crophyus's list "i love babies" of 20 great name ideas: Calypso - Circe!

i love babies

babies aren't gross and i love their stinky gross fingers and their raucous screaming. I am a middle aged woman, i love shopping at walmart with my children who don't listen to me or any other authority figure because i have neither disciplined or spoken to them in their entire lives. i lie in wait for young adults whose beauty is unmatchable to hit me with their broken cars so i can torment them and their insurance company. i will not wear a mask because people are telling me to and i dont like it when people tell me what to do because i live in america.

Melodic, rhythmic, and poetic in sound, Calypso is a name with connections to music, mythology, space, and pop culture. A distinctive was to nickname Callie or even Pip, it has that charming -o ending of Cleo, Margot, Juno, and Willow. 
 
 Likely derived from the Greek kalypto, meaning "to conceal, hide", Calypso was the name of an island nymph and a daughter of Atlas in Greek mythology. She fell in love with Odysseus after her was shipwrecked on her island, and she delayed him from returning home, by detaining him for seven years.
 
It is also a genre of Trinidadian music, inspired by West African Kaiso, and characterized by rhythmic and harmonic vocals. Calypso was popularized in the States by Harry Belafonte owing to his1956 album of the same name.
 
The name of one of Saturn's moons, of Jacques-Yves Cousteau's research ships, and of characters in Pirates of the Caribbean and Bluey, it makes a dramatic yet approachable choice.
 
Appearing in the 2026 movie The Odyssey, it may well see increased usage, with nearly 60 girls already given the name in 2025: the highest number of Calypsos born in a single year in the States.

Calypso

The name of a Christian saint and a city in Ohio, Xenia is one of the more accessible and intriguing x names. It is the name of one of the Bond Girls--played by Famke Janssen in the film "GoldenEye." 
 
Sometimes spelled Ksenia to reflect the traditional Greek pronunciation (kseh-NEE-uh), Xenia is also pronounced ZEEN-ee-ah or SHEN-yah.

Xenia

A fresh addition to the botanical name lists, Aster has in fact been in use since the 1910s, albeit quietly and sporadically. It began taking off for girls in the late 2000s, coinciding with comedian Gilbert Gottfried using it for his daughter, Lily Aster, in 2007, and the similar Astor appearing from 2006 until 2012 in the TV show Dexter.
 
As a floral and celestial choice, Aster is the name of a daisy-like flower, with a star-like shape. In this case, it's derived from the Greek word for "star". As an Ethiopian name, it's a variation of Esther, drawn from Amharic. Pronounced as ah-STAIR, it shows the same starry meaning. 
 
While Aster was more popular for girls in the 2010s, more recent years have seen it lean more unisex. In fact, it's a Top 200 choice in Belgium for boys. In the US, a recent year saw the split to be roughly 40:60 with 43 boys and 57 girls given the name.

Aster

This female form of the ancient Latin Aelian has an appealing sound, though kids might have a hard time handling that initial "ae" spelling. Just remember that the "ae" is pronounced "ee" (think Aesop's fables).The Annals of Aeliana is a children's fantasy series by Ryan Watters. 

The meaning is uncertain but is thought to derive from the Greek helios, which means sun.

Aeliana

Lucina, deriving from Latin lucus "grove" and also associated with lux "light", is an epithet given in Roman mythology to the goddess Juno (and sometimes also Diana) in her role as goddess of childbirth. A stately and unusual route to Lucy, more delicate than Lucinda.

Lucina

Calista Flockhart spotlighted this lovely Greek name that has a long future in the English-speaking world.  Kallista is another spelling; Calixta and Calixto are related.

Callista

With other fruity names like Clementine, Olive and Plum ripe for the picking, sweet Cherry remains remarkably underused: just 27 baby girls received the name in 2017, down from 343 at its peak in 1948. The unsavory slang meaning no doubt goes a long way towards explaining its fall from grace.

Cherry

A royal name in ancient Egypt that's never quite made it to the modern world, though nickname Cleo is widely used.  Other now-extinct Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora and Cleola, achieved some popularity in the early 20th century when there was a crazy for all things Egypt-related as the ancient tombs were opened and artifacts displayed.  In the US, Cleopatra became a popular silent film in 1917 starring Theda Bara.

Cleopatra

Delphine is a sleek, chic French name with two nature associations — the dolphin and the delphinium, a bluebell-like flower, a well as a link to the ancient city of Delphi, which the Greeks believed to be the womb of the earth. All of these derive from the Greek word delphus "womb". 
 
Delphine was very popular in France from the 1960s to the 1980s, peaking at Number 6 in 1977-78. In the US, its peak came earlier — in 1930, when it reached Number 427. Today, Delphine is absent from the Top 1000 entirely but retains its French flair, making it an even fresher alternative to stylish vintage names like Daphne and Josephine. Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas have a daughter named Delphine, which may revive the name among Americans.
 
Balzac used the name in two of his novels, and Madame de Stael wrote the 1802 epistolary Delphine, which helped bring the name into fashion in France. Delphine Seyrig was a renowned French movie actress.
 
The attractive Spanish version is Delfina.

