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Cool Unusual Names That Start With Vowels

  1. Everly
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "wild boar in woodland clearing"
    • Description:

      Sweet and stylish, with a sporty, energetic undertone, Everly is a name that ticks lots of boxes.
  2. Annabelle
    • Origin:

      Combination of Anna and Belle or French form of Amabel
    • Meaning:

      "loving"
    • Description:

      This is a charming name that rose steeply along with other-belle names, such as Isabelle, until the horror film Annabelle and its sequels knocked it out of favor. Made famous by the Edgar Allen Poe poem Annabel Lee. Annabelle is saucy and stylish, a tad upscale, has a sense of humor, is melodious and lively, but is unfortunately off its peak.
  3. Eira
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "snow"
    • Description:

      This Welsh nature name that can be pronounced exactly like the male Ira. Or, to avoid confusion, you could just name her Snow.
  4. Althea
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "with healing power"
    • Description:

      Althea is a poetic, almost ethereal name found in Greek myth and pastoral poetry, associated in modern times with the great tennis player Althea Gibson, the first African-American to win at Wimbledon.
  5. Yara
    • Origin:

      Arabic, Persian, Brazilian, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "friend, helper; strength; water nymph; honeycomb"
    • Description:

      The multicultural Yara is a sweet but substantial choice that could make a more unusual take on Sara and also work in multiple languages. Popular in Portugal, The Netherlands, and Switzerland, familiar in the UK and France, it entered the US Top 1000 in 2017 and has been climbing the charts ever since.
  6. Ariadne
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "most holy"
    • Description:

      This name of the Cretan goddess of fertility is most popular now as the more melodic Ariana, but Ariadne has possibilities of its own. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. The renewed interest in the name falls in line with the revival of other mythological names like Apollo and Athena. The trendy nickname Ari doesn't hurt either.
  7. Ilya
    • Origin:

      Russian variation of Elijah
    • Meaning:

      "the Lord is my God"
    • Description:

      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." Unfortunately, he spends most of his life in his bathrobe and slippers.
  8. Auden
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "old friend"
    • Description:

      The poetic, soft-spoken Auden has recently started to be considered as a first name option, used for both sexes, appreciated for its pleasing sound as well as its link to the distinguished modern Anglo-American poet W.H. Auden.
  9. Indigo
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "Indian dye"
    • Description:

      Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from plants native to India, is particularly striking for both girls and boys. Indigo is the name of a character in the Ntozake Shange novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, and was used for his daughter by Lou Diamond Phillips.
  10. Isaiah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Salvation of the Lord"
    • Description:

      Isaiah, like brethren Isaac and Elijah, is a once neglected biblical name now firmly back in favor, already surpassing such long-popular Old Testament stalwarts as Aaron and Adam. Isaiah has ranked on the US Top 1000 list for boys every year but two, 1969 and 1970.
  11. Aveline
    • Origin:

      French from German
    • Meaning:

      "desired; or island, water"
    • Description:

      Aveline is a name that's long been an obscure cousin of more widely-used choices, but may come into its own riding the tail of the megapopular Ava, which may derive from the same root.
  12. Inigo
    • Origin:

      Basque, medieval Spanish variation of Ignatius
    • Meaning:

      "fiery"
    • Description:

      Inigo, almost unknown in the U.S., is an intriguing choice, with its strong beat, creative and evocative sound, and associations with the great early British architect and stage designer Inigo Jones. The sixteenth-seventeenth century Jones shared his name with his father, a London clockmaker, who received it when Spanish names for boys were fashionable in England, especially among devout Roman Catholics.
  13. Autumn
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "autumn"
    • Description:

      Crisp and colorful, Autumn is the most popular season name in the US — the only one in the Top 100 in recent years — though Summer and Winter don't rank too far behind. Cool and gentle at the same time, it also ranks highly in England and Wales.
  14. Isa
    • Origin:

      Germanic, Persian, or diminutive of Isabel
    • Meaning:

      "ice; strong-willed; pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Isa is a name unto itself as both a Persian name meaning "strong-willed" and as Germanic one derived from the element is meaning "ice". It can also be a short form of Isabel, Isabella, Isadora, Louisa, and similar. Currently popular in Brazil and The Netherlands, it has seen some increased use in the US in recent years, perhaps owing to the popularity of other short names like Ava, Mia, and Isla.
  15. Eden
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "place of pleasure, delight"
    • Description:

      This Biblical name was rising dramatically for boys, but has plateaued in recent years. Although it's more popular for girls in the US, it's a delightful unisex choice. Eden is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France, closing in on the Top 10.
  16. Inara
    • Origin:

      Arabic, Basque, mythology, "shining light, enlightenment; sunray; goddess"
    • Meaning:

      "shining light, enlightenment; sunray; goddess"
    • Description:

      Inara is an appealing choice with multiple origins, currently in the Top 500 in the UK and the Netherlands. Gentle looking but bright in feel, it is also on the rise in the US, possibly owing to its use in Joss Whedon's hit sci-fi series Firefly, featuring main character, Inara Serra.
  17. Eleanora
    • Origin:

      Latinate form of Eleanor, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      Eleanor is back, Nora is back, and, as predicted, Eleanora is back too.
  18. Aura
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "soft breeze"
    • Description:

      Aura is a New Age-y word turned name turned contemporary slang for being cool, confident, and suave. Also associated with ancient mythology, the spiritual "essence" surrounding someone, with the atmosphere, light, or vibe something gives off, and with an oncoming migraine, Aura has a lot going for it — and against it too.
  19. Andromeda
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Meaning:

      "advising like a man"
    • Description:

      One of the stellar unique baby names from mythology, Andromeda was the beautiful daughter of Cassiopeia who, like her mother, literally became a star--the constellation that bears her name.The Bohemian Andromeda makes a dramatic and adventurous choice in a time when four-syllable mythological names are gradually making their way into the mainstream.
  20. Ephraim
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "fruitful, fertile, productive"
    • Description:

      Ephraim is an Old Testament name we would place high on the list of neglected Biblical possibilities, solid but not solemn.

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