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By kassierose · Updated January 2022
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English, diminutive of Katherine
"pure"
Friendly mega-popular short form of Katherine that has definitively replaced Kathy, Katie is often given on its own. Going forward, though, Katie is more stylishly clipped itself to the grownup Kate.
English
"bird"
Birdie was until recently a middle-aged Ladies' Club member wearing a bird-decorated hat --but now it's just the kind of vintage nickname (think Hattie, Josie, Mamie, Millie) that's coming back into…
Sanskrit
"knowledge"
A name with religious resonance, as the Vedas are the most sacred texts of Hinduism. Outside of that religious context, Veda has the makings of a modern popular name , with its sharp V initial, two…
Diminutive of Olivia or Latin
"blue, envious"
Though it sounds like a chopped-off variation of Olivia, which means olive, the distinctively attractive Livia has been an independent name since the days of the ancient Romans, when it belonged to…
Feminine variation of Adrian
"man of Adria"
A popular spelling variation of Adriana.
French, from German
"wealthy"
Odette is the good swan in Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake , a role for which Natalie Portman won an Oscar ---and it would make a particularly sophisticated yet upbeat choice. In fact, it charted in…
Italian variation of Juliana
"youthful"
Italian names like Gianna, Giovanna, Ginevra, Giulia, and Giuliana are being used increasingly by trendy baby namers — whether they have Italian roots or not. The Gi standing in for the more…
Spanish, Brazillian, Greek
"excellent, best"
Likely a variation of the Spanish Aristea, combined with the popular -ella suffix, Aristella has its origins in Greek, drawn from the element aristos meaning "excellent" or "best". Predominantly used…
Short form of Isabelle or French
"beautiful"
Belle has nothing but positive associations, from "belle of the ball" to "Southern belle" to the heroine of Disney's Beauty and the Beast . As if this weren't enough good things, Belle is also one of…
Welsh
"white breast"
One of the loveliest of the Welsh names , striking the perfect balance between being familiar and unusual. In Wales, the female spelling is always Bronwen, but Americans usually see a "y" as adding…
Latin, feminine variation of Caius
"to rejoice"
Caia Caecilia was the Roman Goddess of fire and women. The name Caia would make a truly fresh alternative to the flagging Maya, with which it rhymes.
Spelling variation of Harley, English
"the long field"
This invented spelling is much less popular than its biker counterpart. Regardless, it entered the US Top 1000 since 2012 and hung on there for more than a decade.
Harlyn is a modern unisex name with flexible origins, though it's traditionally used more for boys. It likely developed as a combination of familiar name elements: 'Har' (as in Harold or Harrison,…
English botanical name
"small shrub"
This flower name was one of the most popular in her class in the seventies and eighties, a fact reflected in the 1989 movie Heathers , in which every snobby girl in the high school clique bears the…
Greek
"beautiful voice"
Original form of the more familiar Calliope, the muse of epic poetry. A calliope is a musical instrument sometimes called the steam organ, frequently found on carousels. With its rhythmic sound, this…
Slovak; Swedish; Serbian; Croatian; Slovenian, variation of Katherine
The Russian version of Katherine is usually Ekaterina, but this form is used throughout Eastern Europe and may be more friendly to the American ear.
Spelling variation of Caitlin
One of the most popular of the trendy Caitlin variations, Katelyn points directly to components Kate and Lyn --making it a bit more traditionally feminine.
Macedonian, Czech, Russian, Bulgarian, and Greek form of Katherine, Greek
Katerina and its near-identical twin Katarina have a pleasingly lilting European sound, though for some Americans they may be uncomfortably close to Katrina, which will be linked for a long time to…
Variation of Mason, English occupational name
"worker in stone"
Surname-style Mason, with a softened ending and an emphasis on the MAY sound that appears in Maeve, Maisie, Mabel, and of course, Mae itself. While Maysen is used for boys, in a recent year, it was…
"all honey"
Pam was a somewhat pampered prom queen of the sixties who was never called by her full name, which is a pity because Pamela is so mellifluous and rich in literary history. A Top 25 name from the late…
