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The Skeeps Faves

Marvolo
By Marvolo
Updated Wed Nov 04 2020
I like whimsical and fantasy-inspired names, always trying to find the middle road in between trendy and boring.
  1. Aloysius

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "famous warrior"

    • Description:

      This name is a classic example of an underused golden oldie that ticks so many boxes - unusual yet traditional, heaps of cute nicknames, a statement name that exudes retro cool. Aloysius is the Latin form of many more common names like Louis, Luis, Luigi and the uncommon but symphonically familiar Ludwig.
  2. Astoria

    • Origin:

      Place name

    • Description:

      Long more associated with the New York Waldorf- hotel and the neighborhood in Queens than as a baby name, Astoria is finally beginning to emerge from their shadow and find favor with parents looking to move beyond Brooklyn. The name Astoria is drawn from the surname of titan of industry John Jacob Astor, theorized to mean "hawk."
  3. Audra

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "noble strength"

    • Description:

      Used primarily in Scotland, and represented here by singer Audra McDonald, the girls' name Audra has been overshadowed by the return of the classic Audrey. Audra may be to Audrey what Jenna is to Jennifer and Jessa is to Jessica: A variation that will rise as the original falls from favor, which may take another decade.
  4. Autumn

    • Origin:

      Season name

    • Description:

      Crisp and colorful, Autumn is the most popular season name now -- the only one in the Top 100 in recent years -- with Autumn's coolness only surpassed by Winter. Jennifer Love Hewitt named her daughter Autumn James.
  5. Brannigan

    • Description:

      Brannigan is a masculine name of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Branagáin, meaning 'descendant of Branagán.' The element 'bran' in Celtic languages refers to 'raven,' giving the name associations with this intelligent and mythologically significant bird. Originally a family name, Brannigan transitioned to occasional use as a first name in the late 20th century, reflecting the trend of using surnames as given names. While never common as a first name, it carries strong Irish cultural connections and projects a robust, distinctive character. The name may also evoke associations with fictional characters like Zapp Brannigan from Futurama, giving it a contemporary cultural reference point alongside its traditional heritage.

  6. Brianna

    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Brian

    • Meaning:

      "strong, virtuous and honorable"

    • Description:

      Brianna's popularity in the US came later than father name Brian's, peaking in the 1990s, two decades after Brian's Top 10 reign of the 1970s.
  7. Birdy
    • Connor

      • Origin:

        Irish

      • Meaning:

        "lover of hounds"

      • Description:

        Connor, the appealing name of an early semi-legendary king of Ulster in Irish mythology, sits firmly in the Top 100 and taken together with its alternate spellings would rank even higher. In its native Ireland the Conor version is one of the highest charting boys’ name.
    • Coraline

      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Coralie and Caroline, English

      • Meaning:

        "coral; man; army"

      • Description:

        Coraline may not be original to Neil Gaiman's wonderful book of the same name, but it might as well be. Gaiman's young heroine Coraline Jones is constantly called Caroline but as a name Coraline is more distinctive and has a more mysterious feel. The 2002 novel Coraline was made into a 2009 animated film voiced by Dakota Fanning and nominated for an Academy Award.
    • Damaris

      • Origin:

        Greek

      • Meaning:

        "dominant woman"

      • Description:

        In the New Testament, Damaris was an Athenian woman converted to Christianity by St. Paul. Known for her charitable work, her name was a favorite among the Puritans. Having slid off the bottom of the Top 1000 in 2012, Damaris might be deserving of more attention by parents in search of a New Testament name that is unusual but accessible, especially since girls' names ending in 's' are coming back into fashion.
    • David

      • Origin:

        Hebrew

      • Meaning:

        "beloved"

      • Description:

        David is an enduring worldwide classic, used from ancient times to the present day.
    • Eden

      • Origin:

        Hebrew

      • Meaning:

        "place of pleasure, delight"

      • Description:

        Eden is an attractive, serene name with obvious intimations of Paradise, one of several place names drawn from the Bible by the Puritans in the seventeenth century.
    • Elowen

      • Origin:

        Cornish

      • Meaning:

        "elm"

      • Description:

        A beautiful modern Cornish nature name that is rapidly picking up steam in the States: even spawning variant spellings like Elowyn and Elowynn. In its native region, it wasn't widely used as a name before the twentieth century, when the Cornish language was revived. A (currently) unique member of the fashionble El- family of names, it has a pleasant, evocative sound.
    • Elswyth

      • Origin:

        Anglo-Saxon

      • Meaning:

        "strong temple"

      • Description:

        An Anglo-Saxon name borne by the queen of Alfred the Great. American novelist Helen Ricker wrote under the pen-name Elswyth Thane. Variants include Elswith, Ealswith and Ealhswith.
    • Fiona

      • Origin:

        Scottish

      • Meaning:

        "white, fair"

      • Description:

        Fiona entered the American consciousness with the opening of the 1954 Broadway musical Brigadoon, but didn't come onto the U.S. popularity list until 1990.
    • Garland

      • Origin:

        English word name

      • Description:

        A surprisingly wearable floral name for a boy.
    • Gawain

      • Origin:

        Welsh

      • Meaning:

        "May hawk"

      • Description:

        This name of the courteous Knight of the Round Table, the nephew of King Arthur, has long been superseded by its Scottish form, Gavin.
    • Gladys

      • Origin:

        Possibly a form or Claudia or Welsh

      • Meaning:

        "land, nation"

      • Description:

        Hard as it might be to believe, Gladys was the Harper of 1900, emerging almost out of nowhere to take the naming world by storm. It became a favorite among parents — and writers of romantic Edwardian novels, seen as alluring and unusual. One impetus was the 1870 Ouida novel Puck, whose heroine was the idealized beauty, Gladys Gerant.
    • Greer

      • Origin:

        Scottish, contraction of surname Gregor; Latin

      • Meaning:

        "alert, watchful"

      • Description:

        This attractive Scottish surname choice, has a certain amount of glamour thanks to feisty British-born red-haired forties Academy Award winner Greer Garson, who was born Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson--Greer was her Irish mother's maiden name). Greer was chosen much more recently by Kelsey Grammer for his daughter and by Brooke Shields in the Grier form. As a surname, it's associated with feminist writer/activist Germaine Greer.
    • Gretchen

      • Origin:

        German, diminutive of Margarethe

      • Meaning:

        "pearl"

      • Description:

        Like Greta, Gretchen is a German Margaret diminutive that has become an American quasi-classic, though not much used today, having dropped off the list in 2009. She was at her high point in the 1970s, making it into the top 200.