Names on my list but not at the top

  1. Beatrix
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "she who brings happiness; blessed"
    • Description:

      Beatrix has a solid history of its own apart from Beatrice, with that final x adding a playful, animated note to the name's imposing history and stately vibe.
  2. Bellamy
    • Origin:

      English and Irish from French
    • Meaning:

      "fine friend"
    • Description:

      Bellamy is a surname name with an admirable meaning and upbeat rhythm, similar to jovial choices like Rafferty, Barnaby and Willoughby.
  3. Bellatrix
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "female warrior"
    • Description:

      J.K. Rowling is a modern master of naming who brought a whole constellation of ancient and celestial names to modern parents. Bellatrix, of one of the stars of Orion, combines fashionable names Bella and Beatrix to make a convivial and original name. The down side: the Harry Potter character Bellatrix, played by Helena Bonham Carter, is a character so evil she's called a Death Eater, killing one beloved character and being murdered by another. And the name Bellatrix is so closely associated with that character that it might be challenging to sidestep the association.
  4. Benji
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Benjamin
    • Description:

      Benji is undeniably cute, much in the way of a — yes, an adorable movie mutt. Ben is the handsome traditional short form of Benjamin, but Benji makes a more unexpected nickname
  5. Calvin
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "bald, hairless"
    • Description:

      Calvin is a slightly quirky but cozy name that has a fashion edge thanks to Calvin Klein. It has been steadily on the popularity list since records were kept, never lower than Number 250, peaking in the 1920s, the era of the Calvin (originally John Calvin ) Coolidge presidency.
  6. Calypso
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "she who hides"
    • Description:

      This hyper-rhythmic name has two evocative references. In Greek mythology, she was an island nymph, a daughter of Atlas, who delayed Odysseus from returning home. It is also a genre of West Indian music, originating in Trinidad and Tobago and largely popularized in the States by Harry Belafonte.
  7. Cherry-anne
    • China
      • Origin:

        Place-name
      • Description:

        Long before the current place-name craze, a pair of the more daring pop singers of the Age of Aquarius picked this name for their daughters. Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick used the conventional spelling, the Mamas and the Papas's Michelle Phillips went further afield with Chynna (of the group Wilson Phillips).
    • Cicero
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "chickpea"
      • Description:

        Roman statesman's name with a cool and quirky sound. Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman scholar, orator and lawyer who had an immense impact on the Latin language.
    • Clementine
      • Origin:

        French feminine version of Clement, Latin
      • Meaning:

        "mild, merciful"
      • Description:

        Clementine is a Nameberry favorite that broke back into the US Top 1000 in 2014 after more than half a century off the list.
    • Derek
      • Origin:

        English from German form of Theodoric
      • Meaning:

        "the people's ruler"
      • Description:

        Derek started out as a sophisticated Brit, but the name became so common over the last decades of the twentieth century that it lost much of its English accent, along with its stylish edge. Derek was a Top 100 name in the U.S. for 25 years, from 1970 to 1995.
    • Dolly
      • Origin:

        English, diminutive of Dorothy
      • Meaning:

        "gift of God"
      • Description:

        Hello, Dolly! Okay, we couldn't resist, but be warned: Most people who meet your little Dolly won't be able to either. This nickname-name, rarely heard since whatever decade Dolly Parton was born, is singing a fashionable note again along with sisters Dottie and Dixie; it was chosen for one of their twin girls by Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell.
    • Dorothea
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "gift of God"
      • Description:

        Dorothea is a flowing and romantic Victorian-sounding name which was popular in the early decades of the twentieth century, but has been off the charts since 1970. Definitely on the brink of a revival!
    • Elliot
      • Origin:

        Anglicization of Elijah or Elias
      • Meaning:

        "Jehovah is God"
      • Description:

        Elliot (which boasts several spellings depending upon how many 'l's or 't's you want to use) is a winner -- it has the ideal quality of being neither too common nor weirdly unique. Elliot had a style boost back in the early 1980s via the young hero of the movie E.T. , who was named Elliott. Since then there have been Elliots on Law & Order: SVU and Mad Men.
    • Frank
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Francis or Franklin
      • Meaning:

        "Frenchman or free man"
      • Description:

        A Top 10 name from the 1880s until the 1920s, Frank has been falling for decades but last year reversed course for the first time in a century, edging up the popularity list a few notches. And Frank still has a certain warm, friendly real-guy grandpa flavor that could come back into style, like other such choices as Jake and Jack.
    • Freya
      • Origin:

        Norse
      • Meaning:

        "a noble woman"
      • Description:

        Freya has long been popular in the U.K. but has only taken off in the US in the last decade, along with the entire category of mythological names. Derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning "Lady, noble woman", Freya is the name of the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.
    • Frida
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "peace"
      • Description:

        The dynamic personality and paintings of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo have inspired growing numbers of parents to resurrect this form of the name. It does much better in certain European countries, especially in Denmark and Norway. The Frieda and Freida spellings were more popular in the US until the middle of the 20th century.
    • Garret
      • Origin:

        Irish variation of Gerard
      • Meaning:

        "spear strength"
      • Description:

        After being one of the hot upscale surnames of the nineties, Garrett has left the Top 100 and this streamlined spelling is dawdling near the bottom of the Top 1000.
    • Geordi
      • Georgiana
        • Origin:

          English, feminine variation of George
        • Meaning:

          "farmer"
        • Description:

          Long a popular upper-crust form in England, where it's pronounced George-ee-AH-na, Georgiana has been been neglected here. But with Georgia growing more popular and the general fashion for elaborate feminine names, Georgiana might have room to grow.