User-created list
By milasmama · Updated October 2022
Across 9 pages
of 9
Greek
"gold"
Cressida is a golden, mythological, and Shakespearean name, much better known in Britain than it is in the US. Given to just 11 American girls in a recent year — though still the highest number on…
Latinization of Elke, Scandinavian diminutive of Adelheid
"noble one"
Much more manageable than the full form of the name. Possible international alternative to Ella.
Latin
"evening star"
While this is usually thought of as a girls' name because of the Bond Girl connection, its sound is masculine and there's no reason it couldn't work for boys.
"hearth, fireside"
Hestia is the name of the Greek goddess of the hearth, home and chastity. Though Hestia has been long dormant as a name, it's a possibility for the parent in search of a classic name with deep roots…
English from Persian
"jasmine"
Jessamine, a charming name occasionally heard in England, is just beginning to be appreciated in the U.S. as a possible successor to all the Jess names of the past. It's also spelled Jessamyn, as in…
French form of Apollonia, feminine variation of Apollo, Greek mythology name
"destroyer"
Apolline is a luscious French name chic in Paris -- it's a Top 100 name for baby girls in France -- and ripe for the plucking in the English-speaking world. Derived from the mythological name Apollo,…
French feminine variation of Clement
"mild, merciful"
Calm, composed, and chic. Often seen with an accent in France, as Clémence.
Dutch, German, and Frisian diminutive of Adelheid
"noble"
Though she has long stood on her own, Elke has many longer cross-cultural connections, to the Dutch/German/Scandinavian Adelheid and Alice and the English Adelaide, as a feminine version of Elkanah…
English word name
"the time of light between one night and the next"
Many African tribes have a tradition of naming children for the day or time they were born -- Friday, Afternoon -- a practice finding new life in the Western world as word names become more popular.
Greek or Welsh
"violet; beautiful lady"
Isla is hot, Iona is cool – maybe it's time Iola got a second look? Last heard from on Carol Burnett's Mama's Family show, Iola feels like just the sort of uncommon, vowel-rich, vintage name that…
"cloudy"
An enchanting ancient Greek name belonging to the Greek goddess who was created from a cloud by Zeus and so became goddess of the clouds and mother of the centaurs. The name Nephele is not widely…
English, variation of Jessamine
"jasmine flower"
Jessamy and big sister Jessamine are all but unknown in the U.S., but make distinctive alternatives to overexposed Jessica, Jessie, and Jasmine.
Flower name; Latin
"healing"
One of the rarest of the floral names, though not without some teasing potential. Peony is a historical 1948 novel by Pearl S. Buck.
Greek place name
"of Delphi; womb"
An interesting unisex possibility, with an air of mystery connected to the Delphic Oracle, the most important oracle in ancient Greece; it was also a major site for the worship of the god Apollo.…
Greek, place name, meaning unknown
The name of an area in northern Greece, known in the era of Homer's Odyssey as Aeolia, Thessaly makes a spirited and pretty place name. Reminiscent of Tessa, Rosalie, and Thea, the name likely…
Said to refer to either Jupiter or Venus, either of which would be preferable as a name.
Feminine variation of Zephyr, Greek
"west wind"
Zephyr may not be a name often heard in the U.S., but its variations are used throughout Europe. Zephyrine, a cousin in sound and feel if not in fact to such lovely names as Severine and Seraphina,…
French variation of Isabelle
A trendy name in France, sometimes also spelled Ysaline, that's related to both Isabelle and Iseult. To the American ear, it freshens up Isabelle without really improving on it.
English word, Old English
"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"
Like River and Lake, a cool, refreshing modern water-related choice. This name is also associated with bay leaves, the bay laurel, the contemporary term of endearment, "bae", and the Old English word…
Sanskrit
"circle"
A mandala is the magic circle of Buddhism and Hinduism, a powerful spiritual symbol used in art to represent the universe. It's also an important symbol in Jungian theory. As a first name, Mandala…