Delphine

What is so rare as a month named June? October – and November and December – are a lot rarer. Brisk and substantial, they're so much more memorable and modern than April or May. October got its name via being the eighth month in the old Roman calendar. Some related, more feminine variations are Octavia and Ottavia.
 October was chosen by innovative author/editor Dave Eggers and wife Vendela Vida for their daughter. And Neil Gaiman wrote a story personifying the month in his collection Fragile Things entitled October in the Chair.

October

With the first name True receiving a Kardashian dose of popularity for girls, Truth is gaining in visibility too. Though its still more popular for boys two to one, the truth is that the name works equally well for both genders -- but may inspire a lot of puns.

Truth

This phonetic Anglicization of the Irish name Eithne was made familiar by the single-named Irish singer and composer. St. Eithne was the daughter of a king and an early Irish convert to Christianity.

Enya

Anja is one of the most international of several versions of Ann/Anna now being imported, also including Anya and Annika.
 Anja is heard in several European cultures, including Germany, the Netherlands, and the Scandinavian countries--and it has a variety of pronunciations. It is currently most popular in Slovenia.
 Supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio has a daughter called Anja, as does former Bachelor Andrew Firestone.

Anja

Lark is getting some new and well-deserved attention as a post-Robin and Raven bird name. Although it was first recorded as a name in the 1830's, it has never appeared on the Social Security list.
 'The Lark' was used as a nickname for Cosette in Les Miserables; Lark Voorhees was a star of Saved by the Bell, and Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany used Lark as the middle name of their daughter Agnes.
 
The expression "happy as a lark" gives this songbird name a cheery image, as well as a 'lark' being a synonym for a merry time..
 Larkin is a pretty extension, as is Skylark, which is rich in cultural associations: there's the Percy Bysshe Shelley ode To a Skylark and the jazz classic Skylark written by Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael..

Lark

Lumina is a radiant feminine name derived from the Latin word 'lumen,' meaning 'light.' This elegant name carries connotations of brightness, illumination, and enlightenment across various cultures. 

Though rare in mainstream usage -- about 30 baby girls were named Lumina in the US last year -- Lumina has appeared in literature, video games, and as a character name in various media. The name has a magical, ethereal quality that appeals to parents seeking something uncommon yet meaningful. 

Its connection to light makes it symbolically rich, suggesting qualities of intelligence, hope, and guidance. The name flows melodically and has cross-cultural appeal, as variations of light-based names exist in many languages.

Lumina

Pandora has occasionally been used by the British gentry (for girls with brothers who might be called Peregrine) and is now starting to be heard in the US too: It was given to 34 baby girls last year. 
 Down side: Pandora was the mythological first woman on earth whose curiosity caused her to lift a forbidden box and inadvertently unleash all the evils of the world. But perhaps she's paid the price long enough--Pandora is riding the wave of mythological names used for babies after centuries of being confined to legend.
 Pandora is the eponymous title character of an Anne Rice vampire novel, and appears in the Adrian Mole books. There was a Pandora character on Skins, who was adorably called Panda.

Pandora

Another astral name, this one relating to one of the largest and brightest stars in the heavens, is popular in Scandinavia and Spain, where it ranks among the Top 50 <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a>. Although still very rare in the US, we think it has serious potential to follow the likes of Luna and Lyra up the charts.

 In Spanish, the name means "meadow" and is taken from a title for the Virgin Mary (La Virgen de la Vega, The Virgin of the Meadow).

Vega

Sweet but sharp, Lemon was given to a surprising 50 girls back in 2021, while in a more recent year, it was given to just shy of 30. Some parents may find it summery and refreshing, while others may feel it leaves a sour taste in the mouth; either way, Lemon sounds similar enough to on-trend choices like Lennon, Clementine, and Leni that it does have the potential to be used more often.
 
One thing to bear in mind is that Lemon is sometimes used as a slang term with a couple of meanings. It may refer to: a defective and faulty car or gadget; to an unhelpful person who won't take action (as in, standing there like a lemon); and, in a more niche (and perhaps slightly outdated?) way, for explicit content in fanfiction. Make of that what you will. 
 
Content creator Mercedes Okray named her daughter Lemon in 2025.

Lemon

A much more dynamic nickname than Nicky for any of the Nic-names. Part of a growing trend of boyish nicknames for girls - alongside Stevie and Lou - Nico has cheerful, snappy sounds, and a fresh, sassy image.
 
Nico was used for 37 baby girls in the US last year, and twin sister Niko for another 17 -- though that's still far fewer than the 2700 baby boys who were given one of those two names.
 
The single-named German Nico (born Christa) was the iconic 1960s singer with Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground. Nico was chosen by Thandiwe Newton for her daughter.

Nico

In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea (or Aiaia) who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to Odysseus's crew in Homer's Odyssey, transforming them into swine. All was forgiven, however, as Circe and Odysseus later had a child together;Telegonus.

The name and legend have appeared in countless forms, from a section of James Joyce's Ulysses to short stories by Julio Cortazar to Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon to films to DC comics to a dance by Martha Graham. Contemporary readers may well be familiar with Madeline Miller's popular 2018 novel, Circe which retells the goddess's story 

Meaning "hawk, bird", Circe is a witchy choice which has seen quiet uptake since the release of the aforementioned novel. Prior to 2018, it had never been given to more than 10 girls in a single year, while in more recent years, nearly 30 babies have been called Circe in the US.