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Emlyn
Variation of Emmeline or Emmalyn, or from Welsh
"rival; round the valley"
As a girl name, Emlyn is likely to be a contracted form of Emmeline or Emmalyn, appealing to those who like drop the middle sound of the aforementioned names, and want something concise, stripped…
Diggory
French
"Lost one"
This buoyant name has the same bouncy rhythm as Rafferty and Barnaby, but is virtually unused. It has plenty of literary cred, too: characters in The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and Thomas…
Hamill
English
"scarred"
Though we usually think a name's image in contemporary culture supersedes its ancient meaning, this is a case where the definition could undermine a child's self-esteem.
Leviathan
Hebrew
"twisted, coiled; in modern Hebrew - whale"
Leviathan was a name given to 76 boys in the USA in 2021. It makes a rather unusual Biblical choice, being the name not of a man or angel, but of a sea monster. In literature and popular culture, the…
Naphtali
Hebrew
"wrestling, struggling"
Rarely used biblical choice -- he's a son of Jacob -- with a bit of a white-bearded image.
Bloodrayne
Video game name
BloodRayne is a series of action-adventure video games, but the heroine's name is actually Rayne, a much more usable appellation for a non-vampire, non-animated child. We hope no-one uses this for…
Claudia
Feminine variation of Claude
"lame; enclosure"
Claudia is a classic name with ancient Roman roots. Never truly in or truly out, Claudia feels like a strong, modern choice that hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.. Claudia was…
Meribah
Biblical place name, Hebrew
"quarreling"
Though this Biblical place name is found among early American settlers, usually as a male name, today it sounds completely feminine. As a place name, its gender is mutable in any case. An unusual and…
