
 Another, literal, translation of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/lists/category/meanings-of-names">name"s meaning</a> is 'rose of the world.'
 A current bearer is actress and one-time Bond girl Rosamund Pike--who has a son named Solo.

Rosamund

Rose lovers today would probably prefer Rosemary, Rosamund, or even Rose itself, all more stylish variations of the name. Some may associate this form of the name with actress Rosanna Arquette and your mom may think of SNL's Rosanne Rosanna-Danna, though that reference is lost on millennials. 

Rosanna

Rosaria

Anglo parents are taking note of this Hispanic classic, thanks to actress Rosario Dawson and a character on Will & Grace. Poetic and powerful, it comes from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Rosario, or "Our Lady of the Rosary", Rosary referring to vocal and mental prayer in Catholicism, that reflect on the life of Christ and his Mother. 
 
Given to around 80 girls in the US in a recent year, it is also used as an exclusively masculine name in Italy.

Rosario

Though Roscoe is an edgy hipster name for boys, it's an even edgier, more hipsterish <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">name for girls</a>.

Roscoe

Forever -- or at least for a while -- linked to the onetime "Domestic Goddess", Roseanne Barr. 

Roseanne

Most contemporary parents would probably opt for the more streamlined Elle. 

Roselle

Another of the Rose-plus names, now far out of fashion. 

Rosellen

Roselyn was a frequent member of the US Top 1000 in the early twentieth century until it dropped off the charts in 1954. It didn't return until 2003.
 This name takes Rosalind and makes it rosier. As with any creative variation, expect to spell the name anytime you meet someone new.

Roselyn

Rosemarie had its moment in the sun back in the middle of the last century, when parents were looking for new ways to recycle traditional family names. So a child might combine her two grandma's names and become Rosemarie (or Annmarie or Maryjean), but these combination names feel dated now.

 Rosemarie may also be a spelling spin on the botanical name Rosemary, which comes from a different etymological root (and means "dew of the sea").

 The meaning of Marie is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Rosemarie

Despite appearances, Rosemary is not a "smoosh" name, not even a traditional one. The name derives from two Latin terms "Ros" meaning ‘dew’ and "Marinus" "meaning "of the sea". The plant was termed ‘dew of the sea’ due to its salty texture and its ability to thrive in coastal climes. Only after the Middle Ages did the English names of Rose and Mary become interchanged with the name Rosmarinus and give us the modern name we use today.
 In ancient legend, Rosemary was draped around Aphrodite when she rose from the sea. It was regarded then as beneficial in strengthening the memory and became a symbol for faithful lovers. In Hamlet, Ophelia says "There's Rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, love, remember."
 The name was long associated with George Clooney's aunt, the great pop singer Rosemary; less pleasant associations are with the 1967 movie Rosemary's Baby.
 A common variation is Rosemarie; many parents are now looking to the stand-alone nickname Romy.

Rosemary

Associated with the ancient Rosetta stone, this is also the pretty Italian pet form of Rosa. 

Rosetta

Rosette

ROSETTI

Rosy-cheeked and cheery, Rosie (also spelled Rosy) has been standing on her own for many decades, back to the days of 1943 musical Sweet Rosie O'Grady. She's one of the perky nickname-names that are filling the popularity lists of other English-speaking countries. In the US, she came back to the Top 1000 in 2013, after a 30 year hiatus. In 2023, Rosie was one of the fastest rising girl names. 
 A hobbit character in Lord of the Rings, Rosie's current representatives include Rosie (born Roseann) O'Donnell, Rosie Perez (born Rosa), and British-born pregnancy guru Rosie Pope. The Rosie Project is a 2013 bestselling novel by Graeme Simsion.

Rosie

Rosina

Rosine can be thought of as a short form of the classic flower name Rose. It's similar to the Irish Róisín, though that is pronounced roh-sheen.

Rosine

This spirited Spanish variation of Rosa was familiar in the mid-20th century, but is used more quietly now. Given to around 35 babies in the US each year, it could work as a fresh alternative to Roberta or Rosie. 
 
Characters named Rosita have featured in the children's TV show Sesame Street, the movie Sing,and the series The Walking Dead while famous Rositas include singer and actress Rosita Serrano, writer and explorer Rosita Forbes, and singer and performer Rosita Amores.

Rosita

Spelling variations abound when a name is trendy, which Rosalind is not these days.  We say leave Roslyn back in the middle of the 20th century and reclaim the original Rosalind.

Roslyn

MekaylaNoelle's list "Looking Beyond Rose" of 48 great name ideas: Alexandros - Roslyn!