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Topanga
Native American
"where the mountain meets the sea"
Used for a free-spirited character on a 1990s sitcom, this name of a beautiful Southern California canyon does have an unconventional aura.
Morocco
African place-name
Morocco is an attractive and rhythmic name, evocative of such fabled cities as Casablanca, Tangier and Marrakesh, in a country whose unique landscape and rich culture attracted such twentieth century…
Liliosa
Spanish
"lily"
Liliosa, one of the most extravagant forms of the ever-more-popular and varied Lily family, is an ancient saint's name that's a perfect candidate for revival by parents who love the double-L flower…
Ceil
Short form of Cecilia or Celia
"blind or heavenly"
With the growing popularity of Celia and Cecilia, this vintage canasta-playing nickname name could be due for a comeback. Ceil had a few years of recorded popularity in the first decade of the…
Cia
English or Swedish diminutive of Cynthia, Greek, or Cecilia, Latin
"moon goddess, woman from Kynthos; blind"
What's Cia short for? Cynthia or most any other C -name. Stylish in its sleek Mia-Nia minimalist feel, but may remind some of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Chandra
Hindi
"goddess of the moon"
Chandra is the name of the Hindu moon goddess last groovy when incense and meditation were hot new concepts but a new possibility with the resurgence of astrology and other non-Western spiritual…
Fifer
Scottish occupational name
"piper"
This musical choice fits right in with all the new hard-working Millers and Gardeners. It's also a Scottish demonym, referring to an inhabitant of the historic Scottish county of Fife.
Coralia
Romanian, Italian, Galician and Spanish variation of Coralie, French from Latin
"coral"
Coralia was the name of a dancing mermaid in a 19th century ballet. As Cora — which has another root and means maiden — rises, so may elaborations and related names such as Coralie, Coraline, and…
Jessamy
English, variation of Jessamine
"jasmine flower"
Jessamy and big sister Jessamine are all but unknown in the U.S., but make distinctive alternatives to overexposed Jessica, Jessie, and Jasmine.
Madrigal
Latin
"song for unaccompanied voices"
Madrigal might be a pretty and highly distinctive choice for a child of a musical family--or for the parent looking for a less conventional path to the nickname Maddie than Madeline or Madison .…
Venetia
Italian place-name
Venetia, the name of the region encompassing Venice, has a radiant, picturesque authenticity, as do the related Venezia and Venice. Venetia is the title of a novel by Benjamin Disraeli centering on…
Cathal
Irish
"battle rule"
The name of an ancient Irish saint is in the contemporary Irish Top 50. While it's one of the rare Irish names for boys that hasn't immigrated to the U.S., it may follow brothers Aidan and Declan to…
Thibault
French from German
"courageous people"
Pronounced TEE-bow, this version, which is also a very common surname in France, has a lot more charm than the name it derives from — Theobald. A variant spelling is Thibaut. Trivia tidbit:…
Thoreau
French
"strength of a bull"
A dashing French surname name most famously borne by Henry David Thoreau, an American naturalist, writer and philosopher who influenced such notable figures as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin…
Amal
Arabic
"hope, inspiration"
Amal is an attractive name with a wonderful meaning that has long been used in many Middle Eastern countries, especially Lebanon (and migrant communities). It is of course getting a lot more coverage…
Rashid
Arabic
"righteous, rightly advised"
This is a widely used Arabic choice — but Rashad is more popular here. Actress Rashida Jones represents the feminine version.
Ligeia
Greek
"clear-voiced, whistling"
One of the Sirens in Greek mythology, Ligeia was also the title character in an Edgar Allan Poe story. The mythological Ligeia was half-bird, half-woman. Spelling may also be Lygeia or Ligia.
Aubria
English variation of Aubrey
"elf ruler"
A rarely used elaboration of Aubrey.
Yvonna
Yvonna is a feminine name with Slavic and French influences, serving as a variation of Yvonne. While Yvonne derives from the masculine name Yves (meaning 'yew tree'), Yvonna emerged particularly in…
Xorge
Xorge is a creative variation of the name Jorge, which is the Spanish equivalent of George. The distinctive 'X' spelling gives this traditional name a modern, edgy quality while maintaining the…
