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- Austin
Origin:
English, shortened form of Augustine, LatinMeaning:
"great, magnificent"Description:
Austin is one of the most attractive city names for babies, with an appealing southwestern feel and place-name panache.
- Dawson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of David"Description:
Dawson was scarcely heard as a first name before the debut of Dawson's Creek in 1998, at which point it leaped up more than 550 places in one year. The character Dawson Leery, played by James Van Der Beek, was a teen favorite until the show's demise in 2003.
- Edie
Origin:
English, diminutive of EdithMeaning:
"prosperous in war"Description:
Edie is part of the Evie-Ellie et al family of cute and friendly short forms that sometimes stand on its own. Briefly popular in the 1960s, it could well be due for rediscovery. It's already a fashionable choice in the UK, where it has ranked just outside the Top 100 for several years.
- Edison
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Edith or Adam"Description:
This rhythmic last-name-first-name projects the creativity and inventiveness of Thomas Edison. It's an English surname deriving from either Adam or Eda, a medieval diminutive of Edith.
- Elodie
Origin:
French, variation of Alodia, GermanMeaning:
"foreign riches"Description:
The lyrical and melodious Elodie, a Nameberry favorite, is starting to rise through the US popularity charts for the first time since the 1880s. It's a uncommon member of the trending El- family of names, which includes Ella, Eloise, and Eleanor.
- Ephraim
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"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.
- Esmé
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"esteemed, beloved"Description:
Esme is a sophisticated, distinctive, and charming J. D. Salinger name, from his classic 1950 story 'For Esme, With Love and Squalor'.Related to the French Aimee, which means beloved, and to the concept of esteem, it was originally a male name exported from France to Scotland via a member of the royal family.A current favorite among celebs, including Samantha Morton, Michael J. Fox and Katey Sagal. Esme got a lot of publicity via the character Esme Cullen, the vampire matriarch of the Olympic Coven in the Twilight Saga.
- Evangeline
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"bearer of good news"Description:
Evangeline is a romantic old name enjoying a major comeback, thanks to its religious overtones, Eva's popularity, and the star of the TV megahit Lost, Evangeline Lilly. Evangelia and Evangelina — two variants of Evangeline — are sure to tag along for the ride.
- Evelyn
Origin:
English from French and GermanMeaning:
"desired; or water, island"Description:
After decades of disuse, soft and feminine Evelyn has returned to the baby name stage in a huge way. It reached the Top 10 for the first time in 2017. Evelyn has now surpassed its former heights, joining a legion of contemporary little Evas, Avas, Eves, Evies, and Evelines.
- Fleur
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"flower"Description:
Fleur is a generic, delicate flower name that emigrated into the English-speaking world when John Galsworthy bestowed it on one of the Forsytes in his celebrated saga. More recently, there was Fleur Delacour, a French witch and the Beauxbatons champion for the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter.
- Henry
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"estate ruler"Description:
Henry is back. The classic Henry climbed back onto the Top 10 in the US in 2021 for the first time in over a century, and now stands at Number 8.
- Ismay
Origin:
Possible variation of EsmeMeaning:
"esteemed, beloved"Description:
The rise of the the various Isabel names may give a boost to this variation, which has a sunny, springtime feel.
- Jonah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"dove"Description:
Jonah, the name of the Old Testament prophet who was swallowed by the whale, only to emerge unharmed three days later, is increasingly appreciated by parents looking for a biblical name less common than Jacob or Joshua, yet not too obscure. Plus, Jonah comes with a ready-made nursery-decorating motif.
- Martha
Origin:
AramaicMeaning:
"lady"Description:
The name of our first First Lady still has something of a prim and proper image, academic and efficient. That quiet, traditional, and tasteful gestalt is exactly what makes Martha appealing to some parents today.
- Matilda
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"battle-mighty"Description:
Matilda is a sweet vintage name that has been gently climbing the popularity list for the past 15 years, after a half-century slumber. The spunky children's book heroine Matilda is one factor in its rise, along with others of its class like Eloise and Caspian.
- Moira
Origin:
Irish, variation of MaryMeaning:
"bitter; beloved; drop of the sea"Description:
Well-established Irish and Scottish name that has never really caught on across the pond. Remembered by an older generation as the beautiful red-haired ballerina in the film The Red Shoes, Moira Shearer.
- Nevaeh
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Nevaeh: an already bold word name with the unusual twist of being spelled backwards; a nightmare for those who love traditional, classic names; a divisive option on name forums across the internet; and a spelling and pronunciation that aren’t quite intuitive at first glance.
- Nora
Origin:
Diminutive of Honora or Eleonora, LatinMeaning:
"honor or meaning unknown"Description:
Nora is a lovely, refined name that conjures up images of Belle Epoch ladies in fur-trimmed coats skating in Central Park. Long seen as a quintessentially Irish name though its roots are not in Ireland, Nora is a quietly stylish favorite that's tiptoed to the top of the popularity ladder.
- Rayner
- Reid
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"red-haired"Description:
The Reid spelling is the most popular by half, probably because it feels more like a name than Reed, which looks more like a word. It's used occasionally for girls but this name is firmly in the boys' camp.