Story character ideas

Arizona

Place-name from Papago Indian

"little springs"

We usually think of place-names as a modern invention, but in fact Arizona ranked on the US Top 1000 from its inception in 1880 until 1911, when it vanished below the surface. It peaked at Number 510…

Arley

English

"from the rabbit meadow"

Abbreviated form of Harley that might also be spelled, for girls, Arleigh or Arlee.

Aster

English; Amharic

"star"

This is a fresh new addition to the botanical list; comedian Gilbert Gottfried made it a real bouquet when he named his daughter Lily Aster. And the name of the little girl on television's Dexter…

Atlanta

American place name from Greek

"Atlantic Ocean"

The capital of Georgia is far from the ocean, but got its name from the Western and Atlantic Railroad which ran through the city. Best known as a hub of industry and transport, and for its roles in…

Austen

Literary surname and shortened form of Augustine, Latin

"great, magnificent"

While Austin is a popular boys' name, this spelling, honoring novelist Jane, nudges the name toward gender-neutral, chosen last year for 67 baby boys and 57 girls.

Bell

English and Scottish occupational name

"ringer of the bell"

These days, it's more likely you'd call your daughter the popular Belle or Bella.

Bernice

Greek

"she who brings victory"

Rarely heard today-- it fell off the list around 1980--Bernice is a biblical name of Greek origin. In the Bible, she is a sister of King Agrippa. Bernice was a Top 100 name in the US for more than…

Blaine

Irish

"yellow"

She's the bff of Blair, Blake, and Brooke who shop at Bergdorf's, Bonwits and Bendel's.

Blanca

Spanish

"white"

More colorful than Blanche, but blanker than Bianca.

Bloom

Word Name

A fragrant floral name that would be great as a middle name. Bloom is the name of the character in TV's Winx Club who, Harry Potter-style, gets sent to fairy college. Also a surname —such as actor…

Blossom

English

"to bloom"

Now that parents have picked virtually every name in the garden, from the common Rose to the captivating Zinnia, some are reconsidering the old, more generic names like Flora and Posy and Blossom —…

Brighton

English place-name

Out-of-the-way place name (it's an antiquated holiday spot on England's south coast) that might make a brilliant choice. Actor/director Jon Favreau named his daughter Brighton Rose.

Bronte

Greek

"thunder"

This lovely surname of the three novel-writing sisters, now used as a baby name, makes a fitting tribute for lovers of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights . While the original name took an umlaut over…

Bryn

Welsh

"hill"

Bryn is an up-and-coming gentle, yet substantial, Welsh name that would also be effective in the middle spot. In Wales it's a traditional boys' name, but it's far more popular for girls now in the…

Bryony

Greek

"to sprout, to swell"

Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan…

Calypso

Greek

"she who hides"

Melodic, rhythmic, and poetic in sound, Calypso is a name with connections to music, mythology, space, and pop culture. A distinctive was to nickname Callie or even Pip, it has that charming -o…

Canada

Iroquois place-name

"village"

Canada is an undiscovered but attractive place-name possibility, sporadically used for girls since the 1970s. Nicknames Cadie, Addie, and Candy, maybe?

Charissa

Charissa is a feminine name of Greek origin, derived from 'charis,' meaning 'grace,' 'kindness,' or 'beauty.' It's related to the more common Charisse, Carissa, and Karissa, all variations of the…

Charity

English word name

"charity"

Charity is one of the Big Three abstract virtue names, along with Hope and Faith, though far less widely used than the others. But as Faith, Grace and Hope grow more common, some parents are…