babby names

Hannelore

German

"grace + god is my light"

A pretty and substantial German smoosh name, a combination of Hanne and Eleonore. Most popular in Germany from the 1930s to the 1950s. Former German Chancellors Helmut Kohl and Helmut Schmidt both…

Isis

Egyptian

"throne"

Isis has gone from magical, feminist name on the rise to the forbidden list because of the extremist terror group called ISIS, an acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Unsurprisingly, Isis was…

Aviva

Hebrew

"springlike, fresh, dewy"

Aviva is vivacious and memorable, a fresh spin on the Vivian and Vivienne names that have been getting more popular since Angelina and Brad chose one for their twin daughter. Another A-beginning…

Ireland

Place name

Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin put Ireland on the map when they chose it as a first for their daughter, saying that geographic names were a family tradition. And it seems they were a bit ahead of the…

Maelys

French or Breton

"chief or prince"

Another feminine form of the old saint's name Mael. Spelled Maëlys, it is a very popular name in France today.

Maelie

Breton

"Princess"

The French Miley? This trendy choice from Brittany, which is pronounced either as Miley or May-lee, is related to the traditional (male) saint's name Mael, traditionally feminized as Maelle.

Mirelys

Mirelys is a feminine name with Hispanic origins, most commonly found in Puerto Rico and other Spanish-speaking Caribbean areas. The name likely developed as a modern creation, possibly combining…

Teddi

Short form of Theodora, Greek

"gift of God"

Now that Theodora (and Dorothea) are back, the adorable Teddi might work again for a baby girl. Teddi fits the rising trend of boyish nicknames for girls - alongside picks like Leni and Charlie.…

Jaeda

Arabic

"long-necked beauty"

Both an independent name and an alternate spelling of Jada.

Jaelyn

Modern invented name

Jaelyn is a name popular in many spellings and variations, including Jaelynn, Jaylin, and Jalen, and used for girls as well as boys.

Lenore

German variation of Leonora, Italian derivative of Eleonora, meaning unknown

A "modernization" of Leonora that has suddenly come back on the radar along with the many other Leo names--both male and female. With literary cred via a famous eponymous poem by Edgar Allan Poe (and…

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.…

Maeva

Tahitian

"welcome"

Though it sounds like a variation of the Irish Maeve, Maeva actually hails from Tahiti, and is currently enjoying a wave of popularity in France, where it ranks in the Top 100, possibly via popular…

Averi

Spelling variation of Avery

That i adds some extra spunk to mega popular Avery. It also adds some pronunciation confusion (as it could be pronounced AV-er-ee or AV-er-eye). We suggest sticking with the original Avery.

Anoushka

Russian, diminutive of Ann

"grace"

A lively, affectionate Russian pet name that is never given as a full name in its homeland, but has found some popularity in upper-crusty British society. It's also a surprising cultural crossover…