User-created list
Old Names
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Mercy
English word name
"compassion"
The quality of mercy makes this lovely Puritan virtue name a quiet favorite today. Although it was most popular in the late nineteenth century, Mercy is on its way to a comeback -- it rose 143 spots…
Odette
French, from German
"wealthy"
Odette is the good swan in Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake , a role for which Natalie Portman won an Oscar ---and it would make a particularly sophisticated yet upbeat choice. In fact, it charted in…
Liora
Hebrew
"light"
A beautiful Hebrew name that would work perfectly for a child today.
Jethro
Hebrew
"excellence"
Jethro, though the biblical father-in-law of Moses, has suffered for a long time from a Beverly Hillbilly image, but some really adventurous parents might consider updating and urbanizing it and…
Cristobal
Spanish variation of Christopher
"bearer of Christ"
The first name of famed designer Balenciaga, was also the birth name of Christopher Columbus--aka Cristobal Colon. A name still well used in the Hispanic community.
Claes
Swedish and Dutch variation of Klaes, form of Nicholas
"victory of the people"
Pronounced klaus, this spelling of the name is associated in this country with the major Pop Art sculptor Swedish-born Claes Oldenburg, known for his colossal public sculptures of everyday objects…
Iefan
Iefan appears to be a variant spelling of Ieuan or Ifan, Welsh forms of John, ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan meaning "God is gracious." This uncommon name reflects Welsh naming…
Ferdinand
German
"bold voyager"
Ferdinand is a traditional name among Spanish royal families and also appears in Shakespeare's The Tempest , borne by the handsome young prince shipwrecked on Prospero's island. Bold, daring, and…
Conall
Irish
"strong as a wolf"
Too many Connors in your neighborhood? This name--spelled with one 'l' or two--is equally authentic and much more unusual.
Cortina
Cortina is a feminine name with multiple potential origins. It may derive from Italian, where it means 'curtain' or refers to Cortina d'Ampezzo, the famous resort town in northern Italy.…
Merry
English
"lighthearted, happy"
She'd better be. Merry is one of the classic names for Christmas babies .
Marjolie
Marjolie is a feminine name that appears to be a variant or elaboration of Marjorie, which derives from the medieval form of Margaret, meaning 'pearl.' With its French-sounding ending, Marjolie…
Perran
Cornish
"little dark one"
Also spelled as Piran, this Cornish saint's name is thought to have derived from the Irish Ciaran. Borne by a 5th-century monk who founded a monastery, it also appears as a place name in Cornwall, as…
Raeborn
Raeborn is a masculine name of Scottish origin, combining elements that suggest both light and birth or beginning. The first part 'Rae' likely derives from either the Old English word for a roe deer,…
Tricia
Diminutive of Patricia
"noble, patrician"
Back in Patricia's midcentury heyday, Patty/Patti was the plebeian nickname while Tricia/Trisha and Tish/Trish carried a snobby-yet-insubstantial image associated with then First Daughter Tricia…
Armida
Italian, literary name
Torquano Tasso likely invented this name for the magical enchantress who beguiles the crusaders in his celebrated poem Jerusalem Delivered. Armida is also the eponymous heroines of operas by Handel…
Ambrosine
Feminine form of Ambrose, Greek
"immortal"
This feminine form of Ambrose has not seem much use in the United States, but it does sometimes appear on the birth certificates of those from Cajun or Creole backgrounds. Ambrosine Phillpotts was a…
Bernadette
German
"brave as a bear"
Although feminizations ending in "ette" are not particularly popular now, Bernadette is a pleasant, feminine, but strong name that doesn't feel prohibitively dated. And though strongly associated…
Anahera
Maori
"angel"
This feminine name — simply "angel" imported into Māori phonology — is fresher than Angela and less Hollywood than Angelina.
Blanche
French
"white"
Blanche, which originated as a nickname for a pale blonde and then became associated with the notion of purity, was in style a century ago, ranking in the double digits until 1920. She then had to…