V

Occasionally used as an independent name, but why.

Mystical overtones.

This lovely orange-scented Spanish place-name would make an inventive namesake for an Aunt Valerie.

For a girl, we'd say Val-en-teen, though many would insist on pronouncing it like the holiday.

Valery was in the Top 1000 from 2005 to 2009, and reemerged in 2018. This spelling is often used among Hispanic families in the US.

Whether it's used as a short form or on its own, this jazzy midcentury name is poised for a comeback along with brothers Ray and Walt.

A short but sophisticated, long-neglected name you might want to consider.

Diminutive of the Italian Giovanna, or sometimes Vanessa or Ivanna.

No, not Ben (you'll say a million times), not Van -- Venn. John Venn was a British logician and philosopher famous for introducing the Venn diagram, which is used in several fields, including logic, statistics, and computer science.

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 spelling influenced by the Latin phrase vera icon "true image". Veronica was the name of the compassionate woman who wiped Jesus's face when he was on his way to Calvary and whose cloth was miraculously imprinted with his image: she is now the patron saint of photographers.

Victor is one of the earliest Christian names, borne (as Vittorio) by several saints and popes, symbolizing Christ's victory over death. It has been quietly in the Top 200 since 1880, but just recently has taken on a cool edge by fashionable parents in London and seems ripe for a similar reevaluation here too.

Vivi is a short form of all the Vivian and Viveca forms that is sure to get a lot more attention now that a little Jolie-Pitt girl has been named Vivienne.