Our Favorite Names

Searching for our child's name has been a fun and interesting journey. Here are our favorites. Many our based on our families and culture. I am Black and my Husband is Bulgarian. So we want our children's names to reflect both.
  1. Alexander
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree.
  2. Arthur
    • Origin:

      Celtic
    • Meaning:

      " bear"
    • Description:

      Arthur, once the shining head of the Knights of the Round Table, is, after decades of neglect, now being polished up and restored by stylish parents, inspired perhaps by the new generation of royals. Arthur has led the list of possible names for the young British princes, chosen as a middle name for Prince Louis, son of William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales.
  3. Elias
    • Origin:

      Greek variation of Elijah, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Yahweh is God"
    • Description:

      Strong, charismatic, and sleek, Elias has followed in the footsteps of Elijah and Eli to become a popular choice among parents today.
  4. Elizabeth
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Elizabeth is one of the most popular girls' names of all time, the female equivalent of James or William. Yet Elizabeth has so much going for it—rich history, broad appeal, and timeless style—that no matter how many little girls are named Lizzie, Eliza, and Beth, you can still make Elizabeth your own.
  5. Ellis
    • Origin:

      English surname derived from Elijah or Elias or Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "benevolent"
    • Description:

      Ellis is a former Old Man Name turned gender-neutral choice for the 21st century. It's one of the less used names in the currently popular El-family.
  6. Emiradian
    • Elora
      • Emerald
        • Ivan
          • Origin:

            Russian variation of John
          • Meaning:

            "God is gracious"
          • Description:

            Though some might find it a bit heavy-booted, Ivan is one of the few Russian boys' names to become fully accepted into the American naming pool.
        • Lillie
          • Origin:

            Spelling variation of Lily/ Lilian
          • Description:

            A variation of Lileas and Lilian.
        • Laila/Leila/
          • Liora
            • Maikay
              • Naomi
                • Origin:

                  Hebrew
                • Meaning:

                  "pleasantness"
                • Description:

                  Naomi was once a primarily Jewish name from the Old Testament that referenced the mother-in-law of Ruth. Because of this, it is a symbolic name given to girls on Shavuot when the story of Ruth is read in the synagogue.
              • Naveen
                • Origin:

                  Hindi
                • Meaning:

                  "new"
                • Description:

                  Naveem, which is also spelled Navim, is a traditional Arabic name that also has the sheen of modernity. It was introduced to a wider audience via Prince Naveen, the charming (if opportunistic), free-spirited royal of an unnamed European principality in Disney's animated 2009 Princess and the Frog, who wins the heart of Princess Tiana.
              • Nigel
                • Origin:

                  Irish
                • Meaning:

                  "dark, black-haired"
                • Description:

                  A name that Yanks might see as overly British, but combined with the right surname, it does have a measure of Sherlock Holmesian dash via Nigel Bruce, who played the original Dr. Watson to Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes.
              • Olivia
                • Origin:

                  Latin
                • Meaning:

                  "olive tree"
                • Description:

                  Olivia, a lovely Shakespearean name with an admirable balance of strength and femininity, is the Number 1 name for baby girls in the US and one of the top girls' names around the world.
              • Sidney
                • Origin:

                  French
                • Meaning:

                  "Saint Denis"
                • Description:

                  While Sidney in this spelling has a long history as a girls' name, it fell off the Top 1000 from the early 50s until 1990. Then it reemerged as one of the newly chic androgynous names for girls, rising into the Top 300 before falling off the Top 1000 list again in 2016. Sydney is now the more fashionable form.
              • Vera
                • Origin:

                  Russian
                • Meaning:

                  "faith"
                • Description:

                  Vera was the height of fashion in 1910, then was for a long time difficult to picture embroidered on a baby blanket. Now, though, it has come back into style along with other old-fashioned simple names such as Ada and Iris.