User-created list
By ratling · Updated December 2022
Across 10 pages
of 10
Welsh
"white breast"
One of the loveliest of the Welsh names , striking the perfect balance between being familiar and unusual. In Wales, the female spelling is always Bronwen, but Americans usually see a "y" as adding…
Italian
"joyous"
In music, the term allegro means "quickly, lively tempo," which makes this quintessential Bohemian ballet dancer's name all the more appealing. Allegra is one of the most distinctive yet accessible…
Hebrew
"God will judge"
Dinah is a charming, underused Old Testament name with a rich literary and musical resume. In the Old Testament, Dinah was the beautiful daughter of Jacob and Leah and while some conflate her with…
Spanish for Greek flower name
"hyacinth"
Jacinta, the Spanish word for hyacinth, is a lot softer and sweeter than the English version. The correct Spanish pronunciation is ha-SEEN-ta, though many English speakers would say ja-SIN-ta.…
Latin
"citizen of Rome"
He was the original Roman, Remus's twin and a founder of Rome. But parents attracted to this name are advised to read the legend first. Romulus does have some less than savory characteristics,…
"female warrior"
J.K. Rowling is a modern master of naming who brought a whole constellation of ancient and celestial names to modern parents. Bellatrix, of one of the stars of Orion, combines fashionable names Bella…
"famous warrior"
This name is a classic example of an underused golden oldie that ticks so many boxes - unusual yet traditional, heaps of cute nicknames, a statement name that exudes retro cool. Aloysius is the Latin…
Dutch and German variation of Casper and Jasper, Persian
"keeper of the treasure"
After half a century, this otherwise feasible name has at last started to lose its link to the friendly ghost; it certainly didn't scare model Claudia Schiffer, who chose it for her son, as did…
Astronomy, Arabic
"foot, leg"
This might sound and look like a blend of Ryan, Riley, and Nigel, but it is in fact the name of the seventh brightest star in the sky. Found in the constellation of Orion, its name comes from the…
Latin, meaning unknown
Remus is one of the legendary twins who, with brother Romulus, founded Rome. An unusual yet classic name for the extremely adventurous who can put aside the stereotyped image of Uncle Remus. Though…
Diminutive of Susan and Suzanne, English, French
"lily"
An energetic, charmingly retro nickname, Suzy and all her sisters are off their fashion peak but will rise again around the middle of this century. The Z forms, Suzy and Suzie, are usually short for…
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…
Greek
"master planner"
Archimedes of Syracuse was a famous Ancient Greek thinker, especially in the fields of mathematics and sciences. He made important contributions to geometry and calculus. His name was a perfect…
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…
German
"horse protection"
This lovely, quintessentially British appellation, also spelled Rosamond, is the name of a legendary twelfth-century beauty. Rare on these shores, it is more than worthy of importation. There was a…
English, feminine variation of Thomas, Aramaic
"twin"
Pre-Thomasina female form of Thomas, now seen as more literary and upscale British. In Thomas Hardy's novel The Return of the Native, a leading character is Thomasin Yeobright.
Nature name
Nickname name from the era of Father Knows Best , though we can see it making something of a comeback, a la Clover and Pippa. Cricket has new potential especially since it has recently been chosen by…
"white ring, circle"
Gwendolen, an ancient Welsh favorite, retired decades ago in favor of the short form Gwen, but now, as in the case all across the naming board, the nickname has faded and the more distinguished…
"highest, supreme"
Hypatia, an ancient Greek name, has a distinguished namesake: Hypatia of Alexandria was an early philosopher and scholar of mathematics and astronomy. Fittingly, the name derives from the Greek…
Bronwen is widespread in Wales, but still rare enough here to sound somewhat international — we think Bronwen is a real winner. (Note: the Bronwyn spelling is an Anglicization, since the -wyn ending…
