Whimsical Winsome Names

Dominie

Dominie is an uncommon masculine name with Scottish and Dutch connections. Historically, it was used as a title for schoolmasters or ministers in Scotland, derived from the Latin 'dominus' meaning…

Esca

Gaelic

"water"

The name Esca appears in Rosemary Sutcliff's 1954 historical adventure novel The Eagle of the Ninth , which is set in 2nd century Roman Britain. Esca is the name of a freed slave who accompanies his…

Finnick

Literary invention

Finnick has risen to prominence as a first name via The Hunger Games , in which Finnick Odair was a winner of the games. A wearable literary creation, Finnick was given to 136 boys in the US in a…

Harbor

Word name

If you like names that are not really names -- some say, the wave of the future -- Harbor has an attractive sound as well as an appealing meaning and image.

Indigo

Greek

"Indian dye"

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…

Lysander

Greek

"liberator"

Lysander is a distinctive Greek name that could be thought of as a more creative cousin of Alexander. In ancient history, Lysander was the name of an esteemed Spartan naval commander and his literary…

Nickleby

English

"Nicholas's village"

Charming Dickensian route to Nick.

Pippin

Variation of Pepin

"awe-inspiring"

Super-sweet name that was the title of a Broadway play -- but best known as a type of apple. The Dutch variation is Pepijn is finding some popularity in that country, where short nickname names are…

Ripley

English

"strip of clearing in the woods"

The "Believe It or Not" jokes will get old fast, but this surname feels fun and on-trend for both girls and boys, reminiscent of Riley, Tripp, Bridger, and Oakley. Deriving from the Old English…

Roux

French from Latin

"russet"

Roux is the name of the dashing Johnny Depp character in Chocolat . Roux is French from a Latin word meaning russet or brownish red; it's also a cooking term for a mixture of flour and butter that…

Sasha

Russian diminutive of Alexander

"defending men"

The energetic Russian nickname name Sasha is being used increasingly on its own, though since the prominence of the First Daughter, more than 90% of the American babies named Sasha are girls. Sacha…

Severin

French variation of Severus; Latin

"stern, serious"

Severin is an ancient Roman family name borne by several early saints. It's still alive throughout Europe, and could be ready for import here. Severin Winter is a wrestling prodigy character in John…

Theon

Greek

"godly"

Theon, an ancient name attached to a noted Greek teacher of mathematics and astronomy, also father to the first woman mathematician, might appeal to parents in this field. You can think of Theon as…

Winter

Word name

The girls have dibs on Spring, Summer, and Autumn, leaving this name evocative of snowy landscapes as the one possible seasonal choice for boys. And naturally, it's one of the most obvious names for…

Rain

Nature name

Mostly feminine, though "Office" star Rainn Wilson gives it a slight masculine twist. You might also use this as a short form of Raines.