euphonious

names that are pleasing to the ear or names that seem poetic
  1. Aoife
    • Origin:

      Irish Gaelic
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful, radiant"
    • Description:

      Aoife, pronounced EE-fa, is derived from the Irish word aoibh, meaning "beauty." Aoife was borne by several different heroines of ancient Irish legend. In one tale, she was the fiercest woman warrior in the world and enemy of her twin sister, Scathach.
  2. Aster
    • Origin:

      English; Amharic
    • Meaning:

      "star"
    • Description:

      This is a fresh new addition to the botanical list; comedian Gilbert Gottfried made it a real bouquet when he named his daughter Lily Aster. And the name of the little girl on television's Dexter sounds like Aster, but is actually spelled Astor, which brings it more high society name. Aster relates to the Greek word for star. In Ethiopia, Aster is pronounced "ah-STAIR", and is the Amharic variation of Biblical Esther.
  3. Caoimhe
    • Origin:

      Irish, Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful"
    • Description:

      Caoimhe, pronounced (more properly) kwee-va or kee-va, is a pretty and distinctive Gaelic name but one that could well lead to no end of confusion outside the Irish community. Even in its native habitat, it is sometimes spelled Keeva.
  4. Cerys
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "love"
    • Description:

      Common name in Wales that's all but unknown in the U.S. Certainly an attractive choice ripe for export. In the UK it sits at Number 330.
  5. Eilis
    • Origin:

      Irish variation of Elizabeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Familiar in the US thanks to the lovely movie Brooklyn, based on the Colm Toibin novel of the same name. Popular in medieval times, it is still used in Ireland (properly spelt with a fada: Eilís) could make an alternative to the super-popular Isla. Eilish and Eibhlis are alternate forms.
  6. Ellis
    • Origin:

      English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "benevolent"
    • Description:

      Ellis is a former Old Man Name turned gender-neutral choice for the 21st century. It's one of the less used names in the currently popular El-family.
  7. Eoin
    • Origin:

      Irish, variation of John
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Though Eoin is a Gaelic form of John, its Anglicized pronunciation links it directly to Owen. Eoin is currently a Top 30 name in Ireland. Other variations: Ewan, Ewen, Evan and Eoghan (pronounced as Owen but also translated as Eugene).
  8. Ethel
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "noble maiden"
    • Description:

      Ethel is a name we once declared as 'So Far Out They'll Probably Always Be Out,' but with the return of other names on that list and with its new starbaby cred via Lily Allen, its soft sound and admirable meaning, we're not so sure.
  9. Eustace
    • Origin:

      English from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "stable"
    • Description:

      Eustace was originally popularized by St. Eustace, who was born a Norman nobleman and is said to have been converted to Christianity by seeing a crucifix between the antlers of the deer he was hunting. It was introduced to England by the Normans, and can be found in medieval legend. In literature the name appears in the person of Eustace Clarence Scrubb in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia.
      The image of Eustace today is as sedate and stuffy as the monocled Eustace Tilly character on The New Yorker magazine covers. Its diminutive Stacy became a unisex hit.
  10. Halcyon
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "kingfisher bird"
    • Description:

      This highly unusual name -- the Halycyone was a mythic bird who could calm the seas -- conjures up images of utter peace and tranquility because of the phrase "Halycon days"...and the sleeping pill.
  11. Halsey
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "hallowed island"
    • Description:

      Although this was the surname of a rugged World War II admiral, these days it has a feminine feel.
  12. Havelock
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "sea competition"
    • Description:

      A name from medieval romance with an endearingly clunky sound, à la Sherlock. The most famous modern wearer was twentieth-century psychologist/sexologist Havelock (born Henry) Ellis.
  13. Ilya
    • Origin:

      Russian variation of Elijah
    • Meaning:

      "the Lord is my God"
    • Description:

      A rare example of an a-ending boy's name that sounds masculine, Ilya has a large measure of creative Slavic charm. >p>Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is the central character in Goncharov's novel "Oblomov." Unfortunately, he spends most of his life in his bathrobe and slippers.
  14. January
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "month name"
    • Description:

      Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name.
  15. Lyra
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lyre"
    • Description:

      Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's finding new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, seen in the movie The Golden Compass. Simple yet unique, Lyra hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.
  16. Morven
    • Origin:

      Scottish, poetic place-name
    • Description:

      In the Ossianic poems, Morven is the name of Fingal's kingdom. This name, borne by young Scottish actress Morven Christie, has a darkly intriguing quality to it.
  17. Sunday
    • Origin:

      Day name, English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "day of the Sun"
    • Description:

      Sunday is among the most usable of the day names with its sunny first syllable, its sweet sound, and its potential to be both a sassy or a spiritual choice. The name initially made headlines in 2008 when Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban chose it for their daughter, Sunday Rose. Although it had been widely written that Kidman and Urban named their baby after art patron Sunday Reed, Kidman says this was a myth, they just liked the name.
  18. Winter
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Fresher, brisker and, yes, cooler than Summer or Autumn or Spring, Winter is now a full-fledged female choice, especially since Nicole Richie and Joel Madden used it for daughter Harlow's middle name, and Gretchen Mol picked it as her daughter's first, as did media mogul Sean Parker. Winter continues to be the preferred spelling and has risen in popularity significantly over the past few years.