ABC Girls

Mischa

Russian, diminutive of Mikhail

This was a 100 percent boys' name till the willowy Mischa Barton of TV's "The OC" made it unisex, a la Sascha.

Nadine

French variation of Nadia, Russian

"hope"

Part of the vogue for French-sounding names in the 1920s and 30s, Nadine has been replaced by the Russian sound of Nadia and Natasha.

Pheobe

Spelling variation of Phoebe, Greek

"bright, pure"

Like Gwenyth and Issac, Pheobe is one of those names that many a delivery-dazed parent has accidentally spelled "wrong". It just doesn't make sense that the o comes before the e! If you really mean…

Ridley

English

"cleared wood; reed clearing; channel clearing"

Can one prominent character affect the gender identity of a name? Definitely, as has supernatural bad girl Ridley Duchannes of the Beautiful Creatures series-turned-movie, played by the gorgeous Emmy…

Trillian

Literary name

Douglas Adams invented this name for a character (aka Tricia) in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy . It has a nice, trilly sound, and is accessible via its kinship with Gillian/Jillian.

Tabitha

Aramaic

"gazelle"

Though never as popular as the name of her Bewitched mother, Samantha, Tabitha has its own quirky, magical charm. The name of a charitable woman who was restored to life by Saint Peter in the Bible,…

Zana

Polish, Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, Latvian, Albanian

"God is Gracious; lily; voice, fairy"

An international possibility, heard from England and Israel to Poland, Latvia, and Albania. It is a name with a vast range of possible meanings and origins, including: a Polish variation of Jane,…