UNIQUE STORM NAMES

Samira

Arabic

"companion in evening conversation"

Shiny cousin of Samara with an intriguing meaning. Increasingly associated with the charming Samira Wiley, a perennial scene-stealer on "Orange is the New Black" and "The Handmaid's Tale."

Rain

Word name

Among a small shower of rain-related names, this pure version can have a cool, refreshing image. Richard Pryor named his now-grown daughter Rain, and Rain is also one of the nature-named Phoenix…

Eira

Welsh

"snow"

This Welsh nature name that can be pronounced exactly like the male Ira. Or, to avoid confusion, you could just name her Snow.

Lumi

Finnish

"snow"

Lumi may be a rare girls' name in the USA and England, but it comes in the Top 50 in Finland, where it means snow. Given the popularity of Winter, Holly, Ivy and many other wintery-christmassy names,…

Sora

Japanese or Korean

"sky; conch shell"

A simple and pretty multicultural name: as a Japanese name, it's unisex and means "sky"; as a Korean name, it's feminine and means "conch shell".

Audra

English, Lithuanian

"noble strength; storm"

Used primarily in Scotland, and represented here by singer Audra McDonald, the girls' name Audra has been overshadowed by the return of the classic Audrey. Audra may be to Audrey what Jenna is to…

Era

Word name

Name that enjoyed some popularity early in the 20th century but now is locked in another, ahem, era.

Ciel

French

"sky"

This simple yet evocative French word name was chosen for her daughter by model Niki Taylor. While Ciel may be pronounced in French with two syllables, many will pronounce it as "seal" and there may…

Yuki

Japanese

"snow; happiness"

Succinct and memorable, Yuki is a Japanese name, which may relate to winter or joy, depending on the kanji used. It is a unisex choice, notably borne by singer Yuki Kuramochi (stylized as YUKI).

Tempest

English word name

"turbulent, stormy"

Tempest is one of those names that could go either way. Cool, evocative modern word name? Or asking for trouble? Your call, but if you decide the former image is dominant, be warned that some people…

Bora

Albanian, Hungarian, Mongolian, Slovene, Korean, "snow; foreign; brown, grey; pine tree; purple"

"snow; foreign; brown, grey; pine tree; purple"

A name with a multitude of meanings, Bora means "snow" in Albanian (via borë , and pronounced BAW-ruh); "foreign" in Hungarian, where it is a variation of Borbála, a form of Barbara (pronounced as…

Indra

Sanskrit, Latvian

"possessing drops of rain; reed, water witch; estate ruler"

In Hindu tradition, Indra is the warrior god of sky and rain, whose name is often used as element of other names, such as Jaswinder or Rajendra. Its use as a feminine name may come from the Western…