The oldest-known form of Mary, serious and solemn Miriam has been a particular favorite of observant Jewish parents. But we can see it extending beyond that sphere into the next wave of Old Testament names post-Rachel, Rebecca, Sarah, Hannah, and Leah. Miriam is currently the Number 1 girls' name in Israel.

Spelling variations rise and fall with the fortunes of the name they're based on, and so it is with Robyn, which ranked as high as the Top 200 from the late 1960s through the early 80s, but has dropped from national ranking in the past decade. The original Robin is making something of a comeback...as a boys' name.