Names I love

  1. Ondine
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "little wave"
    • Description:

      Mythological spirit of the waters; spelled Undine, she was an Edith Wharton heroine.
  2. Rain
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Among a small shower of rain-related names, this pure version can have a cool, refreshing image.
  3. Leigh
    • Origin:

      English variation of Lee
    • Meaning:

      "pasture, meadow"
    • Description:

      This spelling adds a little more femininity to the neutral Lee. Leigh and sister Lee were quite popular in the 1960s and 1970s among the first cool wave of unisex names for girls, but now have vanished from the Top 1000. The Biblical Leah is preferred.
  4. Ailis
    • Origin:

      Scottish Gaelic
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      This attractive and unique Scottish form of Alice can also be found in the spelling Aileas. Like Alice, it ultimately derives from the Germanic name Adalheidis. Spelt with the fada, Ailís, it's Irish and pronounced with a longer final vowel: AY-leesh.
  5. Ceres
    • Origin:

      Roman
    • Meaning:

      "nourishment"
    • Description:

      Little known name of the goddess of the harvest — her name literally means nourishment, and is the origin of the word cereal. A possibility for the parent seeking something original, but with the aura of Roman myth. Her Greek counterpart is Demeter.
  6. Katrina
    • Origin:

      German variation of Katherine
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      The hurricane blew this one out of the realm of possibility.
  7. Johan
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian and Dutch variation of John
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      With Old European vibes, Johan is a variant of the classic John, similar to the Latin, Hebrew, and Germanic forms, Iohannes, Yohanan, and Johannes. Conjuring up the image of the classical composer Brahms or the astronomer Kepler, while still feeling timeless and distinctive, Johan has been in the US Top 600 for most of the 21st century, helped along by Heidi Klum and Seal using it for their son in 2006.
  8. Fawn
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Meaning:

      "a young deer"
    • Description:

      The doe-eyed Fawn is as gentle and soft as the baby deer it represents. And much like that baby deer, it carries with it the potential of new life. Fawn was featured at the bottom of the Top 1000 throughout the '60s and '70s — around the same time that Bambi came into play. But unlike Bambi, Fawn maintains relevance in the 21st century, thanks to its warmth and ties to the natural world. We would love to meet more baby girls named Fawn.
  9. Isis
    • Origin:

      Egyptian
    • Meaning:

      "throne"
    • Description:

      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 one of the fastest-falling names in 2014, dropping 130 ranks to reach #706. Interestingly, however, since 2020, it has begun to see increased use again, and 2023 saw it given to 151 girls.
  10. Annaliese
    • Origin:

      German, combination of Anna and Liese
    • Meaning:

      "grace and pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Annaliese is a distinctly German smoosh name that's found some popularity in the US, especially with the simpler spelling Annalise.
  11. Abilene
    • Origin:

      English from Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "grass"
    • Description:

      Abilene is a rarely used place name, mentioned as such in the New Testament, that combines the cowboy spunk of the Texas city with the midwestern morality of the Kansas town where Dwight D. Eisenhower spent his boyhood. Abilene is a much more untrodden path to the nickname Abbie/Abbie than the Top 10 Abigail.
  12. Melisande
    • Origin:

      French form of Millicent, German
    • Meaning:

      "strong in work"
    • Description:

      This old-time fairy tale name is rarely heard in the modern English-speaking world, but it's so, well, mellifluous, that it would make a lovely choice for a twenty-first century girl--a romanticized tribute to an Aunt Melissa or Melanie.
  13. Katia
    • Origin:

      Russian diminutive of Ekaterina
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      One of the warm and earthy Russian nickname names now coming into style. Denzel Washington is the father of a Katia.
  14. Willard
    • Origin:

      English from German
    • Meaning:

      "resolutely brave"
    • Description:

      Unfortunate identification with an army of rats in the movie of the same name.
  15. Anaise
    • Origin:

      Variation of Anais
    • Description:

      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 pronunciation.
  16. Amory
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "industrious"
    • Description:

      Amory is the kind of executive-sounding surname name that became popular in the 1990s. Amory Blaine is the protagonist of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, This Side of Paradise.
  17. Demian
    • Origin:

      Variant of Damian
    • Description:

      Two Latino men have put this Damian variant on the map in the last decade: Brazilian MMA champ Demian Maia and Oscar-nominated actor Demian Bichir.
  18. Yael
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "ibex"
    • Description:

      Yael is an Old Testament name often heard in Israel that could work well here: just remember that it's pronounced with two syllables...it is also spelled Ya'el. In the Bible she was a Kenite woman in the time of Deborah who killed the enemy general, Sisera.
  19. Sailor
    • Origin:

      Occupational word name
    • Description:

      A word name that has sailed onto birth certificates of both genders, especially since Liv Tyler used it for her son. For boys, Saylor and Sailor are used about equally, but were together given to about 100 baby boys last year....and 1000 baby girls.

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