Rose by Any Other Name

  1. Roxana
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "dawn; or, little star"
    • Description:

      The name of the wife of Alexander the Great, more attractive than the better-known Roxanne. Roxana was first used in the English-speaking world in the 1600s and was popularized by Daniel Defoe's novel Roxana, published in 1724. An underused and attractive possibility and perfect if you're searching for names that mean new beginnings.
  2. Roxanne
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "dawn"
    • Description:

      Best known as the beautiful heroine to whom Cyrano de Bergerac says, "Your name is like a golden bell".
  3. Serendipity
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "unexpected good fortune"
    • Description:

      A unique virtue name with a sound as happy and lively as its meaning.
  4. Sibyl
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "seer, oracle"
    • Description:

      The original but less common spelling of the ancient mythological name, now used mostly for fictional witches. But the rise of the lovely Lady Sybil Crawley on television's Downton Abbey and the fall of the multiple personality Sybil, a self-confessed fake, may give Sibyl and Sybil more credibility as a name.
  5. Solveig
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "the strong house or daughter of the sun"
    • Description:

      Common in Scandinavia, this name has rarely come to our shores. The name of the heroine in Ibsen's Peer Gynt, Solveig is currently a widely-used name in Norway. Pronounced authentically, with a silent 'g', it becomes much more appealing.
  6. Strawberry
    • Origin:

      Fruit name
    • Description:

      Another entry in the fruit name category, this one borne by writer Strawberry Saroyan, granddaughter of William, so named by her hippie parents. While fruit names may become more familiar, they'll never pass without comment -- but maybe that's what you're looking for.
  7. Sybil
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "prophetess"
    • Description:

      The image of the lovely Lady Sybil, tragic youngest daughter of the Crawley family on Downton Abbey is likely to go a long way towards reviving this almost forgotten name, off the list since 1966 and most popular in the 1920s and '30s.
  8. Silvanus
    • Temperance
      • Origin:

        Virtue name
      • Description:

        Not too long ago, Temperance was found only on lists of Puritan baby names.
    • Theodosia
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "gift of God"
      • Description:

        This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter Theodosia ("Dear Theodosia" is a song in the smash musical Hamilton), and it was the birth name of silent screen vamp Theda Bara. Theodosia actually appeared on the US popularity lists in the 1880s and 90s.
    • Valentina
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "strength, health"
      • Description:

        Effortlessly stylish, with plenty of sweetness and strength, Valentina feels like a fresh alternative to Valerie, Victoria, or Vanessa.
    • Valeriana
      • Viridiana
        • Origin:

          Latin
        • Meaning:

          "green"
        • Description:

          Viridiana is a frillier version of the medieval name Viridis, meaning green. Viridiana briefly made it into the top 1000 in the US in the 1990s.
      • Viridis
        • Origin:

          Latin
        • Meaning:

          "green"
        • Description:

          Viridis is a medieval Italian name which is also the Latin word for green. This name is a beautiful option for parents looking for an unusual name that conveys freshness, youth, springtime and nature.
      • Wednesday
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "Woden's day"
        • Description:

          Made famous by the iconic and macabre character Wednesday Addams, this name has the spooky and Halloween-inspired feel that some parents might be looking for. The character has appeared in various adaptations of The Addams Family over the years, but the 2022 television series starring Jenna Ortega has given the name an unexpected boost in popularity.
      • Winifred
        • Origin:

          Welsh
        • Meaning:

          "blessed peacemaking"
        • Description:

          One of the few remaining unrestored vintage gems, with a choice of two winning nicknames--the girlish Winnie and the tomboyish Freddie. Winifred, the name of a legendary Welsh saint, was a Top 200 name into the mid-1920's.
      • Yseult
        • Origin:

          French variation of Iseult, Celtic
        • Meaning:

          "fair, light-skinned"
        • Description:

          Variation of Isolde, the name of a great Celtic heroine. The mononymous French singer Yseult is the most notable bearer today.