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Mandy
Short form of Armando
In the US, Mandy may be a common girls' name, a Bobby Soxerish nickname for Amanda, but in the Latin community, it's a popular nickname for Armando, the Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese form of…
Donna
Italian
"lady"
Literally meaning "lady" in Italian, Donna was the perfect ladylike housewife mom name on The Donna Reed Show in the fifties and sixties. And there were plenty of namesakes: Donna was in the Top 10…
Sigourney
French
"daring king"
Actress Sigourney -- born Susan -- Weaver made this unusual name (which she found in The Great Gatsby ) famous, if not popular.
Lori
English spelling variation of Laurie; diminutive of Laura
"from Laurentium or bay laurel"
Lori, with this sleek modern spelling, was an extremely popular name in the middle of the 20th century, ranking among the Top 100 girls' names from the early 1950s until the early 1980s. But it was…
Juno
Latin
"queen of the heavens; young"
Juno is an ancient name that feels as fresh as if it had been minted, well, not yesterday, but in 2007. Since the release of the popular indie film Juno , this lively but strong Roman goddess name…
Teri
English, diminutive of Theresa
"to harvest"
One of the original cool, sleek gender neutral names , but it's since lost that edge to hits like Leni and Teddy. Today's Teri would probably be Tess or Tessa. Teri peaked in 1960 and was last on the…
Lindsay
English surname
"marshlands of Lincolnshire"
In the early eighties, Lindsay, in tandem with Courtney, approached the Top 10. Lindsey is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the ey…
Natasha
Russian diminutive of Natalya
"birthday of the Lord"
Natasha, an appealing, still unusual name, entered the American mainstream post-Cold War but seems to have peaked in the eighties, replaced by the more straightforward Natalie. As is common for…
Noomi
Nordic
"pleasantness"
This striking Nordic variant of Biblical Naomi is famously borne by Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, best known for her role as Lisbeth Salander in the film adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium…
Daveigh
Rosario
Spanish
"rosary"
Anglo parents are taking note of this Hispanic classic, thanks to actress Rosario Dawson and a character on Will & Grace. Poetic and powerful, it comes from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary,…
Peggy
Diminutive of Margaret, Greek
"pearl"
Just when we had written off Peggy as the eternal perky, pug-nosed prom-queen she projected from the 1920s into the fifties, along came Mad Men , with intriguing mid-century characters with names…
Nikki
Diminutive of Nicole or Indian, Punjabi, Sikh
"people of victory; little one"
Nikki was the it-girl name of the 1970s and '80s as both a short form of Top 10 favorite Nicole and as a given name itself. As a Punjabi name, Nikki is usually a pet name for youngest daughters.…
Evan
Welsh variation of John
"God is gracious"
Evan is a boys' favorite that has been given the feminine touch by talented actress Evan Rachel Wood. If you want to move beyond Eva and Evelyn and like unisex names, this may be a good bet for you…
Cobie
Shirley
English
"bright meadow"
Shirley Temple almost single-handedly lifted the gloom of the Great Depression, and in tribute (and perhaps wishing for a similarly curly-headed, dimpled darling of their own), thousands of parents…
Rooney
English or Gaelic surname
"descendent of the champion"
Talented actress Rooney Mara (originally born Patricia Rooney) has single-handedly transformed this Gaelic surname into a wearable and elegant girls' name. Often said to mean "red-haired", the…
Britt
Swedish, contracted form of Birgit
"high goddess"
Brisk but rather brittle. Britt Eklund was a Bond Girl in the 1974 The Man with the Golden Gun . Britt is a contracted form of Birgit, but be aware that it does come with the strong possibility of…
America
Place-name
Given to children of both sexes as far back as colonial times, this carries a lot of baggage. However, parents continue to take the risk. Actress America Ferrera may be have inspired some families to…
Hilary
Latin from Greek
"cheerful, happy"
Hilary (also spelled with two 'l's) is a hot potato of a name, so closely identified with Sen. Clinton that it's hard for most parents to see it as a baby name. A pity, really, as it's got so much…