Story character ideas

Lane

English

"a small roadway or path"

Lane is a unisex name equally accessible to boys and girls. Breezy, cool and contemporary, it might equally put in mind country lanes and banks of wildflowers. As a word name, Lane means "small…

Langley

English

"long meadow"

A surname style name that may appeal to those who like Langston and Oakley but also L- heavy choices like Lila, Delilah, and Linley, Langley is a rare option with a nature-connected meaning. It first…

Lark

English bird name

Lark is getting some new and well-deserved attention as a post-Robin and Raven bird name. Although it was first recorded as a name in the 1830's, it has never appeared on the Social Security list.…

Lavinia

Latin, from ancient place name Lavinium

Lavinia is a charmingly prim and proper Victorian-sounding name which actually dates back to classical mythology, where it was the name of the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was considered the…

Lelia

Italian form of Laelia, meaning unknown

A rare and delicate choice, Lelia is a modern variation of an ancient Roman family name. It came to Britain in the mid-nineteenth century, following the publication of George Sand's popular romantic…

Lilac

English, from Persian

"bluish or lilac"

Could Lilac be the next Lila or Lily or Violet? It certainly has a lot going for it--those lilting double 'l's, the fabulous fragrance it exudes, and the fact that it's a color name as well,…

Lois

Greek

"most desirable"

The eternal fiancee of Superman turned sweet gray-haired lady who's always available to babysit her grandkids turned....hot new baby name? True to the Hundred Year Rule, Lois is poised to climb the…

Maine

Place-name

Strong and spare state name, maybe better in the middle -- or for a boy.

Maple

English tree name from Latin

"maple tree; tree of the Acer genus"

Maple is one of those sweet-spot word names that sounds so almost name-like that it doesn't feel outlandish or strange, despite its relative newness as a given name. Just as Juniper is adjacent to…

March

English word name

"month name"

March has never been popular as a month name, possibly because of its slightly abrupt sound. But with all kinds of month (and season, day, and holiday) names, from January to December, Sunday to…

Mena

Spanish, diminutive of Filomena

Actress Mena Suvari (named after an Egyptian hotel) made this name seem especially appealing. Mena is also a minor Roman goddess of fertility.

Mesa

Spanish, Thai

"table; April"

Mesa is both the term for a flat-topped mountain, derived from the Spanish word for "table", and the Thai variation of April.

Mika

Japanese, Slovene, Hebrew, English, Greek

"beautiful fragrance; who is like God?; follower of Demeter"

Mika is a sparky and stylish Japanese girls' name that translates easily to English. Also used as a Slovene and Hebrew diminutive for Mihaela and Michaela, as an alternative spelling to the Biblical…

Mireille

French

"to admire"

A pretty name that may pose pronunciation problems for non-French speakers or those who've never encountered it, but it is worth the effort. Pronounced meer-AY (or closer to MEE-RAY in French), it…

Montana

Spanish place-name

"mountainous"

Overly trendy western place-name, as stated in the title of our book Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana.

Muse

Greek mythology name

Remember, the Muse is passive: someone else's inspiration.