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Master List of Favorites A-Z
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Calm
Word name
A modern virtue name, particularly desirable in this pressure-cooker world.
Calypso
Greek
"she who hides"
Melodic, rhythmic, and poetic in sound, Calypso is a name with connections to music, mythology, space, and pop culture. A distinctive was to nickname Callie or even Pip, it has that charming -o…
Cambria
Place name, Latin from Welsh
"Wales"
Most names that start with Cam- are on the upswing, so why not this obscure term for Wales as well as for a prehistoric time period.
Cameo
Word name
This evocative term for a stone or shell carved in relief could make a striking first name for a girl, though she would have a starring role in her story, rather than a cameo.
Camera
English word name
"an optical instrument used to capture and store images or videos"
The late tennis great Arthur Ashe (whose wife was a photographer) pioneered word names when he used this for his daughter. It would make an interesting first or middle name possibility for parents…
Canaan
Biblical place name, Hebrew
"The Promised Land; humble, low"
Pronounced KAY-nan, this Old Testament place name has a strong modern feel that blends in with on-trend choices like Carter, Colton, and Kayson, but also with Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Tobias.…
Candida
Latin
"white"
Attractive ancient name borne by several saints but sullied by association with yeast infection.
Canyon
Spanish word name
Canyon is a unique baby name evocative of natural splendor and the old Steve Canyon comic-strip heroism, making it an intriguing new word-name possibility. Similar but less word-like: Kenyon.
Capella
Latin
"little she goat"
Capella, the eleventh brightest star in the sky, carries much mythological and astrological significance. In Roman mythology, Capella represented the goat that suckled Jupiter, whose horn became the…
Carden
English occupational name
"wool carder"
Highly unusual but stylish-sounding occupational name, with a pleasant association with gardens.
Carlotta
Italian variation of Charlotte, French diminutive of Charles
"free man"
Carlotta has a large measure of finger-snapping charm and substance — despite being a not too pleasant character in The Little Mermaid . Carlotta is also the diva/prima donna in The Phantom of the…
Carmine
Carmine as a feminine name represents an interesting gender crossover, as it's traditionally more common as a masculine name in Italian culture. Derived from the Latin 'carminium' referring to a…
Carys
Welsh
"love"
Light, pretty and distinctive in appearance, Carys is one of that sweet group of girl names with a loving meaning. A relatively modern name, it didn't come into use in its native Wales until the late…
Cashmere
Word name, English from Hindi
"fine, downy wool"
Cashmere is soft, luxurious — and way out of the ordinary. One of the unique names found in The Hunger Games series, you might be surprised to learn that this fabric name has been appearing in the US…
Casimir
English; French, from Polish
"destroyer of peace"
Casimir, a traditional name of Polish kings, could do quite well these days as we see the rise of Caspian, Cassius, Castiel, et. al. Like Leopold and Laszlo, Casimir is strong and worth considering…
Caspar
Dutch and German variation of Casper and Jasper, Persian
"keeper of the treasure"
After half a century, this otherwise feasible name has at last started to lose its link to the friendly ghost; it certainly didn't scare model Claudia Schiffer, who chose it for her son, as did…
Cass
English diminutive of Cassandra or Cassia, Greek
"shining or excelling man; cinnamon"
Ties to the unfortunate Mama are now unraveling, leaving Cass or Cassie to stand on its own as a fresher sounding Cathy or Kate. With gender-neutral names abound and the growing trend of boyish…
Cassia
Feminine form of Cassius or Greek
"cinnamon"
Cassia is related to the cassia tree, which has yellow flowers and produces a spice that can be a substitute for cinnamon. Keziah, the name of Job’s daughter in the Old Testament, derives from the…
Cassiopeia
Greek mythology name
"cassia juice"
Cassiopeia, the name of a mythological mother who became a stellar constellation, is challenging but intriguing, and has all those softening Cass nicknames available. And with all names Cass-related…
Cat
Diminutive of Catherine, Greek
"pure"
May be the most modern, stylish Catherine nickname: more unusual than Kate or Cate, with an animal and word name edge. Cat Power is a trendy folksinger.