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- Assisi
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
This lovely Umbrian hill town became a striking first name for the young daughter of Jade Jagger.
- Bates
Origin:
English diminutive of BartholomewDescription:
Bates is a fresh version of Bartholomew, and feels more wearable than Bart. Bates could be considered a patriotic choice for American parents - Katharine Lee Bates was an author and professor best known for penning the words to "America the Beautiful".
- Connie
Origin:
Diminutive of ConstanceMeaning:
"steadfastness"Description:
Connie is a sweet and charming vintage nickname, which ranks in the top 200 in the UK and has a vintage charm that makes it ready for a comeback in the US as well.
- Ford
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dweller at the ford"Description:
The long association to the Ford Motor Company doesn't stand in the way of this being a strong, independent, single-syllable name.
- Fran
Origin:
Diminutive of FrancesMeaning:
"from France or free man"Description:
This short form has been pretty much replaced by Frankie, however, it could fit in with other clunky but charming names, like Peggy, Bess, and Enid.
- Francis
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"Frenchman or free man"Description:
Since this was the name chosen by the late Roman Catholic pope in 2013, Francis has come into the spotlight.
- Francis
Description:
Francis as a feminine name has Latin origins, derived from the Latin 'Franciscus' meaning 'French' or 'free one.' While Francis is more commonly used for boys in English-speaking countries, it has a long tradition as a feminine name as well, especially in Catholic families. The feminine version is sometimes distinguished by pronunciation (FRAN-sis for females versus FRAN-sis or FRAN-siss for males). Many women named Francis opt to use nicknames like Fran, Frannie, or Francie. The name gained popularity for girls in the early 20th century but declined after the 1950s. With its classic religious associations, particularly to St. Francis of Assisi, the name carries connotations of humility, generosity, and connection to nature.
- Francisco
Origin:
Spanish, PortugueseMeaning:
"free man"Description:
Francisco is one of the more popular Spanish names for boys in the US, which is unsurprising given its popularity back in Spain and Portugal as well as Latin America, coupled with its classic status. It also has a cool hipster vibe to it, given the reputation of the city of San Francisco.
- Franco
Origin:
Italian variation of FrancisMeaning:
"Frenchman or free man"Description:
A classic Italian name still heard in the Italian-American community. Once tainted by the association with the Spanish dictator, it's now more likely to call up actor James Franco.
- Gaetana
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
Gaeta is a southern Italian region; this makes a sunny first name.
- Harbin
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"little bright warrior"Description:
A possible new entry in the Hayden-Corbin two-syllable boys' name club.
- Mairi
Origin:
Scottish variation of MaryMeaning:
"bitter"Description:
Why does Mairi (rhymes with Harry) seem so much cooler than Mary? This Irish form of Mary was not used before the seventeenth century, as it was considered too sacred. The vocative case of the name, Mhairi (pronounced VAH-ree), is also used as a given name in Scotland.
- Maurice
Origin:
English and French from LatinMeaning:
"dark-skinned"Description:
In the USA, Maurice was in the Top 200 for most of the 20th century; since 1990, however, it has been on a slow and steady decline. This name has the potential for some old-school cute nicknames such as Mo as well as the more trendy Reece.
- Mauricio
Origin:
Spanish variation of MauriceMeaning:
"dark-skinned"Description:
This Spanish version of Maurice has been on the US charts since the 60s. Mauricio peaked in the early 2000s, getting as high as #353 before falling again. With lively, "-o" ending names getting the attention they have got in recent years, Mauricio would be a great option. Mauricio Macri was a former president of Argentina.
- Moss
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"descendant of Moses"Description:
This evocative green nature name, heard much more frequently as a surname, is associated with playwright Moss Hart (born Robert), who co-wrote (with George S. Kaufman) such enduring Broadway comedies as The Man Who Came to Dinner and You Can't Take it With You.
- Nicholas
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"people of victory"Description:
Nicholas is derived from the Greek Nikolaos, a name that evolved from the components nikē, meaning "victory", and laos, "people." It shares origins with Nike, the name of the Greek goddess of victory. Nicholas is also a New Testament name that is well-used in literature, such as in Dickens's Nicholas Nickleby.
- Nickleby
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"Nicholas's village"Description:
Charming Dickensian route to Nick.
- Nixon
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Nicholas"Description:
A fresher spin on Jaxon, with built-in cool nickname Nix, and a great way to honor an ancestral Nick. But the association with disgraced former president Richard Nixon remains strong, which might explain why this otherwise bang-on-trend surname name has remained under the radar, peaking at #482 in 2017.
- Parisa
Origin:
Iranian/PersianMeaning:
"like a fairy"Description:
Funny how one letter can turn a name from ordinary to special. Parisa is so much more distinctive than either Marisa or Paris.
- Parish
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"from Paris"Description:
More masculine than Paris for a boy, but in danger of being misunderstood as that name; has a slightly churchy feel.