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The names
Freya
Norse
"a noble woman"
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…
Salem
Biblical place-name or Arabic
"safe"
Salem is a biblical place-name in Canaan, believed to be the same as Jerusalem. Americans may be more familiar with Salem as the name of the Massachusetts town famous for its witch trials in the late…
Galilea
Feminine variation of Galileo, after "Galilee"
"Galilee"
Like the masculine form Galileo, Galilea is a variant of Galilee, a region in Northern Israel of great Biblical significance. Given the current popularity of soft Italian girls’ names , this name’s…
Bruno
Germanic
"brown"
Tough-yet-cuddly Bruno is an international name even in its origins: it derives from the Germanic word for "brown" plus a Latin ending, and was borrowed as a color word in many European languages.…
Elisha
Hebrew
"God is my salvation"
Creative name whose only limitation is that it looks like it would be pronounced akin to Alicia and Elissa — although as a Biblical boys’ name , it is traditionally pronounced ee-LIE-shah. With…
Donatien
Donatien is a masculine name of French origin derived from the Latin name Donatianus, which comes from 'donatus' meaning 'given' or 'gifted.' This sophisticated name carries aristocratic connotations…
Amery
Amery is a masculine name with Germanic roots, derived from ancient elements meaning "work ruler" or "industrious leader." It shares origins with the more common Emery and Emory, all evolving from…
Chima
Igbo
"God knows"
Common in Nigeria, Chima is used as both a full name and a nickname for names beginning with Chima-.
Jacopo
Italian variation of Jacob, Hebrew
"supplanter"
One of Jacob’s perkier variations.
Nishan
Armenian
"cross, sign, mark"
A gentle name well used in Armenian families, unfamiliar here.
Shyloh
Shyloh is a modern masculine variation of the biblical name Shiloh, which refers to an ancient city in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament. The name has Hebrew origins and is thought to mean…
Montana
Spanish place-name; "mountainous"
"mountainous"
Relaxed western place-name that still has some masculine punch, but be warned: this whole posse of similarly trendy names, like Sierra and Dakota, will soon ride toward the sunset.
Heshel
Yiddish diminutive of Yehoshua, Hebrew
"the Lord is my salvation"
Not to be confused as a variation of Hershel, Heshel is a Yiddish diminutive of Yehoshua, itself a Hebrew form of Joshua.
Fenno
A Finnish tribe and language
If you've heard this name, it's probably from the hero of the acclaimed Julia Glass novel, Three Junes , or else the political scientist Richard Fenno. As well as a Finnish name, it's alos a Frisian…
Gauguin
French surname
We've heard artists' surnames MONET and MANET used as first names, and so, even though it's a bit of a stretch, the family name of the great post-Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin (go-GAN) could be…
Ivo
Germanic, Slavic
"yew wood, archer; God is gracious"
Succinct, stylish, and catchy, Ivo has the energetic impact of other names ending in -o . It is a multicultural choice with two distinct origins, and, as such, is familiar across a variety of…
Karolus
Qaqi
Melisande
French form of Millicent, German
"strong in work"
This old-time fairy tale name is rarely heard in the modern English-speaking world, but it's so, well, mellifluous, that it would make a lovely choice for a twenty-first century girl--a romanticized…
Hansine
German feminization of Hans
"God is gracious"
Rare feminine form of Hans — a John derivative — occasionally heard in Germany and other German-speaking countries.