Great Names That I Want To Remember

Jacobina

English, Scottish, and Dutch feminization of Jacob, Hebrew

"supplanter"

Another, more feminine, female form of Jacob sometimes heard in Scotland.

Dania

Italian, diminutive of Daniela, Arabic

"God is my judge; close, near"

Dania is a fun, offbeat name with international flair that would be a wonderful choice to honor a Danielle, Daniel, or a Dana. It is both an Italian diminutive of Daniela and a spelling variation of…

Alexane

French variation of Alexandra

"defending men"

This unusual form of Alexandra might be seen and pronounced as a combination of Alex and Anne.

Lourdes

Spanish, Portuguese, from French, meaning unknown

This name of the French town where a young peasant girl had a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1858 vaulted into the spotlight when Madonna chose it for her daughter, but few other families except for…

Ophelie

French variation of Ophelia

"help"

Though this name properly takes an accent over the first e, most Americans would probably have trouble pronouncing it with French elan. Ophelie is the title of a Rimbaud poem, Ophelie Davis is a…

Gwyneira

Welsh

"white snow"

An unusual Gwyn name with a lovely meaning, this compound name pairs Gwyn with the name Eira, meaning "snow". A relatively modern creation, it remains very rare.

Ngaio

Maori

"reflections on the water"

New Zealand writer Ngaio (born Edith Ngaio) Marsh is the best-known bearer of this Maori nature name, properly pronounced ng (like the end of sing) -EYE-oh. It is the name of a tree indigenous to New…

Nereida

Greek

"sea nymph"

More intriguing than the more familiar form Nerida, this name is perfect for a beach baby, or a baby born under a water sign.

Audrin

Audrin is a feminine name with several possible origins. It may be a variant of Audrey (meaning 'noble strength') or a feminine form of Audwin (meaning 'old friend'). The name has Germanic roots but…

Aravis

Literary name and place-name

Aravis was the name of a female character in C.S. Lewis's A Horse and His Boy , and is also the name of a mountain range in southern France. With the rise of Ava, Avery, and indeed seemingly all…

Isobel

Scottish variation of Isabel

"pledged to God"

The Scottish spelling of Isabel has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength but also an element of confusion. How do you pronounce that? Answer: Exactly like…

Asya

Turkish; Russian and Bulgarian diminutive of Anastasia

"Asia; resurrection"

Asya has dual origins: it is both the Turkish word for Asia (the continent), and a short form of Anastasia in Russian and Bulgarian. Beyond that, it is a beautiful example of a "travelling light"…