My favourite names!

Cecilia

Feminine form of Cecil, Latin

"blind"

Cecilia is a lovely classic name deservedly enjoying a new turn in the sun. Always among the Top 500 girls' names in the US, Cecilia is now at its highest point ever. Cecilia is a feminine form of…

Freya

Norse

"a noble woman"

Freya has long been popular in the U.K. but has only taken off in the US in the last decade, along with the entire category of mythological names. Derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning…

Gracie

English, diminutive of Grace

Cute Gracie is one of the more recently revived nickname names by parents who chose it over the more formal Grace--or variations like Graziella or Grania. Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw…

Kayla

Hebrew

"crown, wreath; fortress; who is like God?"

Kayla is a modern invented name that emerged in the late 1950s. It may have been inspired by the similar sounding Michaela, though it could equally have come about as a combination of the then…

Nettie

English, diminutive of names ending in -ette or -etta, or variation of Neta, Hebrew

"plant"

You may never have known a Nettie personally, but there well might be one hidden in your family history, considering that she was a Top 100 name until 1901 and stayed on the Social Security list…

Sheila

Irish variation of Cecilia

"blind"

Sheila peaked in popularity from the 1930s to the 1960s (she reached Number 49 in 1965), along with Maureen and Colleen; parents today would probably go back to the original Cecilia or forward to…

Dee

English diminutive of any girl name that starts with D

Dee is a slight midcentury nickname that might be short for Deanna or Denise, but might be too slight for today's strong, independent female.

Niamh

Irish Gaelic

"bright"

Niamh, derived from the Old Irish Niam, is an ancient Irish name that was originally a term for a goddess. In Irish myth, one who bore it was Niamh of the Golden Hair, daughter of the sea god, who…

Sissy

Diminutive of Cecilia; pet name for "sister"

"sister"

Old-fashioned nickname for a sister, almost never heard today.

Dovie

Diminutive of Dove or Deborah, English, Hebrew

"dove; bee"

Dovie was a fairly popular nickname name a century or more ago, dropping off the Top 1000 in the 1940s only to be heading back uphill now. Given to around 30 girls in a recent year, Dovie has a way…