User-created list
By HayleyP93 · Updated August 2022
Across 4 pages
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Celtic
"bounty; loved"
Soft yet solid, Cedric was invented by Sir Walter Scott for the noble character of the hero's father in Ivanhoe , presumed to be an altered form of the Saxon name Cerdic ("bounty"), or the Brythonic…
English diminutive of Susannah, Hebrew
"lily"
Although Susan had her heyday from the thirties to the sixties, and is now common among moms and new grandmas, and though most modern parents would prefer Susanna/Susannah, we have spotted some…
English color and flower name
"purple flower"
Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names…
Diminutive of Terence or Thierry, English
"soft; thresher; ruler of the people"
One of the first breakaway unisex baby names , Terry, used independently since the days of Terry and the Pirates. Popular in the mid-20th-century, it has fallen out of favor in recent years, replaced…
Irish variation of James
"supplanter"
Parents who have tired of Sean are now contemplating Seamus, the Irish form of James, which has a lot more substance and verve. One of the name's most famous bearers is the 1995 Nobel Prize-winning…
English
"counsel power"
Now seen as the chap in the smoking jacket in a 1930s drawing-room comedy, Reginald has actually been on the US popularity list every year since 1880. A name that was quite common throughout the…
"place of alders"
Once aristocratic British surname yet to be revived. Vince Vaughn recently gave his son the same double initials as his own when he named him Vernon Vaughn.
German and Dutch, feminine variation of Wilhelm
"resolute protection"
Wilhelmina might once have been condemned as a clunky relic best left in the past, but a steadily increasing number of parents are dusting it off for their 21st century babies. A reasonably popular…
English, Egyptian
"the Nubian, the bronze-colored one"
Phineas is the English variation of Phinehas, a Hebrew name likely derived from the Egyptian name Pa-nehasi. Pa-nehasi, meaning "the Nubian" can also be translated as "the bronze-colored one." The…
Greek from Latin
"dragon"
For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis.
German
"strong in work"
Combining the mild and the innocent, this sweet and feminine name is worthy of a comeback, in the mode of Madeline and Cecilia. Its original, also attractive form is Melisende, which came from…
Latin
"horn"
Cornelius, the New Testament name of a third century Pope and saint, is one of those venerable Latin names on the edge of consideration, despite the corny nickname alert. Cornelius has some magical…
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…
Feminine version of Hermes, Greek
"messenger, earthly"
Hermione's costarring role in Harry Potter has made this previously ignored, once stodgy name suddenly viable. Hermione could really take off once today's children start having kids of their own. In…
Latin from Greek
"burning"
Yes, it's the name of the brightest star in the sky, but can't you just hear people saying, "Are you serious?" Singer Erykah Badu used it as a middle name for son Seven.
Italian diminutive of Maria
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Marietta would make for a classy and uncommon long form for cool nickname Etta. The meaning of Maria is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea");…
Norse
"fen-dweller"
The name of a monstrous wolf in Norse legend, who kills the god Odin and is then killed himself by one of Odin’s sons. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling used the name for one of her most terrifying…
"white, bright."
The ancient name Albus has modern currency as the first name of the headmaster of Harry Potter 's Hogwarts, more formally known as Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Can Albus work if…
French
"flower"
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…
Greek
"bright, shining, glistening"
Also spelled as Argos, this name appears in Greek mythology, borne by Odysseus's loyal dog, by a giant creature with a hundred eye, a son of Zeus and King of Argos, and an Argonaut ship builder. The…
