Indie is an independent-sounding nickname name that is in the Top 100 in Wales. As a diminutive, it's growing in popularity -- along with indie films, indie publishing -- and the reason some parents are choosing names like India and Indigo. The Indie version seems more feminine, while Indy as in Indiana Jones tends toward the boyish.

State name Alaska stems from an Aleutian word for the land mass itself. The number of baby girls named Alaska has doubled in the past five years, and is sure to continue increasing as more place names are annexed as baby names. Wilder but as habitable as Dakota or Cheyenne, Alaska is a girls' name choice for the future.

Calum is a form of the boy name Callum, popular in the British Isles and carrying a peaceful meaning.

Kellin is a modern masculine name with possible Irish or Scottish Gaelic influences. It may be related to the more common Kelly (meaning 'warrior' or 'bright-headed') or could be a variant of Kellen (from the Gaelic 'ceallach' meaning 'strife'). The name has gained some recognition through Kellin Quinn, vocalist for the band Sleeping with Sirens. With its strong consonants and crisp ending, Kellin has a contemporary, energetic quality while maintaining Celtic connections. This relatively uncommon name appeals to parents seeking a distinctive choice that still feels familiar and pronounceable. Kellin bridges traditional Celtic naming heritage with modern preferences for names that are both unique and accessible.

As the softer-looking Cora of Downton Abbey fame charted highly in the US and the UK, some parents were looking for a way to make this name a little less common, a bit more trendy or far more Germanic by using a "K". We prefer the C version, but Kora is still an elegant name.

Unusual option, with a Waspy Connecticut air.