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The names
Honey
Word name
Honey entered the US Top 1000 for the first time ever in 2024, following the lead of parents in England, who've elevated this nickname-name to the Top 300 girls' names in the UK. Honey's popularity…
Hershel
Hebrew
"deer"
Gentle meaning and bona fide Hebrew history, but feels old-mannish, like Herman and Menashe.
Shadow
English word name
A word name with a touch of mystery surrounding it, Shadow is a bold, edgy choice for a baby which some may find a bit ominous. While it is predominatly used for cats, dogs, and other furry friends,…
Valentine
Latin
"strength, health"
Valentine is an attractive Shakespearean name with romantic associations, but those very ties to the saint and the sentimental holiday have sent it into a decline, one which we think may be about to…
Kermit
Irish, variant of Diarmaid/Dermot
"without injunction, without envy"
Kermit was a Top 500 name until the 1960s, not coincidentally the decade in which Kermit the Frog made it a one-person (well, one-frog) name. Derived from the Irish surname Mac Diamada, itself from…
Butterfly
English word name
Fluttery and flighty. But there are a couple of names that mean butterfly you might consider, such as Yara and Farasha.
Christmas
English word name
Christmas is a day name long and quietly used as a name for babies born at Christmas . Prettier and more modern than Noel or Noelle.
Columbine
English from Latin
"dove"
A beautiful flower name deriving from the Latin word for dove. Sadly, in America this name is now forever linked with a tragic terrorist attack on a Colorado high school.
Mystery
Word name
Pretty sound, provocative meaning, but a little over-the-top.
Silence
Word name
The Puritans used it as a virtue name -- but today it would just be considered weird: silence is no longer golden.
Snowdrop
Snowdrop is a delicate nature-inspired feminine name derived from the early-blooming white flower that often emerges while snow still covers the ground. This botanical name symbolizes hope, purity,…
Cinderella
French
"little ash-girl"
One familiar name never used for real people, for obvious reasons. Read more about Cinderella and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.
Jinx
Word name
"spell, curse, bringer of bad luck"
Jinx, a James Bond heroine name has an ominous meaning but kinetic energy. In the film "Die Another Day," the actual first name of the character played by Halle Berry is Giacinta. It could therefore…
Vanilla
Sesame
Food name and word name
Poppy is the most widely-used seed name, opening the door for Sesame. While Sesame has a pretty sound, it is not often used as a name -- fewer than five baby girls were given the name in the US in…