my fav girl names and middle names

Ray

Diminutive of Rachel or Raymond; word name

Most female Rays used to spell their names Rae, but now the Ray Charles, ray-of-sunshine way is cool for both genders. Ray was used for 26 baby girls last year in the US - compared to over 300 boys.…

Rea

Variation of Rhea

Short but substantial.

Ren

Japanese

"water lily, lotus"

In Japan the lotus is the Buddhist symbol of purity and perfection. In the US, Ren can also be short for Lauren or Renee, but it could be misspelt as the more popular Wren.

Rene

Variation of Renee

"reborn"

This name is hanging on as Renee, thanks to Ms. Zellweger, and in newer forms Renae and Renny.

Ridley

English

"cleared wood; reed clearing; channel clearing"

Can one prominent character affect the gender identity of a name? Definitely, as has supernatural bad girl Ridley Duchannes of the Beautiful Creatures series-turned-movie, played by the gorgeous Emmy…

Shell

English nature name

Until now, most girls called Shell used it as a nickname for Shelley or Michelle. Today's Shell is much more likely to be a nature name, cool and beachy, fit for all genders.

Shia

Hebrew

"gift of god"

The young male star Shia LaBeouf has given this name a male image, but many would consider its sound soft and feminine.

Sterling

English

"of the highest quality"

A name with some sterling qualities, most associated with the British currency and silver markets, though it could easily be read as virtuous, celebratory choice, like Merritt or Goldie. Sterling is…

Valencia

Spanish

"brave, strong"

This lovely orange-scented Spanish place-name would make an inventive namesake for an Aunt Valerie. Last on the popularity list in 1994, Valencia reached a high of Number 633 in 1969-70. The…

Valentine

French variation of Valentina

"strength, health"

For a girl, we'd say Val-en-teen, though many would insist on pronouncing it like the holiday.

Venice

Italian place-name

This name of one of the most romantic cities in the world could easily find its way onto an American baby girl's birth certificate.

Vida

Spanish, Slovene, Lithuanian, Persian, Swedish, Serbian,"life, visible, willow, to see"

"life, visible, willow, to see"

Vida is a multicultural gem, familiar in a number of languages by not overly popular. It featured in the US Top 1000 in the first half of the 20th century, and in recent years, it has seen renewed…