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The names
Nora
Diminutive of Honora or Eleonora, Latin
"honor or meaning unknown"
Nora is a lovely, refined name that conjures up images of Belle Epoch ladies in fur-trimmed coats skating in Central Park. Long seen as a quintessentially Irish name though its roots are not in…
Elena
Spanish, Italian, German, Greek variation of Helen
"bright, shining light"
Elena is at its most popular point ever in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal and the overall popularity of El- names. It's more international than Ellen or Eleanor, but still accessible. A…
Alina
Slavic, Germanic, Arabic, Scottish
"bright, beautiful; noble; delicate, soft; defending men"
Alina has been drifting up the US popularity charts since the early 1980s, and now sits in in the Top 200. But Alina's real strength is in its international flexibility: The name ranks highly in a…
Jason
Greek
"to heal"
Jason, the Number 3 name for the entire decade of the 1970s -- thus the title of our original baby-naming book, Beyond Jennifer & Jason -- is more likely to be dad's name now than baby's, but it's…
Lucille
French variation of Latin Lucilla
"light"
Lucille is a name that had long been overpowered by its link to Lucille Ball, with an image of tangerine-colored hair, big, round eyes, and a tendency to stage daffy and desperate stunts. But with…
Elaine
French and Scottish
"bright, shining light"
This old Scottish form of Helen has had quite a history, going from appearing as one of the shining heroines of the Arthurian legends, the princess who fell in love with Sir Lancelot and became the…
Helena
Latinate form of Helen, Greek
"torch; shining light"
Helena is one of those classic names that just misses making the US Top 1000 girl names for its entire history, falling off for a single year in 1992. Since then it's been drifting lazily up the…
Florence
Latin
"flourishing, prosperous"
Florence is back, returning to the US Top 1000 girl names in 2017 after a nearly 40 year absence. Other English-speaking countries have been quicker to welcome Florence back into fashion. The name…
Asa
Hebrew; Japanese
"healer; born in the morning"
A short but strong biblical name with multicultural appeal, Asa is enjoying new visibility thanks to hot young actor Asa Butterfield of Hugo fame. Asa was the name of an important biblical king of…
Fletcher
English occupational name
"arrow-maker"
Fletcher is a common surname with a touch of quirkiness; it definitely fits into the So Far Out It's In category--and moving further in all the time along with other occupational names from Parker to…
Aileen
Irish variation of Helen
"bright, shining light"
Irish Aileen and Scottish Eileen may be pronounced the same way or Aileen can be pronounced with a long a at the beginning. While neither is particularly stylish, Aileen is slightly more popular and…
Althea
Greek
"with healing power"
Althea is a poetic, almost ethereal name found in Greek myth and pastoral poetry, associated in modern times with the great tennis player Althea Gibson, the first African-American to win at…
Alyona
Diminutive of Yelena, Russian
"bright and shining light"
New name in the pool of international names, added by lovely supermodel Alyona Osmanova.
Cassander
Greek
"light of man"
Cassander is the masculine form of Cassandra, and the name of an ancient king of Macedon from the 3rd century BC. It could make a nice alternative to Alexander or a refreshing way to honour a female…
Chiara
Italian
"light, clear"
Chiara is a lovely and romantic Italian name that's familiar but not widely used here: a real winner. You might consider Chiara instead of Claire, Clara, Cara, or even Keira. Santa Chiara, Aglicized…
Clarissa
Elaboration of Clara
"bright, clear"
Clarissa, the daintier version of Claire, has a long literary history of its own, having been featured in the novels of Samuel Richardson, Charles Dickens, and Virginia Woolf—Clarissa was the title…
Elektra
Greek
"shining, bright"
This spelling of Electra makes this vibrant name less electric and more kinetic.
Galen
Greek
"calm, healer"
Many will associate this name with Galen of Pergamon, the second-century physician considered to be the founding father of medicine. A more recent reference is Star Wars character Galen Erso. The…
Inara
Arabic, Basque, mythology, "shining light, enlightenment; sunray; goddess"
"shining light, enlightenment; sunray; goddess"
Inara is an appealing choice with multiple origins, currently in the Top 500 in the UK and the Netherlands. Gentle looking but bright in feel, it is also on the rise in the US, possibly owing to its…
Kiran
Sanskrit
"ray of light"
Though it sounds like a modern invention, Kiran is a traditional Hindu name from India; chosen for her son by actress Kelli Williams. Author Kiran Desai is a woman and this name, which bears a…