broadway stars

Taylor is one of the prime unisex surnames used for girls and has also been a soap opera favorite. Taylor was in the Top 10 for the last several years of the twentieth century, so that now it tends to feel a little nineties – though Taylor Swift is keeping it in the spotlight and Tay is a charming nickname. Garth Brooks and Bryan Cranston have daughters named Taylor; Taylor Schilling portrays lead Piper Chapman in Orange is the New Black.

Teal is one of the prettiest and most straightforward of the new color names -- an ideal middle name choice.

Tracie is a feminine name that originated as a diminutive form of Tracy, which itself began as an English surname derived from place names in Normandy, France. The place names came from the Gallo-Roman personal name 'Thracius,' referring to someone from Thrace, an ancient region in southeast Europe. Tracie gained popularity in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, reaching its peak in the early 1970s. The spelling variation with 'ie' instead of 'y' gives the name a softer, more feminine quality. Although its usage has declined since its heyday, Tracie maintains an approachable, friendly image and carries associations with characteristics like adaptability and resourcefulness.

Walter was seen as a noble name in the Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Walter Scott era, but it then spent decades in baby name limbo. Now quite a few independent-minded parents are looking at it as a renewable, slightly quirky, classic, stronger and more distinctive than James or John, second only to William among the handsome classic boy baby names starting with W.

When Marion Michael Morrison became John Wayne around 1930, his last name took on an air of cowboy cool that lasted about thirty years, but by now it's strictly a dad or granddad name.

Zachary, a Top 20 name throughout the 90s, is now sliding down the rankings though it remains in the Top 200. With its ancient roots and modern feel, it's easy to understand why Zachary has been such a longtime winner.