User-created list
By turnip · Updated May 2023
Across 9 pages
of 9
English
"elf-friend"
This variation of the more well known Alvin adds an unusual and feminine touch to the original. It sounds a bit more like what it means--"elf friend."
Variation of Evelyn or Aveline
Evaline may be unusual, but there are so many stylish names around right now that sound like it, from Eva to Evelyn to Adeline, that it will feel less distinctive than it is.
Diminutive of Frances, English from Latin
"from France; free man"
As this word is less often used to mean derriere, it becomes more possible to view Fanny as the kind of appealingly quaint nickname name, like Josie and Nellie, that many parents are favoring now.
Samoan, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
"gray or white haired; god is gracious; new victory"
Short, sweet, and perhaps misleadingly simple, Sina is in fact a multicultural choice with a wide range of origins. In Samoan mythology, Sina is used for a number of figures, and notably appears in…
Angelita is a feminine Spanish name that serves as a diminutive form of Angela, meaning 'little angel' or 'little messenger.' Its roots trace back to the Greek word 'angelos,' which means…
German
"strength of a spear"
Could cute nickname Gertie, remembered as cute five-year-old Drew Barrymore in E.T. , revive the long shunned Gertrude? It's tempting to dismiss Gertrude as a name on its way through the door marked…
"home ruler"
This alternative spelling of Harriet has always ranked in the England top 1000, reaching as high as the top 50 in the late 1800s. The extra T changes nothing about the pronunciation but adds a little…
Italian form of Laelia, meaning unknown
A rare and delicate choice, Lelia is a modern variation of an ancient Roman family name. It came to Britain in the mid-nineteenth century, following the publication of George Sand's popular romantic…
Latin
"lion"
Leola is a feminine name of Latin and German origins. It can be a variant of Leola, meaning 'lioness,' derived from 'leo' (lion), or an elaboration of Leah or Lee. It was most popular in the United…
Variation of Lauren, Laura, or Lorraine
"from Laurentum; bay laurel; from Lorraine"
Derived from either the Laura/Lauren/Laurence family, ultimately from the Latin laurus meaning "bay laurel", or a variation of Lorraine and Lorena, names associated with the French province of…
English word name
Marvel, now a character name in The Hunger Games series, was a miracle name of yesterday, on the girls' Social Security list until 1941 and reaching a high of 487 at the turn of the last century,…
Estonian and Spanish diminutive of Matilda, German
"battle mighty"
Actress Tilda Swinton injected this dated nickname name with some modern charm.
French
"white"
Blanche, which originated as a nickname for a pale blonde and then became associated with the notion of purity, was in style a century ago, ranking in the double digits until 1920. She then had to…
Oliva is a feminine name with Latin roots, serving as a variation of Olive or Olivia. Derived from the Latin word for the olive tree, 'oliva,' it symbolizes peace, fertility, and victory in classical…
German, diminutive of Anselma
"God helmet"
Familiar in the US, Brazil, and Latvia in the early 20th century, Zelma has been off the radar for some time. While the Selma-Thelma-Velma connection might date it, with Zelda and Alma sparking…
"woman of honor"
Honora and Honoria are two ways of softening the severity of Honor, while retaining its righteous meaning. They were predominant until the Reformation, when the Puritans adopted the abstract virtue…
Greek
"violet flower"
This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan. Ione was one of the fifty sea nymphs —…
Hebrew and Arabic
"tender"
An interesting and rhythmic name often heard in the Native American community; in fact,in the Gold Rush era in California and Nevada, it was so common that it became a generic English term for a…
Ewe, Akan, Ghanaian, Cherokee
"born on Saturday; water"
Ama is a day name used by the Akan people of Ghana for girls born on Saturday. Names that reference a baby's birth by day of the week, time of day, or season of the year are common in many African…
"golden, blond"
An ancient Roman clan name, Flavia is one choice that's unusual but historic. Now a Top 60 name in Italy, Flavia has been a rarity in the US, but with the upswing in F names for girls, this could…
