Rare Names from my Family Tree

Drucilla

Latin

"strong"

Pleasingly quaint and dainty New Testament possibility; the nickname Dru modernizes it.

Easter

English, from German

Easter has been used as a name for several hundred years, as part of the day-naming tradition; now, this rarely heard holiday celebration name would make a novel choice for a springtime baby.…

Hesper

Greek

"evening, evening star"

Hesper is a feminine form of Hesperus, the name of the Greek mythological personification of the Evening Star. The Hesperides are daughters of nymphs of the evening. Hesper may be related to the name…

Iren

Iren is a feminine name that functions as a variation of Irene, with roots in ancient Greek. Derived from "Eirene," it means "peace." In Greek mythology, Eirene was the goddess of peace, giving the…

Lavern

Lavern is a unisex name that was more commonly used in the mid-20th century, though it has traditionally been more popular for women. Derived from French elements, it likely combines "la" (the) and…

Margaretha

Margaretha is a feminine name of Greek origin, being a variation of Margaret, which derives from 'margarites' meaning 'pearl.' This elegant form of the name has been particularly popular in Germanic…

Nena

Nena is a charming feminine name with Spanish and Italian origins. It traditionally serves as a term of endearment meaning 'little girl' or 'baby' in Spanish. The name gained international…

Orlena

Orlena is a delicate feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variation of Orlene, which derives from French roots meaning "golden" or can be considered a feminine form of Orlando.…

Permelia

Permelia is a feminine name with historical roots dating back to the 19th century in America. It's a variant of Pamela or Permilia, derived from Greek elements meaning 'all honey' or 'sweetness.' The…

Silence

Word name

The Puritans used it as a virtue name -- but today it would just be considered weird: silence is no longer golden.