Modern Names That Are Still Sane

Genevieve

English from French

"tribe woman"

Genevieve is derived from the Germanic medieval name Genovefa, or Kenowefa, which consists of the elements kuni , meaning "kin", and wefa , meaning "woman." The medieval saint Genevieve, patroness of…

Elodie

French, variation of Alodia, German

"foreign riches"

The lyrical and melodious Elodie, a Nameberry favorite, is starting to rise through the US popularity charts for the first time since the 1880s. This once uncommon member of the El- family is a Top…

Adelyn

Variation of Adeline

"noble, nobility"

Adeline in all its forms, including Adelyn, is rocketing up the list, but we do prefer the original to the variations. Or you might consider varying it yet further to Adelia, Adele, or Adelaide. Or…

Madelynn

Spelling variation of Madelyn, English

"woman from Magdala or high tower"

Madelynn is the fourth most popular variation of this durably popular name, with Madelyn ranking first in the Top 100, Madeline dropping to the Number 2 spot, the French Madeleine taking third place,…

Margo

French, diminutive of Margaret

"pearl"

Margo and Margot sound exactly the same, so why has the Margot spelling hopped back onto the Top 1000, outpacing Margo in numbers more than two to one? (Over 350 baby girls were named Margot in the…

Magdalena

Greek

"from Magdala"

Magdalena is a pretty name forever associated with the fallen-yet-redeemed Mary Magdalen; often heard in the Hispanic community. But forward thinking parents are reviving Magdalena along with…

Adelei

Modern invented name

Nouveau name related to Adele, Adeline, and the boys' biblical Adlai.

Aida

Arabic; Italian; Lithuanian

"returning visitor; happy; echo"

Aida is a melodic name largely associated with the title character of the 1871 Verdi opera, an enslaved Ethiopian princess who dies to save her people. In the past, her name was rarely heard outside…