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Timon
Greek
"reward, honor"
Kids would be more likely to associate this name with the hyperactive meercat in "The Lion King" than with the ancient Greek philosopher or Shakespearean character, which could cause playground…
Annalie
Nordic, German
"grace"
Melodious and unusual form of a name with an uncountable number of variations. Many will understand it as the more down-to-earth Annalee.
Timo
Norwegian, Finnish, German, and Dutch variation of Timothy
"honoring God"
Popular in its own right in Germany and definitely makes a more intriguing and grownup short form of the classic Timothy than Timmy or even Tim.
Espen
Scandinavian
"god bear"
Strong and unusual Scandinavian name, but with two possible pitfalls: people might mis-hear it as Aspen, or associate it with sports network ESPN. Variants include Esper and Esben.
Larkin
Irish
"rough, fierce"
The additional syllable makes Lark a masculine surname name, borne by poet Philip Larkin.
Emilian
Romanian form of Emil
"rival"
With the new trend of boys' names rising on the heels of their popular sisters, the unusual-yet-familiar-feeling Emilian might become better known thanks to its relationship to Emily and…
Niels
Danish variation of Nicholas; Dutch diminutive of Cornelius
Gives middle-aged Neil a new lease on life.
Faber
Faber is a distinguished masculine name with Latin origins meaning 'craftsman' or 'artisan.' This occupational surname has transitioned to occasional use as a first name, carrying connotations of…
Benning
German
"son of Bernhard"
Conjures up the military image of Fort Benning in Georgia — or the surname of actress Annette.
Eachann
Irish
"keeper of horses; brown horse"
Authentic Gaelic name with pronunciation problems in the US. In Scotland Eachann has been anglicized as Hector, not because of its sound, but because the Trojan hero Hector had the reputation as a…
Anwen
Welsh
"very fair, beautiful"
Anwen is one of the simplest and best of the classic Welsh girls' names, more unusual than Bronwen but with the same serene feel.
Phineas
English, Egyptian
"the Nubian, the bronze-colored one"
Phineas is the English variation of Phinehas, a Hebrew name likely derived from the Egyptian name Pa-nehasi. Pa-nehasi, meaning "the Nubian" can also be translated as "the bronze-colored one." The…
Aderyn
Welsh
"bird"
Derived from the Welsh word for bird, this name might just be ready to have her moment: a nature-connected meaning, a fantastical air, a way to nickname Addie, and a similar style to Elowen, Arwen,…
Iselin
This first name of a Norwegian supermodel has no known meaning of its own and is most closely related to Isleen, which is a variation of the Celtic Aislin or Ashling.
Tanwen
Welsh
"holy fire"
Tanwen is a far more singular and colorful alternative to Bronwen.
Phaedra
Greek
"bright"
This name of a tragic figure in Greek mythology, the daughter of King Minos, sister of Ariadne and wife of Theseus, has a mysterious and intriguing appeal, and would make a dramatic choice. Phaedra…
Tanwyn
Welsh
"white fire"
Tanwyn is a modern Welsh name that can work for either sex depending on the spelling -- wyn is the traditional boys' spelling, while wen as in Tanwen is the girls' version. Famous bearers include…