Baby C

  1. Ambrose
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "immortal"
    • Description:

      Gentle but grandiose and beloved by British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose was a fast rising name in 2022. Entering the UK Top 1000 for the first time and proving popular among Nameberry users, its elegance, softness, and vintage style means it fits in with popular Theodore, Sebastian, and Jeremiah.
  2. Ananda
    • Origin:

      Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "bliss"
    • Description:

      Genuine Indian name some parents turn to as an Amanda alternative; also connected to a network of spiritual communities.
  3. Ansell
    • Arden
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "valley of the eagle; high"
      • Description:

        Arden, the name of the magical forest in Shakespeare's As You Like It, is a stylish A name with a strong, straightforward image. Another reason to love Arden: its similarity to "ardent." Arden is solidly unisex, with the current gender distribution running about 60 percent girls and 40 percent boys.
    • Ariadne
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "most holy"
      • Description:

        This name of the Cretan goddess of fertility is most popular now as the more melodic Ariana, but Ariadne has possibilities of its own. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. The renewed interest in the name falls in line with the revival of other mythological names like Apollo and Athena. The trendy nickname Ari doesn't hurt either.
    • Blake
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "fair-haired, dark"
      • Description:

        Blake -- an early unisex option -- dropped out of the Top 100 in 2017 for the first time since 1988, but remains a sophisticated choice. And yes, both conflicting meanings of Blake are accurate. It originated as a surname in England derived from a nickname. Much of its masculine image was influenced by the wealthy, silver-haired character Blake Carrington in the massively popular 80s TV series Dynasty. Rosie O'Donnell has a son named Blake.
    • Bryony
      • Origin:

        Latin flower name
      • Meaning:

        "to sprout"
      • Description:

        Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan novel Atonement is spelled Briony, which is the variation and Bryony the original.
    • Carys
      • Origin:

        Welsh
      • Meaning:

        "love"
      • Description:

        Familiar in Wales and England, this name was introduced to America when Welsh-born Catherine Zeta-Jones and husband Michael Douglas chose it for their daughter in 2003. Light, pretty, and distinctive in appearance, it didn't catch on in the US, where it was only given to 22 girls in 2023.
    • Cypress
      • Origin:

        Nature name
      • Description:

        Lovely entry into the tree name genre, joining Juniper, Oak, and Willow.
    • Duncan
      • Origin:

        Scottish
      • Meaning:

        "dark warrior"
      • Description:

        Duncan is jaunty, confident, and open, a Scottish royal name that's brimming with friendly charm and makes it into our golden circle of names that are neither too popular nor too strange. Popularity aside, Duncan is one of the most classic Scottish names for boys.
    • Flora
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "flower"
      • Description:

        Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names we think is due for a comeback— alongside cousins Cora and Dora. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all.
    • Harrison
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "son of Harry"
      • Description:

        Harrison, a name made viable by Harrison Ford, is increasingly popular with parents who want an H name that's more formal than Harry or Hank but doesn't veer into the stiff Huntington-Harrington territory.
    • Holden
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "hollow valley"
      • Description:

        Holden is a classic case of a name that jumped out of a book and onto birth certificates--though it took quite a while. Parents who loved J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye are flocking to the name of its hero, Holden Caulfield -- not coincidentally in tune with the Hudson-Hayden-Colton field of names. (Trivia note: Salinger supposedly came up with the name while looking at a movie poster promoting a film starring William Holden and Joan Caulfield, though other sources say he was named after Salinger's friend Holden Bowler.) Another impetus was provided by a soap opera character introduced in 1985.
    • Helenna
      • Ianthe
        • Origin:

          Greek
        • Meaning:

          "purple flower"
        • Description:

          Like Violet, Lavender and Lilac, Ianthe is a purple flower name. Chosen by the poet Shelley for his daughter, Ianthe has a poetic, romantic, almost ethereal quality. In the ancient myth, she was the daughter of Oceanus, supreme ruler of the sea, and also a Cretan woman so beautiful that when she died the Gods made purple flowers grow around her grave.
      • Ilona
        • Origin:

          Hungarian variation of Helen, Finnish
        • Meaning:

          "shining torch; light; joy"
        • Description:

          This variant of Helen is used across Europe, in France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and it's native Hungary. Reminiscent of Elena, Leona, Ilaria, Fiona and Lola, it nevertheless remains a rarity in the US.
      • Jacinta
        • Origin:

          Spanish for Greek flower name
        • Meaning:

          "hyacinth"
        • Description:

          Jacinta, the Spanish word for hyacinth, is a lot softer and sweeter than the English version. The correct Spanish pronunciation is ha-SEEN-ta, though many English speakers would say ja-SIN-ta. Although the name is slightly different, Jacinta is largely associated at present with Australian-born actress Jacinda Barrett.
      • Jemima
        • Origin:

          Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "dove"
        • Description:

          Jemima, the name of a strong and beautiful Biblical daughter of Job, has long been among the chicest choices of aristocratic Brits, most recently ranking at #231 there in 2017. But despite its lovely sound and peaceful meaning, this attractive name hasn't ranked in the US Top 1000 since 1893, no doubt due to the problematic association with racial stereotyping, exemplified by the Aunt Jemima brand of pancakes.
      • Kaia
        • Origin:

          Latin, Scandinavian, or Hawaiian
        • Meaning:

          "to rejoice or sea"
        • Description:

          The new Maia, the next Kayla, Kaia has been on the charts since the year 2000. You might see it as a female form of the also-rising Kai, which means sea in Hawaiian and is sometimes used for girls as well, or as a Kardashianization of the ancient goddess name Caia.
      • Kamala
        • Origin:

          Hindi, Hawaiian
        • Meaning:

          "lotus or pale red; or, a garden"
        • Description:

          A multicultural name that manages to sound soft and strong at the same time, Kamala is also another name for the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.