Names from Whats My Line
- Artie
Origin:
Diminutive of Arthur, CelticMeaning:
"bear"Description:
Artie is a cute short form rarely given on its own, unlike the more grownup Art. But for a young Arthur, it's adorable.
- Atsuko
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"warm child; sincere child; honest child"
- Audie
Origin:
Short form of Auden or variation on EdwardDescription:
Audie as a boys' name was made famous by Audie Murphy, the most decorated hero of World War II. Murphy was born one of ten children of a poor Texas sharecropper's family and the origins of his unusual first name are unknown. But there were 29 boys named Audie in 2013, more than twice the number of girls given the name, which can be a diminutive of Audrey.
- Audrey
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"noble strength"Description:
Audrey is one of the girls' names that have been rising due to their connection to Old Hollywood glamour — in this case the eternally chic and radiant Audrey Hepburn. Audrey has another very different appeal as one of the elite group of girl names that mean strong, brave, or powerful.
- Ava
Origin:
Hebrew, Latin or GermanicMeaning:
"life; bird; water, island"Description:
Ava is one of the prime examples of a modern classic name, rising thought the course of a generation into the Top 10, where it has lingered for nearly 20 years.
- Alansa
- Alfena
- Anna Maria
- Auvy
- Barbara
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"foreign woman"Description:
Barbara is back! Among the fastest-rising names of 2023, Barbara came back from oblivion at the very bottom of the Top 1000, gaining nearly 100 places on the popularity list.
- Barbie
Origin:
Diminutive of BarbaraDescription:
Despite the voluptuous doll's various career choices, from astronaut to doctor, her name still remains a euphemism for "bimbo".
- Barrie
Origin:
Feminine variation of BarryMeaning:
"spear"Description:
The kind of cutesy female spin not popular since Barry was big for boys, several decades ago. Consider Bara instead.
- Barry
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"spear"Description:
This Anglicized form of Bearach or short form of Finbarr was in the Top 200 in the USA for 50 years until the early 80s when it rapidly fell out of favor. Barry has not yet found popularity in the modern era - but that may well change as people rediscover their love of classic figures like musician Barry White, baseballer Barry Bonds or even Barack Obama, whose nickname as a young man was Barry.
- Beatrice
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"she who brings happiness; blessed"Description:
Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, the lovely Beatrice with its long literary (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history is being looked at with fresh eyes by parents seeking a classic name with character and lots of upbeat nicknames, like Bea and Bee.
- Becky
Origin:
Diminutive of RebeccaDescription:
One of those casual down-home names last popular in the 1960s.
- Bee
Origin:
Animal name or diminutive of Beatrice, LatinMeaning:
"she who brings happiness"Description:
We've seen Beatrice and Beatrix climb in popularity, along with traditional nickname Bea. And now there's Bee, giving it a buzzy nature world spin, plus a tie to popular late night TV''s Samantha Bee, not to mention Aunt Bee on the old The Andy Griffith Show TV show. Bee can theoretically be short for any girl names starting with B.
- Ben
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"son of"Description:
Ben, the diminutive of Benjamin or Benedict, can easily stand on its own as a simple, strong, nice-guy choice, though it's somewhat attenuated. Ben is this generation's Bob or Bill.
- Benjamin
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"son of the right hand"Description:
Benjamin is a biblical name that has enjoyed widespread favor for decades, ranking in the US Top 50 for almost half a century and the Top 10 from 2015 until 2023.
- Benna
Description:
Benna is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In some contexts, it's considered a variation of Bena, which has African roots meaning "truthful." In others, it may be a diminutive of names like Benedetta or Benedicta, stemming from Latin origins meaning "blessed." The name also appears in Hebrew contexts, where it relates to understanding or wisdom. Benna has a gentle, melodic quality with its soft consonants and ending vowel sound. Though relatively uncommon in most Western countries, the name's simplicity and pleasantly feminine sound make it an appealing choice. The name conveys qualities of truthfulness, wisdom, and blessing, making it both meaningful and charming for a daughter.
- Bennett
Origin:
English medieval form of Benedict, LatinMeaning:
"blessed"Description:
Bennett is Ben with a bow tie, kind of a cross between Benjamin and Beckett. It's been trending up on the popularity charts in recent years, and its choice by The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Jane Krakowski could shoot it even higher.