cool names for characters

Eliott

Variation of Elliot, English diminutive of Elias

"Yahweh is God"

Eliott is traditionally a masculine name derived from Hebrew elements meaning 'the Lord is my God,' though this entry lists it as feminine. As a feminine name, it represents the growing trend of…

Elvira

Spanish

"white, fair"

Before there was the campy TV Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Elvira was the long-suffering wife of Don Juan, and remnants of those negative, gothic images still cling to it, though they are fading.…

Emmylou

English combination of Emmy + Lou

"work, universal + renowned warrior"

This name is closely identified with Emmylou Harris, the singer who gives dignity to an old-style combo name. There were over 60 baby girls named Emmylou in the US last year, due the the popularity…

Endellion

Cornish place and saint's name

"fire soul"

Endellion is the name of an early saint who was a daughter of King Brychan and goddaughter of King Arthur whose life is commemorated by the Cornish village of St. Endellion. This intriguing ancient…

Enya

Irish

"fire"

This phonetic Anglicization of the Irish name Eithne was made familiar by the single-named Irish singer and composer. St. Eithne was the daughter of a king and an early Irish convert to Christianity.

Epiphany

Word name, Greek

"manifestation, striking appearance"

Spiritual in multiple senses of the word, Epiphany has been given to a handful of girls since the late 1980s, peaking in 1988 when it was given to 55 babies, following the release of the movie Angel…

Fae

Spelling variation of Faye, English

"fairy"

Now that Faye is back on the Top 1000 after a decades-long absence, its spelling variations are being revived as well. Fae was given to nearly as many baby girls last year as Fay and may be…

Ffion

Welsh

"foxglove"

This unusual (to non-Welsh speakers) is near the top of the charts in Wales, carried by the recent taste for native Welsh names. Those in Wales say it's already on the way down, but for outsiders…

Fidelia

Latin

"faithful"

Fidelia stems from the Latin word Fides, meaning faith. It has the some root as the English word fidelity. Fidelia gained popularity in the mid-19th Century after Beethoven's opera "Fidelio" gave…

Finn

Irish

"white, fair"

The most enduringly popular hero of Irish myth was Finn McCool, whose name is one of the coolest ever. When used for the female protagonist of How to Make an American Quilt , Finn established its…

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.

Hereswith

Old English

"Strength of the army"

Hereswith is a rare name that comes to us from the dark ages. She was a Northumbrian saint, whose more famous sister, Hilda, was the Abbess at Whitby and patron of the first English poet, Caedmon.…

Imogen

Celtic

"maiden"

Imogen has long been fashionable in England and is gaining favor in the US among stylish parents. Pronounced the British way — the initial i is short as in Kim, as is the final E as in Ken — Imogen…

Jeanine

French variation of Jean

"God is gracious"

Together with the more common (in France) Jeannine spelling, this feminine form of Jean was most popular in the 1930s in its home country, and in the 1960s in the US. It's fallen off the Top 1000…

Lilias

Latin

"lily"

An unusual flower name deriving from the Latin word for lily (lilium), this variant has always been popular in Scotland.

Lorelle

English elaboration of Lora

Lorelei would make a cooler choice.

Lucida

Latin

"lucid, clear"

Pretty, delicate and crystal clear, with the readymade nickname of Lucy.