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Thats So Raven
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Loretta
English variation of Italian Lauretta; diminutive of Laura
"bay laurel"
Though Loretta has long ago lost its Latin flair, fashionable Sarah Jessica Parker's choice of it as the middle name of one of her twin daughters freshens it up a bit. It's one of several such names,…
Sierra
Spanish
"saw"
Sierra is a name borrowed from the western mountain range, with Latin rhythm and cowboy charm, that has led to many offshoots: Cierra, Cyara, and so on. It is now probably past its peak but retains…
Danny
Short form of Daniel, Hebrew
"God is my judge"
A diminutive of Daniel that's been immortalized in odes ranging from 'Danny Boy' to 'Danny's Song.'
Cassandra
Greek
"shining or excelling man"
The name of the tragic mythological Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but was condemned never to be believed, Cassandra has been used for striking characters in movies and…
Leonard
German
"brave lion"
Leonard is the name of several saints, including one who is the patron saint of childhood, and another medieval saint who's the patron of prisoners--known for freeing prisoners he deemed worthy of…
Sam
English, diminutive of Samuel
"told by God"
Sam has long been used on its own for boys, as accepted standing by itself as it is as a short form of Samuel. Straightforward and down-to-earth, Sam is the name of the son of the co-stars of The…
Tommy
Diminutive of Thomas
"twin"
A surprising number of parents choose to put the nickname Tommy on their son's birth certificate rather than the more traditional Thomas. Perhaps even more surprising is thE fact that Tommy has never…
Trevor
Welsh
"from the large village"
Trevor, a British standard, took a long time to cross the Atlantic, but finally began its rise here in the 1980s. It is now a thoroughly naturalized citizen, though it still retains a touch of Anglo…
Marvin
Welsh, variant of Mervyn
"sea hill"
Marvin has been neglected for so long that it's hard to believe that it has windswept Welsh roots. It also has some strong namesakes going for it -- singer Marvin Gaye, composer Marvin Hamlisch and…
Murphy
Irish
"sea warrior"
This jaunty Celtic surname — one of the most common family names in both Ireland and the US — is totally viable as a first. The arguably most famous Murphy is TV's Murphy Brown, and indeed the name…
Harry
Diminutive of Henry, English, German
"estate ruler"
Harry is the medieval English form of Henry, which derived from the Germanic name Heimrich, meaning "estate ruler." Harry was the nickname of all eight King Henrys; it is also a diminutive of Harold…
Tony
Diminutive of Anthony
"priceless one"
Tony, as in classy. Or To-nyyy, as yelled out a tenement window.
Teddy
Diminutive of Theodore or Edward, English
"gift of God; wealthy guardian"
Popularized by Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt Jr., Teddy is a sweet but substantial choice, similar in style to the likes of Charlie, Freddie, and Bertie. Appearing in the US Top 1000 for most of the…
Jessie
Anglicized form of Teasagh or diminutive of Jessica, Hebrew
"behold or wealthy"
Jessie has never been used as much as Jennie/Jenny, partly because it's a boys’ name as well (spelled Jesse), but it does have a friendly and unpretentious pioneer feel. In Scotland, it's found as an…
Ben
Hebrew
"son of"
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.
Kendra
Feminization of Kenneth or English
"handsome or knowing"
Kendra was once seen as a feminization of Kenneth -- but it's now firmly established as a standalone. American parents can't seem to make up their mind about it though: it was one of 2013's…
Derrick
Spelling variation of Derek, English from German form of Theodoric,"the people's ruler"
"the people's ruler"
Derek is one of those names that, in its heyday, spawned lots of variations, all trendy. Last year, about 300 baby boys were named Derrick and about 1350 were named Derek.
Chelsea
Place name, English
"landing place for chalk or limestone"
Chelsea is still being used, with about 400 baby girls named Chelsea in the US last year. But it was much more popular a few decades ago, peaking at Number 15 in 1992. Chelsea first entered the…
Kelly
Irish
"war"
Once the quintessential bouncy teenager name, Kelly helped launch the trend of unisex Irish names . But it now takes a backseat to more substantial surname names like Kennedy.
Eddie
Diminutive of Edward et al
"wealthy"
Most parents today call their Edwards Edward -- and we tend to think that's the right call. But it's worth noting that Eddie has been in the Top 1000 every year since records began in 1880; indeed,…