User-created list
By Emma_Jay · Updated May 2023
Across 7 pages
of 7
Latin
"springtime"
Verna may mean "springtime," but May or Spring is fresher.
French variation of Aurelia, Latin
"the golden one"
Aurelie is the delicate French variation of Aurelia, one of the most improbable popular names of recent years. Both versions of the name are lovely, but it might be difficult to insist that Americans…
Irish, shortened fom of Mairghread, variation of Margaret
"pearl"
Pronounced MAW-rayt or ma-RAYD, Mairead is close enough to Maureen to be accepted here. The name became popular in Ireland due to admiration for the saint of that name. Peig and Peigi are its…
Hebrew
"brook"
In the Bible, daughter of King Saul and wife of King David.
Dutch
"Saxon"
From the first time we saw the name Saskia attached to a portrait of Rembrandt's wife (her full name was Saakje van Uylenburgh, but she was always called Saskia), we have found it utterly charming…
Spanish, Thai
"table; April"
Mesa is both the term for a flat-topped mountain, derived from the Spanish word for "table", and the Thai variation of April.
"incense"
Keturah, the Old Testament name of Abraham's second wife, is a possibility for anyone seeking a truly unusual and interesting biblical name; certainly a lot more distinctive than that of Abraham's…
French From Latin
"russet"
Roux, a color name meaning russet or reddish brown, is a possible middle name for your little auburn-haired babe, though a post-Hunger Games child would more likely be called Rue. Roux is also a…
Greek
"generous gift"
Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and…
Variation of Rhea, Greek
"a flowing stream"
Rhya is the Fertility Goddess of several ancient religions, associated with mothers and pregnant women. In some legends she is the mother of Manann and Verena and wife of Taal. Pronounced rye-ah,…
"region offering peace and contentment"
Arcadia, a name for an unspoiled paradise, makes an attractive secular alternative to Nevaeh or Eden. For parents who want an unusual name with a friendlier nickname, Arcadia has the advantage of…
English color name, Persian
"sky blue; lapis lazuli"
Azure is a colorful gender-neutral choice, currently used equally for baby girls and boys in the US. It refers to a specific shade of blue seen in a cloudless sky. Elon Musk revealed Azure to be the…
Nea is a concise feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Finnish, it means 'the one who is irritated,' while in ancient Greek contexts, it relates to concepts of youth or newness, meaning…
"violet flower"
This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan. Ione was one of the fifty sea nymphs —…
"golden, yellow"
X marks the spot in names these days, usually at the middles or ends of names, but here is one that puts it squarely up front. This extravagant name, which, like many Greek names beginning with X, is…
"woman, wife"
Succinct and simple in spelling, Leda is a currently rare choice from Greek mythology with that appealing four-letter, ending in -a format of Lyra, Maia, Vada, Veda, and Nora. Borne by a Spartan…
"gold"
Cressida is a golden, mythological, and Shakespearean name, much better known in Britain than it is in the US. Given to just 11 American girls in a recent year — though still the highest number on…
Botanical name and French
"reddish brown"
A fragrant herbal and color name that could make a sensitive, distinctive choice.
French
"warlike"
Sleek and sophisticated.
Diminutive of Hedwig
Linked to one of the great screen beauties, but has never appealed much to Americans.
