Halouise's list "Halouise Favorite" of 20 great name ideas: Makaio - Suki!

Halouise Favorite

These are my favorite names. Mostly for book characters, but I’d definitely use some of them in real life.

A refreshing variation on the Biblical classic Matthew, this Hawaiian form blends the stylish -o ending with the cool Kai sound. First appearing in the US stats in 1999, it has been climbing steadily upwards ever since. 
 
The name of a popular ukulele brand, a famous orca, and two popular horses on Instagram, Makaio was given to nearly 90 boys in 2023 and with Makai already in the Top 1000, Makaio might continue to rise.

Makaio

Quade is a confident, contemporary-sounding name that would fit right in with classmates Cade, Zade, Slade and Jade, boasting the quirky Q-beginning.
 Quade Cooper is an Australian rugby star. With the alternate spelling Quaid, the name is associated with thespian brothers Dennis and Randy.

Quade

One of the stellar unique baby names from mythology, Andromeda was the beautiful daughter of Cassiopeia who, like her mother, literally became a star--the constellation that bears her name.The Bohemian Andromeda makes a dramatic and adventurous choice in a time when four-syllable mythological names are gradually making their way into the mainstream.
 Andromeda Tonks (nee Black), is a Harry Potter character
 Cousin name Andromache belonged to the tragic wife of the Trojan Hector, appeared in Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida and was the subject of plays by Euripedes and Racine.

Andromeda

Hart could be the hero of a romantic novel, but on the other hand, it's short, straightforward, and strong sounding. The most famous bearer of the name was tragic poet Hart (born Harold) Crane, but it also has musical cred via Lorenz Hart, of the classic Rodgers & Hart songwriting duo and a literary tie to playwright Moss Hart.
 Hart would make an interesting middle name choice--with heart.

Hart

Mikko

Marguerite is a classic French name with a remnant of old-fashioned Gallic charm; and is also a variety of daisy. Chic again in Paris, it's definitely ripe for revival here. 
 Another reason you might want to consider it: Saint Marguerite was an adventurous 17th century nun who set up schools throughout wilderness Quebec. Marguerite has also been a French royal name.
 Marguerite was in the Top 100 in this country from 1890 to 1921.
 Probably its most famous fictional bearer is Marguerite Gautier, tragic heroine of the Alexandre Dumas novel La Dame aux Camelias, known in film as Camille and played most notably by Greta Garbo. Marguerite is also the heroine of Gounod's Faust and the Scarlet Pimpernel novels.
 Marguerite Duras wrote many novels, plays and films, most notably the bestselling L'Amant (The Lover,) which became a successful film, and she also was the screenwriter of Hiroshima mon amour.
 Maya Angelou was born Marguerite; it was her younger brother who shortened it.

Marguerite

Tai, which rhymes with Kai, is a unisex name with a range of international references.  It means the equivalent of "too much" in Chinese but is also used as a Maori name meaning "the tide" and in Romanian means "yours."  While it's only ever ranked in the U.S. Top 1000 as a girls' name, during the height of the popularity of Olympic skater Tai Babilonia, Tai makes a simple intriguing modern choice for either gender.

Zeno, the name of two ancient philosophers, has a muscular dynamism that's lightened by its cheerful final vowel, resulting in a kind of offbeat sci-fi feel. Zeno of Citium was the founder of the Stoic school of thought, Zeno of Elea was another early, original Greek thinker, famed for his Paradoxes.
 Zeno Cosini is the protagonist of the Italo Svevo novel Confessions of Zeno.

Zeno

Marius, frequently heard in Germany and France, is a slightly fusty yet accessible name that has (Les Mis) to Anne Rice. With the rise in interest in such Latin names as Maximus and Atticus, Marius might start attracting more attention.
Mario, the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese version of Marius, is much more widely used.

Marius

More and more frequently heard as the Gallic version of Oliver, Olivier could be seen as a tribute to the great British actor, Sir Laurence O.


Olivier

A quaint and quirky flower name, until recently considered a bit too prim for most American classrooms but brought back to life in recent years by the attractive character of Primrose "Prim" Everdeen in the Hunger Games series. In the Top 300 girl names in England and Wales and on Nameberry, Primrose remains rare in the US, but is made more accessible by a raft of sweet nickname options, including Rosie and Posy.

 The flower name Primrose derives from Latin prima rosa, meaning "first rose", since primrose flowers are among the first to appear in early spring, heralding the coming of better weather. Primrose also has an alternative history as a Scottish surname deriving from the place name Penrhos, from the Welsh words pren "tree" and rhos "moor." The spelling was later altered due to association with the flower.

 In the H. E. Bates book and 90's British TV series, The Darling Buds of May, there is a character named Primrose Violet Anemone Iris Magnolia Narcissa Larkin, who has twin sisters named Zinnia and Petunia.

Primrose

Amiel is a biblical name with lots of connections to  those with a creative spirit, including director Jon Amiel, French pop singer Thierry Amiel, and medieval troubadour Gaubert Amiel. Ami (which means friend in French) is an obvious (and beautiful) nickname option.

Amiel

This charming mini name began life as a nickname for Rodrigo but has since taken on a life of its own, ranking as an independent name in Portugal, it’s country of origin. If you’re looking to honor a Rodrigo, Roger, or Roderick in your life, Rui is an appealing international option. Ruy is a spelling variation that is more commonly seen in Spain.
 
Rui had a brief appearance on the charts in France from 1967-1981.

Cyra is an unusual name that can be pronounced either SEER-a or SI-ra, rhyming with Keira or Tyra. This name may be a feminine variation of Cyrus but is also a Persian name that stands on its own.  One noted bearer is writer Cyra McFadden.

Cyra

Nicolo is a more lively variation of Nicholas and one of the most attractive <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/506/italian-names-for-boys">Italian names for boys</a>. A name with a long, distinguished Italian history of its own, it also boasts the charming nickname Nico.
 Although the female counterpart, Nicola, has long been a favorite in the UK, Nicolo has not yet made a similar transition. It was chosen, though, by actor Stanley Tucci, for his son.
 Nicolo is a name with musical reverberations, connected to the major early violin maker Amati, and the later violin virtuoso Paganini.

Nicolo

With brother name Theodore ranking in the US top 10, this alternative might appeal to parents looking to honor Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish heritage.

Teodoro

Cato conjures up images of ancient Roman statesmen and southern antebellum retainers; it could have revival potential, with its 'O' ending and the current interest in the names of Greek and Roman antiquity.
 The Roman statesman known as Cato the Elder was born Marcus Portius, the Cato added in tribute to his natural sagacity, practical wisdom and political expertise.
 Cato appears in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and, to go from the sublime to the ridiculous, in the Pink Panther movies--and Kato was The Green Hornet's valet. Cato is also a 21st century Hunger Games name, which could do more to spur its popularity than all its past history.

Cato

This rarely used New Testament name could make an unusual route to the cool nickname Nico. Borne by the person who helps to entomb Jesus following his crucifixion, it has the powerful meaning of "victory of the people" and is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek Nikodemos. 
 
A literary choice, it is given to the character Nicodemus (Noddy) Boffin in the Dickens novel Our Mutual Friend, while in the real-world, it is chosen for a small but substantial number of boys in the US each year, with 35 born in a recent count. 
 
The English pronunciation is nik-uh-DEE-muhs, while in Latin it would be nee-ko-DEH-moos. Nikodem is the more popular Polish form, also heard in the UK and in the Netherlands.

Nicodemus

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

As a Japanese name, Suki has the sweet meaning "loved one". It's also an English diminutive of Susanna, making it a creative and modern way to honor a Susan in your life.