User-created list
By theodorewilla · Updated April 2023
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Latin, from ancient place name Lavinium
Lavinia is a charmingly prim and proper Victorian-sounding name which actually dates back to classical mythology, where it was the name of the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was considered the…
Latin
"lion"
Leonie is a chic French and German form of a name that exists in a range of variations from Leona to Leonia to Leon to Leo to Lionel, all newly fashionable after a couple of generations in style…
English variation of Molly, diminutive of Mary, Hebrew
"bitter"
An alternative to the no-longer-fresh Molly, the initial 'P' gives Polly a peppier sound, combining the cozy virtues of an old-timey name with the bounce of a barmaid. Associated with Tom Sawyer's…
Greek mythology name
"echo or sound"
Echo, the pretty, resonant name of a legendary nymph, was the heroine of Joss Whedon's sci-fi series Dollhouse . Nick Hexum, of the band 311, named his daughter Echo Love. In the Greek myth, Echo was…
Elaboration of Nova, Latin
"new"
Novalie combines the uber stylish and starry Nova with the trendy -lie ending, making it even more modern sounding than it was before. Novalee appeared on the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2016,…
Greek, feminine variation of Philip
"lover of horses"
Philippa is a prime example of a boy's name adapted for girls that was common as crumpets in Cornwall, but rarely heard stateside. That was before the advent of royal sister-in-law Philippa…
German, French
"prosperous in battle"
Ottilie is trending in the UK, where the pronounced T helps the name sound pretty and delicate, rather like Amelie and Elodie. Ottilie is less popular in the US, where many Americans pronounce it as…
English word name
"a legendary story of supernatural happenings"
Fable, like Story, is a word name with real potential, combining enchanted tale-telling with a moral edge. And soundwise, it would fit right in with the likes of Abel and Mabel.
Welsh, Turkish
"star or sail mast"
Seren is a top girls' name in Wales – and a lovely choice almost unknown elsewhere. Seren, in the Sirona form, was an ancient goddess of the hot springs. Seren only recently fell out of the girls'…
English, from Persian
"bluish or lilac"
Could Lilac be the next Lila or Lily or Violet? It certainly has a lot going for it--those lilting double 'l's, the fabulous fragrance it exudes, and the fact that it's a color name as well,…
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…
Color name
"rich deep red"
Crimson could be a possible competitor for Scarlett's success, though it's lacking that Johansson charm. Crimson tends to be disproportionately popular in Alabama — the University of Alabama's…
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…
Italian feminine variation of Cosmo, Greek
"order, beauty, universe"
Cosima, the kind of elegant and unusual name the British upper classes love to use for their daughters, is given to a handful of baby girls in the US after being chosen by two high-profile celebs in…
Flower name, from English surname
"Wister's flower"
A frilly southern-accented flower name yet to be planted on many birth certificates. In the language of flowers, the wisteria is a symbol of devotion. It is named for American horticulturalist John…
Spice name
"orange-yellow color; a type of crocus"
Spice names are increasingly appealing to the senses of prospective parents; this one, belonging to a precious spice derived from the crocus has a vaguely orange-scented-incense sixties feel. English…
English from Italian
"little song"
Could there be a more poetic name than Sonnet? Actor Forest Whitaker was inspired to choose it for his daughter. The word sonnet derives from the Italian sonetto , meaning 'little song.' And although…
Arabic
"fair, brilliant beauty"
Zuleika is a high-wire act of a name that might appeal to the intrepid baby namer, Like most 'Z'-starting girls' names, it projects a cool, strong aura, as exemplified by the character in Max…
Variation of Anais
Anais, the name forever attached to the daring French-born American novelist and diarist Anais Nin, is unusual and French enough without appending an e, though some may think it clarifies…
"woman of honor"
Honora and Honoria are two ways of softening the severity of Honor, while retaining its righteous meaning. They were predominant until the Reformation, when the Puritans adopted the abstract virtue…
