What About?

Nadine

French variation of Nadia, Russian

"hope"

Part of the vogue for French-sounding names in the 1920s and 30s, Nadine has been replaced by the Russian sound of Nadia and Natasha.

Desdemona

Greek

"ill-starred"

Desdemona is as Shakespearean as a name can be, but because the beautiful and innocent wife of Othello came to such a tragic end, her name has been avoided for centuries. But at this point in time,…

Tamora

Meaning unknown, possibly from Tomyris, Persian

"family"

Attractive name associated both with a queenly character who meets a very grisly end in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus and popular teen fantasy novelist Tamora Pierce. Shakespearean puns in the name…

Liesl

German diminutive of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Sweet but sleek, and distinctive, Liesl is an old German nickname-name for Elisabeth. It might have once seemed inextricably tied to to its country of origin, but now, like Elsa, Enzo, Saoirse,…

Mirinda

Mirinda is a feminine name with a melodic quality that appears in several language traditions. In Esperanto, it literally means "wonderful" or "amazing," derived from the verb "miri" (to wonder).…

Darya

Russian or Persian, variation of Daria or feminine form of Darius

"kingly; possessing goodness; the sea"

The beguiling Darya is the name of a character in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. As a Russian name, it's a spelling variation of Daria, while in Iran, it's a girl's name that means "the sea".

Cerise

French

"cherry"

Infinitely preferable to the tease-inspiring English version of the word.

Genna

Genna is a feminine name with Italian origins, serving as a diminutive form of Giovanna, the Italian equivalent of Jane or Joan. Ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan meaning 'God is…

Tatiana

Russian, from Latin family name Tatius, meaning unknown

Classic yet spritely, Tatiana has long been familiar and popular in Russia and Eastern Europe, though it wasn't until the 80s that it caught on in the English-speaking world. With short forms Tiana,…

Kala

Tamil; Hawaiian

"Virtue; princess"

Cenaida

Cenaida is a feminine name with Latin and Greek origins, likely a variant of Zenaida or Ceneida. The name traces back to Zeus (Zenas in its genitive form), the supreme deity in Greek mythology.…

Nevada

Spanish place-name

"covered in snow"

Named for its snowcapped mountains, Nevada is a state name which, unlike Carolina, Montana, and Dakota, has been relatively undiscovered. Warning: today's unvisited place-name could become tomorrow's…

Avila

German

"desired; or island, water"

An unusual and appealing name that is the origin of Evelyn, via the Norman French name Aveline. It derives from an obscure Germanic root, the meaning of which is not clear. Theories include "desired,…

Shire

Shire is a feminine name with English origins, derived directly from the geographical term for a traditional county division in England. The word comes from Old English 'scir' meaning 'district' or…

Raisa

Russian; Yiddish; Arabic

"easygoing; rose; leader"

Known in America via the wife of Soviet head Mikhail Gorbachev; a possibility for parents of Eastern-European descent wanting to move beyond Natasha and Nadia or for parents from the Middle East…

Deirdre

Irish

"sorrowful"

Sadly, this strong Celtic name often has "of the sorrows" attached to it because of the tragic character in Irish legend. Also a bit drab when compared with newer Irish imports.

Jubilee

Hebrew

"ram's horn"

Jubilee has a joyous and jubilant aura, but it wouldn't be an easy name to carry, what with all that pressure to be a living, breathing, 24-7 party. Jubilee was the name selected by television's…