User-created list
By RomyMarylouAmber · Updated May 2023
Across 104 pages
of 104
Irish literary creation
Would make a truly original alternative to the overused Sarah.
English word name
"the quality of being just, impartial, or fair"
Justice, one of the rare virtue names for boys, entered the popularity ranks in 1992, and remained in the charts until the 2020s. While it has fallen out of favor in more recent years, it remains a…
Portuguese diminutive of Santiago, Latin
"Saint James"
Tiago, also spelled Thiago, is a popular Portuguese boys' name. Derived from the more formal Santiago, these days it is often used on its own. Relaxed and charming while still maintaining the…
Scottish
"dark warrior"
Duncan is jaunty, confident, and open, a Scottish royal name that's brimming with friendly charm and makes it into our golden circle of names that are neither too popular nor too strange. Popularity…
Word name, English from Greek
"the most significant element of a thing or person"
Heavily perfumed word name that peaked a few years ago.
Combination of Ava and Lynn
Part Ava, part Lynn, and part cousin of the stylish Evelyn and Adeline, Avalynn is a recent 2014 entrant to the US Top 1000. But sometimes when a name is trying hard to have everything, it doesn't…
Italian and Spanish variation of Carmel
"garden"
Carmela has been most famous recently as the name of Tony Soprano's TV wife, played by Edie Falco. The spellings Carmela and Carmella are both used in Latin cultures including Italian, Spanish, and…
Sanskrit
"play"
While Leela may be a spelling variation of Lila or Leila, it's also an Indian name in its own right with a playful meaning. And unlike it's more popular Western sisters, Leela does not create…
Variation of Jayleen
"pretty jaybird"
Jaylene is one of those modern creations that could be seen as an attempt to be trendy yet retro at the same time. Part Jaylee, part Arlene, Jaylene could be an honor for a Jane or a James, a Helene,…
So sweet it makes our teeth hurt. It has appeared in the US Top 1000 every year since 2006, though it dropped a significant 136 places from 2014 to 2015, and kept dropping to Number 974 in 2016.
Arabic
"alive"
Variant of Aisha. In the 19th century novel She , Ayesha is a beautiful 2000-year-old queen of a lost city, and is known as "she who must be obeyed."
Spanish
"gracious gifts, benefits"
Mercedes is one of the few names attached to luxury living that we can wholeheartedly recommend, it being a legitimate Spanish appellation stemming from one of the epithets given to the Virgin…
Variation of Evelyn or combination of Eva + Lynn
"desired, wished for; life + lake; life + beautiful"
Is Evalynn an alternative spelling for the popular Evelyn or is it a smoosh name blending Eva and Lynn? It could be either, so the choice is yours. As a variation of Evelyn, it derives from the…
Irish
"fair"
Finnian is a fair jig of a name, energetic and easy on the ear. Finnian (and brother Finian) is also familiar in its alternate spelling through the classic 1968 Broadway musical Finian's Rainbow ,…
German, diminutive of Siegfried and Sigmund
"victorious peace; victorious protection; victory"
Perhaps the ultimate nicknamey name, Ziggy manages to sound cool, cutesy, spiky, and energetic all at once. It brings to mind the glam-rock of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and the cool vibes of reggae…
Variation of Brittany, English
"from Briton"
This abbreviated spelling, which also relates to Whitney, quickly took on a life of its own, thanks to the megafame of Britney Spears, but it's already beginning to burn out.
Spelling variation of Kaylin
Kaylynn follows a current trend in naming: add a -lynn or -lin suffix to a simple, single-syllable moniker. Alternate spellings include Kailyn, Cailin, and Kaylen. This variation has one too many Y…
Egyptian
"throne"
Isis has gone from magical, feminist name on the rise to the forbidden list because of the extremist terror group called ISIS, an acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Unsurprisingly, Isis was…
Germanic, Persian, or diminutive of Isabel
"ice; strong-willed; pledged to God"
Isa is a name unto itself as both a Persian name meaning "strong-willed" and as Germanic one derived from the element is meaning "ice". It can also be a short form of Isabel, Isabella, Isadora,…
Variation of Max, English and German
"greatest"
Max, with something X-tra.
