The "Just Can't Decide If I Like it or Not" List

Cecile

French feminine form of Cecil

"blind"

Cecile is a fairly common French saint's name, scattered throughout classic French literature--in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, in Balzac's Cousin Pons, and Zola's Germinal. Cecile, Cecily and Cecilia…

Enid

Welsh

"life, spirit"

This Celtic goddess and Arthurian name may sound terminally old-ladyish to many ears--but so did names like Ella and Etta not so long ago. So Enid is yet another forgotten four-letter E-possibility:…

Finola

Irish

"white shoulders"

Finola, the readily accessible version of some of the more problematic Gaelic versions of the name, would make a welcome addition to the stockpot of Irish girls' names.

Flannery

Irish

"descendant of Flannghal"

Long before the vogue of using Irish surnames for girls, writer Flannery O'Connor gave this one some visibility. It has a warm (flannelly) feel and the currently popular three-syllable ee-ending…

Franny

Latin, diminutive of Frances

"from France or free man"

If Frances and Fran are too serious for you, and Fanny too saucy, you might like Franny, still identified by some with J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey stories.

Marah

Bibical place-name

Marah is where the Israelites camped right after they walked through the parted Red Sea. Marah is related to Mara and has the same "bitter" meaning.

Marra

Marra is a feminine name with multiple potential origins. In Italian, it relates to the word for 'bitter' or may derive from place names in southern Italy. It also appears in Celtic traditions…

Marlo

English

"driftwood"

Marlo first came to prominence as a perky, pretty nickname name that seemed to have been invented by or for Marlo Thomas, who was born Margaret. But Marlow and Marlowe are English surnames meaning…

Neela

Hindi, Sanskrit

"sapphire blue"

A variation of Nila, a name spread through African by the substantial Indian population there. Also a variant of Neala and Neila.

Sandrine

French variation of Alexandra, Greek

"defending men"

Sophisticated French choice. Or toxic petrochemical, as Ross on Friends famously joked when Rachel suggested it for their fictional daughter.

Sandrina

Sandrina is a feminine name of Italian and Portuguese origin, functioning as a diminutive form of Sandra or Alessandra, which ultimately derive from Alexander, meaning 'defender of mankind.' The…