Aussie Inspirations - PEOPLE

  1. Rebel
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "rebel"
    • Description:

      Asking for trouble. Rebel Wilson is a hilarious Australian actress who puts a female spin on this contemporary badass baby name. Still, we think this name is truly gender neutral – though hardly neutral in any other way. Rebel is undoubtedly one of the edgiest girls' names starting with the letter R.
  2. Robbie
    • Origin:

      English, Germanic
    • Meaning:

      "bright fame"
    • Description:

      Diminutive of Robert, borne by famous figures from Robbie Williams to Robbie Coltrane.
  3. Rose
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "rose, a flower"
    • Description:

      Rose is derived from the Latin rosa, which referred to the flower. There is also evidence to suggest it was a Norman variation of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis, meaning "famous type," and also Hros, "horse". In Old English it was translated as Roese and Rohese.
  4. Ruby
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "deep red precious stone"
    • Description:

      Ruby, vibrant red, sassy and sultry, outshines other revived vintage gem names, with its sparkling resume of cultural references. Ruby is proof of the 100 Year Rule, trending again for the first time since its last heyday in the 1920s.
  5. Ricki-Lee
    • Sam
      • Origin:

        English, diminutive of Samuel
      • Meaning:

        "told by God"
      • Description:

        Sam has long been used on its own for boys, as accepted standing by itself as it is as a short form of Samuel. Straightforward and down-to-earth, Sam is the name of the son of the co-stars of The Americans, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys. Sam is one of the most popular names that start with S in the Western world, ranking higher in several European countries than it does in the US, where it's trended downward since the 19th century, though it's always been in the Top 1000.
    • Samantha
      • Origin:

        Hebrew, feminization of Samuel
      • Meaning:

        "told by God"
      • Description:

        The origins of Samantha are not entirely clear, although it is commonly thought to be a feminization of Samuel with the suffix derived from the Greek anthos, meaning "flower." Samantha has been in English-speaking use since the eighteenth century, particularly in the American South, and drew attention via Grace Kelly's Tracy Samantha Lord character in High Society, featuring the song "I love you, Samantha."
    • Sebastian
      • Origin:

        Latin from Greek
      • Meaning:

        "person from ancient city of Sebastia"
      • Description:

        Sebastian is an ancient martyr's name turned literary, and Little Mermaid hero—think Sebastian the Crab—that's more popular than ever, as a classic-yet-unconventional compatriot for fellow British favorites T Theodore and Oliver.
    • Shannon
      • Origin:

        Irish
      • Meaning:

        "old and wise"
      • Description:

        The name of the longest river in the British Isles rose to the US Top 25 for girls in the 1970s and the Top 100 for boys, but has fallen off the Top 1000 for both genders. At the latest count, the name Shannon was given to about 200 babies in the US, about a third of those boys. As a favorite Irish name, Shannon has now been supplanted by newcomers such as Saoirse and Seanan.
    • Simon
      • Origin:

        Hebrew, Greek
      • Meaning:

        "he has heard; flat-nosed"
      • Description:

        Simon is pure and simple (not in the nursery rhyme sense), and an appealingly genuine Old and New Testament name that's not overused – making Simon a stylish choice. In the Bible, Simon was the second son of Jacob and Leah and the original name of Saint Peter, as well as the name of several New Testament figures. Historically, Simon Bolivar is known as The Liberator of Latin America.
    • Stan
      • Origin:

        Short form of Stanley
      • Meaning:

        "near the stony meadow"
      • Description:

        One of the old-school nicknames -- think Ray, Vince, Frank -- that's on the brink of coming back into style. Name him Stanislav or Constantine and he'll have a groovier long form to fall back on.
    • Stefan
      • Origin:

        German, Scandinavian, Polish, and Russian variation of Stephen
      • Description:

        An elegant, continental name for the post-Steve era. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1949 and has been on the list every year since except for a year off in 2008.
    • Teresa
      • Origin:

        Spanish
      • Meaning:

        "to harvest"
      • Description:

        How do you spell Teresa? Teresa, the simpler phonetic form of this name, was the most popular variation for its early life, when it was used exclusively in Spain and Portugal. Other spellings of Teresa include Theresa, the usual English form, and the French Therese.
    • Tina
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Christina et al
      • Description:

        Tina, despite its petite and tinkly image, is apt these days to be replaced by the more elegant originals, Christina and Martina.It does have some strong namesakes, though, in Tina Turner (born Anna Mae), Tina Brown (born Christina), Tina Fey (born Elizabeth), and photographer Tina Barney (born Tina).
    • Urban
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "of the city"
      • Description:

        Urban was not an uncommon name through the 1930s (rising as high as Number 435), having been attached to several saints and early popes, but it has completely disappeared from the landscape--both urban and rural. Yet in this era of word name appreciation and trend for 'an'-ending boys' names, we're thinking it might be ready for a return.
    • Walker
      • Origin:

        English occupational name
      • Meaning:

        "cloth-walker"
      • Description:

        Walker is both a Waspy surname name—as in the W in George W. Bush—but it also has a gentle ambling quality and a creative connection to such greats as writer Walker Percy and photographer Walker Evans, whose father was also named Walker.
    • Wes
      • Wilson
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "son of Will"
        • Description:

          Wilson is a substantive presidential choice far less prevalent than Taylor or Tyler, and with the advantage of being a new route to friendly nickname Will. We see Wilson growing in popularity as an alternative to William; and as a patronymic, it would make a conceivable (if possibly confusing) choice for a son of William.