User-created list
Bones
Across 9 pages
of 9
Pam
Diminutive of Pamela, English
"all honey"
This mild-mannered short form was Queen of the Prom in the fifties and sixties, but today is mostly heard on TV's The Office (and of course as one of the founders of Nameberry). While about 100 baby…
Indira
Sanskrit
"beauty"
A striking and feminine possibility associated with a modern hero — long-time Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi. It is also a significant choice within Hinduism, as it is used as an alternative…
Roxie
Diminutive of Roxanne
Audacious offshoot of Roxanne, the wayward heroine of the musical Chicago.
Lyon
French
"lion"
The y makes it seem more like a name and less like an animal, but it's still not as appealing as several Leo choices.
Nichole
Nichole is a feminine name, a variant spelling of Nicole, which itself is the French feminine form of Nicholas. The name derives from Greek elements 'nike' meaning 'victory' and 'laos' meaning…
Zooey
Literary name or variation of Zoe, Greek
"life"
Readers who remember J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey have probably forgotten that the character was male (nee Zachary). Nowadays the somewhat loopy spin on Zoe is associated with actress Zooey…
Rena
Hebrew, Greek, Estonian, Scandinavian, German, Punjabi
"joyous melody; peace; reborn; to remain"
Rena is a Hebrew name all on its own and is also a European short form of Irene, Irini, Renata, and Renate. In Punjabi, Rena means "to remain".
mather
Freddie
Dininutive of Frederick, German
"peaceful ruler"
Just the kind of casual, flippant nickname that upscale Brits are putting on their sons' birth certificates, but few U.S. parents are.
Dana
English, Slavic, Persian, Arabic
"from Denmark, gift, or wise"
This name found in both Celtic and Scandinavian mythology has gone from all-boy to almost all-girl, retaining a strong, unisex quality. However, it has dropped following its three-decade heyday from…
Cyril
Greek
"lordly"
A British-accented Greek name with an intellectual image that has been off the U.S. charts since 1966, but was a Top 300 name at the turn of the last century. We have the feeling Cyril's ready for a…
Glen
Scottish
"a narrow valley"
Former cool-boy name now in middle-aged limbo, but with a nice naturey meaning to endear it to modern parents.
hayes
Bennet
Variation of Bennett, English form of Benedict, Latin
"blessed"
This spelling of Bennett is typically seen as a surname, but gets moderate use as a first name for baby boys and girls.
Avalon
Celtic
"island of apples"
Avalon, an island paradise of Celtic myth and Arthurian legend--it was where King Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds-- and also the colorful capital of the California island of Catalina--…
Harmonia
Greek
"agreement, concord"
One Greek mythological name -- she was the goddess of order -- not yet embraced by American parents.
Kent
English surname and place-name
"edge"
Kent is a no-nonsense, brief, brisk one-syllable name, almost as curt as Kurt.
