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Alaric is an ancient regal name that sounds modern enough to be considered. Alaric was a traditional name for the kings of the Ostrogoths, the most famous of whom was Alaric I, the King of the West Goths who sacked Rome in 410.

One of Dumas' swashbuckling Three Musketeers, now better known as a men's cologne.

Astraea -- also found as Astraia -- is the Greek goddess of justice and innocence who became the constellation Virgo. A more unusual form of the many star-related names, from Astra to Esther to Estelle to Stella, all on the rise. Astraea was the daughter of Astraeus, the god of the dusk, and Eos, the goddess of the dawn.

Caleb is an attractive Old Testament name that has been in the US Top 100 for nearly three decades now. Consistently popular but never too popular, Caleb feels more like a classic than a momentary trend.

Cedric was invented by Sir Walter Scott for the noble character of the hero's father in Ivanhoe, presumed to be an altered form of the Saxon name Cerdic. The name was later also given to Little Lord Fauntleroy, the long-haired, velvet-suited, and lace-collared boy hero of the Frances Hodgson Burnett book, who became an unwitting symbol of the pampered mama's boy.

Celtic goddess of poetry, though less-than-poetic name.

Cillian is one of the native Irish names that, along with Aiden and Declan, is becoming an unlikely favorite in contemporary America. The Killian spelling has been more popular in the US, but Cillian's star is rising, perhaps thanks to Irish actor Cillian Murphy, star of Oppenheimer and Peaky Blinders.

Clara is a strong, lovely girls' name that's always ranked among the US Top 1000 girl names but has been climbing since the turn of this century. Now holding steady around Number 100, Clara is a modern classic, neither too popular nor too unusual.

Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both style and substance along with its Shakespearean pedigree.

A simple one-syllable name that has been on the popularity list since the mid-1980s, Drake is most associated today with the single-named rapper (born Aubrey). The name peaked at Number 197 in 2010 and has since been on a slow decline, but it still can be counted among the stylish contemporary boy names starting with D.

Eilonwy is a rare and poetic Welsh name first recorded in the late 19th century and used by Lloyd Alexander for his novel series The Chronicles of Prydain. The character appeared in Disney's adaptation of the series. In both the books and on the screen, Eilonwy is a feisty yet kind character. Read more about Eilonwy and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.

The final e introduces pronunciation questions. Is Eleanor pronounced just like Eleanor, or is it the more elaborate el-LAY-ah-nor? Or something else?

Strong, charismatic, and sleek, Elias has followed in the footsteps of Elijah and Eli to become a popular choice among parents today.

Along with many other names with the El- beginning and featuring the L sound in any place, Eloise is newly chic. Eloise reentered the US Top 1000 girl names in 2009 after a 50 year nap and broke into the Top 100 in 2022. And she shows no signs of slowing down.

A beautiful modern Cornish nature name that is rapidly picking up steam in the States: even spawning variant spellings like Elowyn and Elowynn. In its native region, it wasn't widely used as a name before the twentieth century, when the Cornish language was revived. A (currently) unique member of the fashionble El- family of names, it has a pleasant, evocative sound.

Fewer letters does not always mean easier—the traditional spelling is the one most people will recognize.

Evander is a name that could build on the popularity of shorter form Evan, and could work and play well with schoolmates like Zander and Xander.

Felicity is as accessible a virtue name as Hope and Faith, but much more feminine -- and dare we say, happier. The hit TV show did a lot to soften and modernize the once buttoned-up image of Felicity, and it got further notice as the red-haired Colonial doll, Felicity Merriman, in the American Girl series. A current bearer is actress Felicity Huffman.

One of the most popular names in Scandinavia, Freja--or Freyja--was a major deity of Norse paganism. Beautiful, blonde and blue-eyed, she was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. In the US, the name is most likely spelled Freya.