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The Arcana Names
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Julian
English from Latin, variation of Julius
"youthful, downy-bearded, or sky father"
Cool and charming, with plenty of flair and sophistication, Julian manages to strike the balance between being a sensible classic and contemporary choice. Appealingly international, it is no wonder…
Nadia
Russian, Arabic
"hope; tender, delicate"
Nadia, an accessible Slavic favorite, has a strong run of popularity in the US in the early 2000s, partially thanks to the character on Lost called Nadia but actually named Noor, but it's since…
Asra
Faust
Latin
"fortunate one"
Because the legendary Faust sold his soul to the devil, few parents would choose this for a child, although Fausto is commonly heard in Italy and Spain.
Ilya
Russian variation of Elijah
"the Lord is my God"
A rare example of an a-ending boy's name that sounds masculine, Ilya has a large measure of creative Slavic charm. >p>Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is the central character in Goncharov's novel "Oblomov."…
Lucio
Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese variation of Lucius
"light"
About 100 baby boys were named Lucio in the US last year, a number we expect to increase with the growing popularity of all names in the Lu family. It's a family united by sound, with three main…
Mercedes
Spanish
"gracious gifts, benefits"
Mercedes is one of the few names attached to luxury living that we can wholeheartedly recommend, it being a legitimate Spanish appellation stemming from one of the epithets given to the Virgin…
Muriel
Irish
"of the bright sea, sea-bright"
Once a poetic Celtic name, that of the angel who governs the month of June, Muriel has for a time, become the mom or grandma of TV sitcoms. A Top 200 name from 1912 to 1933, Muriel might just be due…
Mazelinka
Melachoir
Nahara
Aramaic and Hebrew
"light"
Beguiling cousin of Sahara.
Nerissa
Greek
"from the sea"
An offbeat possible replacement for the overused Melissa and Marisa, Nerissa was used by Shakespeare for Portia's witty confidante in The Merchant of Venice . Queen Elizabeth has a cousin named…
Pasha
Diminutive of Pavel or Praskovya, Russian
"small, humble; preparation"
Sweet and soft but outdoorsy too, Pasha could make an interesting alternative to Sasha. Typically used as a diminutive for Russian male names like Pavel, it has also been used for the feminine name…
Pepi
Spanish and Italian diminutive of Josef and Giuseppe, Ancient Egyptian
"Jehovah increases; to give"
Pepi is both a playful nickname originating from the Biblical Joseph, used among Italian and Spanish speakers, and a name of Ancient Egyptian origin, borne by several Pharaohs. While its exact…
Portia
Latin
"pig"
Portia is a perfect role-model name, relating to Shakespeare's brilliant and spirited lawyer in The Merchant of Venice , and is now also a Hunger Games name . Another Shakespearean Portia was the…
Scourge
Valdemar
Nordic variation of Vladimir
Ten years ago we would have advised people to steer clear of this name (and maybe choose the similar sounding Walter instead); but with the rise of other Nordic and Eastern European names like Viggo…
Valerius
Latin
"strength, health"
Valerius is an ancient Roman family name turned first name. While Valerius is more familiar as its derivatives Valerie and Valerian, the rise of Roman names ending in S for boys may inspire a revival…
Malek