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Old Names
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Yale
Welsh
"fertile upland"
An appellation that couldn't be more Ivy League or sound less Welsh. The name of the University is taken from the surname of college benefactor Elihu Yale. In the movie Manhattan , Yale Pollack is…
Corisande
Greek
"chorus-singer"
Corisande is a very unusual, haunting choice, with the aura of medieval romance--it is found in early Spanish romantic tales, arriving in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. 'La…
Orpah
Hebrew
"fawn or gazelle"
Old Testament name of the daughter-in-law of Naomi, now eclipsed by the originally misspelled Oprah. Oprah Winfrey may have made her name more famous than this original Biblical version, but no baby…
Osmond
English
"divine protection"
Once too tightly tied to the aging musical clan featuring Donny and Marie, Osmond may now be able to escape that association and join the cooler group of Os and Oz names, which include Osgood, Ozias,…
Maribel
English combination of Mary and Bel, or Spanish short form of María Isabel, "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + beautiful"
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + beautiful"
This modern name gathers some steam from the wildly popular Isabel. The meaning of Mary is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter"…
Alvar
German
"elf warrior"
This name woould be hard to picture in a contemporary kindergarten, though it does have some cultural cred via Finnish architect and furniture designer Alvar Aalto. Aalto would actually make a more…
Horatia
Latin feminine variation of Horatio
Has the fusty charm of recently excavated ancient Roman male names like Augustus and Magnus, which might just appeal to the fearless baby namer.
Oswald
English
"divine power"
Despite the success of so many O-starting boys names --Oliver, Owen, Otis, Oscar--Oswald has not yet shown any signs of resurrection, though he does have the animating nicknames Ozzie/Ozzy and Oz.…
Naamah
Hebrew
"sweetness, grace, beauty"
Interesting Old Testament name that embraces many traditional female attributes; also name of a place in the Jordan Valley. In the Bible, a daughter of King Ammon and wife of Solomon.
Elisveta
Elisveta appears to be a variant or alternate transliteration of Elizaveta, the Russian form of Elizabeth. The name ultimately derives from Hebrew Elisheva, meaning 'God is my oath' or 'God is…
Candace
Latin
"white, pure, sincere"
Candace, an ancient title of a dynasty of Ethiopian queens mentioned in the New Testament, is associated both with actress Candice Bergen and Sex and the City writer Candace Bushnell. Both spellings…
Candice
English variation of Candace, Latin
"white, pure, sincere"
Candice is the spelling of this ancient name used by actress Candice Bergen. Candice is a form of Candace, an ancient title of a dynasty of Ethiopian queens mentioned in the New Testament. A few…
Acton
English
"village with oak trees"
This name's buttoned-up British vibe is what makes it cool - that, and the fact that it was chosen by Anne Bronte as her pseudonym - Acton Bell. That's quite the literary - and may we add feminist -…
Isobel
Scottish variation of Isabel
"pledged to God"
The Scottish spelling of Isabel has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength but also an element of confusion. How do you pronounce that? Answer: Exactly like…
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.…
Frasier
Variation of Fraser, Scottish
"strawberry"
Although Fraser is the more common (and original) form of this surname, Frasier is perhaps more familiar in the US thanks to the eponymous sitcom. Kelsey Grammer portrayed psychiatrist Frasier Crane…
Gilbert
German
"shining pledge"
Considered ultra debonair in the silent-movie era, Gilbert then went through a nerdy phase, a la Gilbert Gottfried. Now though, like Albert and Alfred and Walter and Frank, it could be in for a style…
Otelia
Otelia is a feminine name with Germanic roots, derived from the elements 'aud' meaning 'wealth, fortune' or 'prosperity.' It's a variant of Odelia or Ottilia, names that have been used since medieval…
Roald
Norwegian
"famous ruler"
This intriguing Scandinavian name is associated with Roald Dahl, author of the juvenile classics James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . You can honor an ancestral Ronald…
Agapi
Greek
"love, affection"
Agapi has a sweet meaning of love and affection, but though this name is used in modern Greece, it's one of the Greek names for girls that has not yet emigrated to the US along with so many of her…