nameaddictmadison's list "madisons favorite names" of 20 great name ideas: Lucette - Verrill!

madisons favorite names

All of my favorite names (a constantly growing list!!). These are the names that make me feel happy and bright. I imagine self-assured, intelligent, passionate people with all of these names.

Popular in the 1930s in France, this is a diminutive of Lucy (or Lucie). 

Lucette

Clove is a spice name that is a tad more piquant than Saffron or Cinnamon. It might get more attention now as a member of The Hunger Games family of names.

Clove

Like Horace, Horatio is a variation on the Latin Horatius, but its Shakespearean and optimistic Horatio Alger pedigree makes it an attractive up-and-comer, especially with its cool final o. A modern reference is the charismatic TV character Horatio Caine played by David Caruso in CSI: Miami.
 Horatio was the given name of Lord Nelson, one of the most dashing of British heroes, the naval commander who led the British fleet to destroy the French at Trafalgar, and it also belonged to Hamlet's loyal friend. Another literary namesake is Captain Horatio Hornblower, the protagonist of a long-running series of naval novels penned by C. S. Forester, played on screen by Gregory Peck.

Horatio

Edwina may still be taking tea in the parlor, but we can see her joining friends like Matilda and Josephine for a comeback, especially if pronounced like Edwin rather than Edween. 
 She had a very non-vintage-mauve image in the Coen brothers' cult favorite, Raising Arizona, in which Holly Hunter played a police officer named Edwina who was usually called Ed.
 Edwina was on the Social Security list every year through 1969, reaching a high of 378 in 1943.

Edwina

A euphonious and lovely name with a dark-eyed, long-flowing-haired image, Raphaela is, like Gabriella and Isabella, beginning to be drawn into the American mainstream. 

Raphaela

Highly unusual as a baby name for either gender, Yarrow is an herb that grows wild and has long been used for its medicinal property. It's named for the mythical Achilles, who was said to carry yarrow into battle.

Yarrow

Everybody knows Huckleberry Finn, the Mark Twain character named, Twain said, for the 19th century slang term for "humble." A few modern parents have put it on a birth certificate, including "Man Vs. Wild" star Bear Grylls, who, like many parents, will call the boy the much more manageable Huck. It was also the name of a child on TV's West Wing,

Huckleberry

Although she declared her independence as far back as the reign of Elizabeth I — Good Queen Bess, Bess now sounds less passé than Beth or Betsy. 

Bess

Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their daughter's middle--and we wouldn't be surprised to see more girls with this heroic name.
 In Greek legend young Leander swam across dangerous waters every night to court his beloved Hero. In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Hero is the love interest of Claudio and cousin of Beatrice.

Hero

Illyria can trace all its varied associations to the name of an ancient place in the western part of the Balkan peninsula, also called Illyricum. Its inhabitants, conquered by the Romans in 168 BC, were called the Illyrians. Its mythological ancestor was Illyrius, a demigod and son of King Cadmus and the goddess Harmonia.
 
Illyria also plays a role in literature, both as a place-name and a character name. Shakespeare set his play Twelfth Night in a fictionalized Illyria, while more recently, Joss Whedon created a (female) character named Illyria, a powerful "Old One", for his show Angel. And there's a (male) Illyrio in Game of Thrones.
 
Although Illyria sounds similar to the cheerful Italian name Ilaria, it has a different root. The exact root of Illyria is speculated, but one theory is that it means "water snake".

Illyria

Parents seeking a distinctive New Testament name might consider this one. Adopted by some Puritans in the seventeenth century, Persis was used in the William Dean Howells novel The Rise of Silas Lapham for the wife of the protagonist.
 In Romans 16.12 of the New Testament, Persis is a Roman woman who was an early follower of Christ, mentioned by St. Paul in a letter as "beloved" and having "worked hard in the Lord."
 Indian actress Persis Khambatta was Lieutenant Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Persis

This elegant surname has great potential to turn into an unusual first name, especially with its literary associations to both Stephen and Hart Crane.
 Crane is a surname that originated for a tall man with long, thin legs. It can now be seen as one of the newly stylish bird names, like Wren and Lark, and could fit in well with future classmates Zane, Kane, Dane, Lane, Rain--and Jane.

Crane

Names ending with O are popular, but this one is almost unheard-of. Faro has the advantages of being easy to spell and pronounce (unless it's confused with Pharaoh), and a bright meaning. Ultimately it comes from Pharos, the island where the great Lighthouse of Alexandria was built, and there's a district and city in Portugal called Faro. Be aware: it's also the name of a gambling card game, highly popular in the nineteenth century before poker took over.

Faro

An unexpected route to nicknames Bram or Wells, this English surname derives from a historical hamlet in England, whose exact location has been lost to time. It comes from the Old English word for "bramble bush", giving it a connection to the natural world.
 
Similar Branwell - the name of the only boy in the Brontë family - is a variation of Bramwell, though it is unknown which came first. This link with Branwell not only gives it the vibes of rugged, lonely, windy moors, it also offers another potential meaning: "raven's well", via the Welsh and Irish element bran.
 
With Bram already popular in the Netherlands and ticking the boxes for a Dark Academic name, perhaps Bramwell might just catch on.

Bramwell

A rarer-than-rare botanical name with a sting in the tail - makes an interesting masculine option that fits in with Aspen, Lark and Arthur.

Larkspur

Sorrel is a gentle, amber-hued herbal and autumnal name that's used most often to describe the color of a horse. Sorrell is a variant spelling. Both make excellent <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/351/names-for-autumn-babies">names for autumn babies</a> and can be used for either gender.

Sorrel

Well used in Russia, this is a distinctive and undiscovered choice here. 
Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov is the fictional protagonist of Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoyevsky.

Rodion

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 relative named Cassie/Cassandra/Sandra.
 
Despite its familiar sounds and elegance, Cassander didn't appear in the US stats for boys until 2024, when the rise of Cassius, Caspian, Evander, and Leander has likely allowed parents to separate it from its feminine form and worry less about it only ever being heard as Cassandra. Six boys were given the name in 2024, though we could see that number rise in coming years.

Cassander

Felician is a masculine name of Latin origin derived from "felix," meaning "happy," "fortunate," or "blessed." This classical name has deep historical roots, dating back to ancient Rome and carried forward through Christian history via Saint Felician, a 3rd-century martyr. The name has maintained modest usage throughout European countries, particularly in Poland, Italy, and Romania. Felician combines traditional gravitas with positive associations of joy and good fortune. While never having reached widespread popularity in English-speaking countries, it offers an uncommon alternative to more familiar names like Felix. The name carries an intellectual, somewhat aristocratic quality while maintaining its connection to concepts of happiness and prosperity.