Silvie _____

Cosima

Italian feminine variation of Cosmo, Greek

"order, beauty, universe"

Cosima, the kind of elegant and unusual name the British upper classes love to use for their daughters, is given to a handful of baby girls in the US after being chosen by two high-profile celebs in…

Jemima

Hebrew

"dove; daytime"

Jemima, the name of a strong and beautiful Biblical daughter of Job, has long been among the chicest choices of aristocratic Brits, and has since shifted to be used more generally too, replacing…

Generva

Generva is a rare feminine name that appears to be a variant of Geneva or possibly Genevieve. While uncommon in modern usage, it has historical connections to several origins. The name may derive…

Diantha

Greek

"divine flower"

Diantha, a mythological flower of the supreme Greek god Zeus, is a melodious and more unusual cousin of Diana, heard most often in The Netherlands. Some similar choices: Diandra and Dianthe.

Jacinta

Spanish for Greek flower name

"hyacinth"

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.…

Hypatia

Greek

"highest, supreme"

Hypatia, an ancient Greek name, has a distinguished namesake: Hypatia of Alexandria was an early philosopher and scholar of mathematics and astronomy. Fittingly, the name derives from the Greek…

Julienne

French from Latin

"youthful or sky father"

Fine in France, but here it means vegetables sliced into thin strips.

Laetitia

Latin

"gladness, happiness"

Laetitia adds a layer of ancient patina to the more prosaic LETITIA.

Lucienne

French feminine variation of Lucian

"light"

Lucienne is a soft and ultra-sophisticated French-accented option in the Lucy family, one that could provide a fresh alternative to such fatigued Gallic choices as Danielle and Michelle. So if you're…

Lisette

French, diminutive of Elizabeth or Lise

"pledged to God"

Lisette, also spelled Lizette, is a dainty,, if somewhat dated, Gallic offshoot of Elizabeth. It reached its U.S. peak of popularity in 1999, then fell off the list in 2001. Lisette Model (born…

Maelle

French or Breton

"chief or prince"

This feminine form of Mael has the distinctive "aelle" ending found in Brittany. In the French spelling Maëlle, it is a Top 100 girls' name in France.

Minerva

Latin

"of the mind, intellect"

Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the mythology names for girls that might appeal to adventurous feminist parents.…

Mirabelle

French

"marvelous"

If you're looking for a fresher belle name than Isabelle, Mirabelle is lovely, and we also like the extra flourish of Mirabella. And if you want a nature tie, Mirabelle is also the name of a delicate…

Rhonwen

Welsh

"slender, fair"

The delicate and haunting Welsh Rhonwen is still a rarity in the U.S., where her English version Rowena is better known, but would be a lovely choice for any parent in search of a name that was both…

Ryann

Spelling variation of Ryan

An attempt to make this name swing more to the feminine side, though the original Ryan is becoming perfectly acceptable for girls. Ryann O'Toole is an American professional golfer.

Cosette

French literary nickname

"little thing"

Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables . In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some…

Xanthe

Greek

"golden, yellow"

X marks the spot in names these days, usually at the middles or ends of names, but here is one that puts it squarely up front. This extravagant name, which, like many Greek names beginning with X, is…

Ynez

Spanish

"pure, virginal"

Y is a very rare initial, and this feisty mini-name packs a double punch with its spiky final Z. Inez or Inez are the more familiar spellings of this chic name, which is related to Agnes and could be…