Characters

  1. Canyon
    • Origin:

      Spanish word name
    • Description:

      Rugged nature name with possibilities...but more for boys.
  2. Carmen
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Carmel or Latin
    • Meaning:

      "garden or song"
    • Description:

      Carmen has long been associated with the sensuous, tragic heroine of Bizet's opera, based on a novel by Prosper Merimee; more recently it has called to mind two other bombshells: Carmen Miranda (born Maria) and Carmen Electra (born Tara), as well as the great jazz singer Carmen McRae. In the celebrity baby name world, this classic Spanish name for girls was used by Hilaria and Alec Baldwin for their oldest daughter.
  3. Cedar
    • Origin:

      English and French from Latin tree name
    • Meaning:

      "cedar tree"
    • Description:

      A fresh and fragrant nature name, Cedar is one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider. A unisex option, for every one girl called Cedar, there are currently two boys. Nevertheless, its similarity to Selah, Celia, Freda, Sailor, and Ida could mean it doesn't feel out of place on any gender.
  4. Cerulean
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Meaning:

      "deep sky-blue"
    • Description:

      This vivid sky blue color name is at present used mostly for boys, but it is used in such small numbers that it could easily work on any gender. Whimsical and magical, but reminiscent of more established names, such as Ocean, Elowen, Seraphine, and Celestine, Cerulean might just make more appearances in coming years.
  5. Cypress
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Lovely entry into the tree name genre, joining Juniper, Oak, and Willow.
  6. Ebony
    • Origin:

      English
    • Description:

      An attractive and now underused nature name belonging to a tree whose wood is prized for its dark color and dense texture, which shines when polished. Ebony joined the most popular girl names list in the US in the early 1970s, peaked in 1982 at #132, and dropped back below the Top 1000 in 2006.
  7. Ember
    • Origin:

      French variation of Amber
    • Description:

      Unlike Amber, which is in decline, this name still has a bit of a glow left -- though confusions between the two will inevitably arise.
  8. Ever
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "always, eternally, constantly"
    • Description:

      A simple, unusual word name with an evocative meaning, Ever feels similar enough to Eva, Evelyn, and Everly that it shifts easily into name territory. Actor Robert Carradine was ahead of the trends when he named his now grown-up actress daughter Ever back in the 70s, while more recently, it was used by both Milla Jovovich and Owain Yeoman.
  9. Forrest
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the woods"
    • Description:

      Forrest is one of the earliest appealingly sylvan, outdoorsy choices, borne by newsman Sawyer, actor Whitaker, and football Hall of Famer Gregg. Forrest Gates was a character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
  10. Faye
    • Ginger
      • Origin:

        English diminutive
      • Description:

        Originally a unisex nickname for a redhead -- red hair is called "ginger" in Britain -- or for the name Virginia, Ginger perennially wears pink gingham and spike heels.
    • Glenn
      • Origin:

        Scottish
      • Meaning:

        "valley"
      • Description:

        Glenn appealed to a lot of post-World War II parents for its cool, leafy image, also calling up the Big Band sounds of Glenn Miller and the calm, composed image of actor Glenn Ford, whose name at birth was the Welsh Gwyllyn. It could possible be in line for a comeback in the more nature-evoking spelling of Glen, as used by Glen Campbell, or possibly even the Welsh Glyn.
    • Harley
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "the long field"
      • Description:

        Once a macho biker name, Harley is now showing its softer side. In the UK, Harley is predominantly masculine, but it's currently more popular for girls than boys in the US.
    • Hayden
      • Origin:

        English place name
      • Meaning:

        "hay hill; hay valley"
      • Description:

        A newly successful name for girls, which, like Brayden and Caden, used to be strictly for the boys. Young Heroes and now Nashville star Hayden Panettiere planted it in the girls' camp.
    • Hazel
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "the hazelnut tree"
      • Description:

        Hazel has a pleasantly hazy, brownish-green-eyed, old-fashioned image that more and more parents are choosing to share. Former Old Lady name Hazel reentered the popularity lists in 1998 and now is near the top of the charts.
    • Hunter
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "one who hunts"
      • Description:

        Hunter has been dropping a bit for the past few years but is still one of the leaders of a distinctive band of boys' names that combines macho imagery (Hunter, Austin, Harley) with a softened masculinity. Hunter was for years attached to gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson; Josh Holloway used it for his son.
    • Indigo
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "Indian dye"
      • Description:

        Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from plants native to India, is particularly striking for both girls and boys. Indigo is the name of a character in the Ntozake Shange novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, and was used for his daughter by Lou Diamond Phillips.
    • Jessie
      • Origin:

        Anglicized form of Teasagh or diminutive of Jessica, Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "behold or wealthy"
      • Description:

        Jessie has never been used as much as Jennie/Jenny, partly because it's a boys’ name as well (spelled Jesse), but it does have a friendly and unpretentious pioneer feel. In Scotland, it's found as an Anglicized form of Teasagh, itself a form of Jean, and is used as a full name. And in the rest of the world, Jessie may be short for Jessica or used on its own.
    • Jinx
      • Origin:

        Word name
      • Meaning:

        "spell, curse, bringer of bad luck"
      • Description:

        Jinx, a James Bond heroine name has an ominous meaning but kinetic energy. In the film "Die Another Day," the actual first name of the character played by Halle Berry is Giacinta. It could therefore be a playful nickname to Ginevra, Jessica, Genevieve, Gianna, Josephine, or Georgina, or a bold choice for those wanting some sparky and witchy.
    • Juniper
      • Origin:

        Latin tree name
      • Meaning:

        "young"
      • Description:

        Juniper is a fresh-feeling nature name -- it's a small evergreen shrub -- with lots of energy. A new favorite of fashionable parents, Juniper joins such other tree and shrub names as Hazel, Acacia, and Willow.