Names with great nicknames

Charlotte

French, feminine diminutive of Charles

"free man"

Charlotte, the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is the latest classic name to join Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella at the top of the popularity list. It is now among the most popular girl…

Eleanor

English variation of French Provencal Alienor, meaning unknown

Eleanor's straightforward feminine image combined with its royal medieval history is striking just the right note for parents in search of a girls' name that combines substance and style. Big plus:…

Aurora

Latin

"dawn"

The goddess name Aurora has consistently been on the US popularity list since the nineteenth century, but has really taken off in the past 30 years. Aurora also enjoys remarkable international…

Camila

Spanish variation of Camilla, Latin

"young ceremonial attendant"

The Spanish Camila, pronounced ka-MEE-la, is the fastest rising version of this ancient Roman name, but recent royal Camilla may have helped promote the British brand. Camila is one of the top baby…

Victoria

Latin

"victory"

Victoria is the Latin word for "victory" and a feminine form of Victor. It is the name of the ancient Roman goddess of victory, the equivalent of the Greek Nike, and also a popular third century…

Savannah

Spanish

"flat tropical grassland"

A place name with a deep Southern accent, the once-obscure Savannah shot to fame, with others of its genre, on the heels of the best seller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil , which was set in…

Miriam

Hebrew or Egyptian

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

The oldest-known form of Mary, serious and solemn Miriam has been a particular favorite of observant Jewish parents. But we can see it extending beyond that sphere into the next wave of Old Testament…

Camilla

Latin

"young ceremonial attendant"

The Spanish Camila, pronounced ka-MEE-la, is the fastest rising version of this ancient Roman name, but recent royal Camilla may have helped promote the British brand. In Roman myth, Camilla was a…

Veronica

Latin

"she who brings victory; true image"

The name Veronica projects a triple-threat image: at once saintly, sensuous, and strong. The name derives from Berenice, the Latin form of the Greek name Berenike "she who brings victory", with the…

Camryn

English variation of Cameron, Scottish

"crooked nose"

This Cameron variation was popularized by actress Camryn Manheim and the character in Twitches of the same name. It also makes it more obviously feminine, which might appeal to some parents,…

Eleanora

Latinate form of Eleanor, meaning unknown

Eleanor is back, Nora is back, and, as predicted, Eleanora is back too. Having left the charts in the 1930s, this elaboration of Eleanor has returned and blends the elements of its two more popular…

Clarissa

Elaboration of Clara

"bright, clear"

Clarissa, the daintier version of Claire, has a long literary history of its own, having been featured in the novels of Samuel Richardson, Charles Dickens, and Virginia Woolf—Clarissa was the title…

Hyacinth

Flower name, from Greek

"blue larkspur; precious stone"

Though it may not be as sweet and gentle as, say, Violet, the purple-hued Hyacinth still might hold some appeal for the parent seeking a truly unusual flower name. In Greek mythology, Hyacinthus was…