Guilty Pleasures

Sparrow

Nature name

"sparrow, a bird"

With related choices such as Lark and Phoenix gaining popularity, why not Sparrow? Though it's usually thought of as a female name, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden chose it for their son.

Blodwen

Welsh

"white flower"

An unusual floral -wen name which was the name of an 1878 opera by Welsh composer Joseph Parry.

Agrippina

Latin

"born feetfirst"

A name with a rich history in Ancient Greece and Rome, Agrippina was the sister of Caligula and mother of Nero, who had her murdered. The original male version, Agrippa, can also used for girls. The…

Sefarina

Spanish, from Greek

"west wind"

Sefarina is dramatic and feminine, but Serafina is far more commonly used. Think of Sefarina as deriving from Zephyr, which can be used as a male name; the female version is Zephyrine or Zephyrina,…

Yetta

Yiddish

"light"

Too close to yenta.

Dearbhail

Irish

"true desire"

This Irish Gaelic name would be more accessible in other cultures in its modern Dervla form.

Shadow

English

"shade"

A daring word name with a touch of mystique, Shadow is an edgy choice for a baby that some may say is best reserved for pets. Nevertheless, it has been appearing in the US stats for girls since 1974…

Fran

Diminutive of Frances

"from France or free man"

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.

Thesally

from the Greek Thessaly, a region of Ancient Greece

Thessaly is the name of an area of Greece, known for being near Mount Olympus. This variation lends itself to the nickname Sally. You may also wish to consider the name Larissa, which is the capital…

Daenerys

Literary name

Daenerys is yet another girls' name invented by "Game of Thrones" author George R. R. Martin that is beginning to gain some traction in real life. Daenerys was used for 67 baby girls in 2013 while…

Sansa

Sanskrit

"praise, charm"

Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin is a master namer, and this unusual choice from India is beginning to be heard in nurseries as well as on television. Sansa was perhaps slower to catch on…

Valda

German

"battle heroine"

Seventies comic-book-heroine-style name.

Caeli

Caeli is a delicate feminine name with Latin origins, derived from 'caelum' meaning 'heaven' or 'sky.' This ethereal name carries celestial connotations and evokes images of the heavens above. In…

Thora

Norse

"thunder goddess"

Thora, related to Thor, is the ancient Norse thunder goddess name that's much softer and gentler than its meaning suggests. A noted bearer is actress Thora Birch.

Corona

Spanish

"crown"

Corona was once an improbable choice due to the beer brand. After the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, its firmly cemented its status as a nonviable baby name.

Lovella

Feminine of Lovell

"wolf"

Lovella is most likely a feminine variation on Lovell, a surname. While it feels one of the invented-yet-antiquated girls' names , has the obvious attraction of containing the word "love" within it,…

Desdemona

Greek

"ill-starred"

Desdemona is as Shakespearean as a name can be, but because the beautiful and innocent wife of Othello came to such a tragic end, her name has been avoided for centuries. But at this point in time,…

Aerith

Modern invented name

Aerith Gainsborough is a lead character in the video game Final Fantasy. The name was invented by the developers as a translation for the character's original Japanese name Earisu.

Calanthe

English from Greek

"Christmas orchid"

If you love Calliope and Callista, you'll love Calanthe, which combines the trendiness of the Greek 'cal' names with the equally fashionable "the" ending (like Xanthe and Evanthe) and a connection to…