personal favorites

names that make me happy
  1. 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.
  2. Felix
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "happy, fortunate"
    • Description:

      Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks ranks with the standard Franks and Freds. Felix is also an international darling, ranking in the Top 100 in several European and English-speaking countries.
  3. Harrison
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of Harry"
    • Description:

      Harrison, a name made viable by Harrison Ford, is increasingly popular with parents who want an H name that's more formal than Harry or Hank but doesn't veer into the stiff Huntington-Harrington territory.
  4. Lydia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "woman from Lydia"
    • Description:

      Lydia is one of the first place names, after an area of Asia Minor whose inhabitants are credited with strong musical talent great wealth. Always among the US Top 1000 girl names, Lydia is a quietly fashionable classic.
  5. Moe
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Moses
    • Meaning:

      "delivered"
    • Description:

      If Gus and Max have made it, why not Moe? Can it be the lingering Three Stooges effect? We think that Moe, like Joe, is one of the friendliest and most open of regular guy nickname names and should get a little more attention.
  6. Percy
    • Origin:

      French surname from place name Perci-en-Auge
    • Description:

      Percy is an adorable old name that is finally shedding its pampered Little Lord Fauntleroy image in this new era of boys with soft yet traditionally male names like Jasper and Elijah. Originating as an aristocratic Norman name, Percy became fairly widespread in England--and to some extent in the US--as an offshoot of the fame of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
  7. Percy
    • Origin:

      French surname from place name Perci-en-Auge
    • Description:

      Percy is a traditional boys' name that could be cute and unexpected for a girl – perhaps as a short form for Persephone or Persis. Adventurous and literary Percy could follow in the footsteps of other boyish nicknames for girls, like Frankie and Charlie.
  8. Silas
    • Origin:

      Aramaic, Latin, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "of the forest; or prayed for"
    • Description:

      Sleek and smart, with a hint of mystique about it, Silas is a recent addition to the US Top 100. Both mythological and Biblical in origin, Silas joins the ranks of Isaiah, Atlas, Elias, and Sebastian: polished and contemporary feeling names with plenty of history.