I've only met one person named...

Iana

Latin, Slavic variation of Jane

"God is gracious"

In Roman mythology, Iana was an epithet of Diana, goddess of the moon. If pronunciation troubles worry you, use the Yana spelling instead.

Ilse

Dutch variation of Ilsa

"pledged to God"

Pronounced with two syllables, as if spelled Ilsa, Ilse is popular in The Netherlands and may rise here with cousin Elsa.

Indre

French or Sanskrit

"cave; possessing drops of rain"

The Indre is a river in France. Spelled Indra, it's the name of a powerful deity worshipped by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains — roughly the South Asian equivalent of the Greek Zeus or Norse Odin. But…

Ingrid

Norse

"fair; Ing is beautiful"

The luminous Ingrid Bergman's appeal was strong enough to lend universal charisma to this classic Scandinavian name, which has been somewhat neglected in the US. Even today, a child named Ingrid…

Ione

Greek

"violet flower"

This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan. Ione was one of the fifty sea nymphs —…

Italy

English variation of Italia, Italian place name

Why has it taken so long for us to discover Italy? The name, that is. For decades, we have been using Italian place names (and those adjacent) like Rome, Roman, Milan, Milana, Capri, Florence, and…

Jori

Jori is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Finnish, it's a variant of Jorma or Jorge, while in Hebrew it can be a feminine form of Jory or a variant of Yori, meaning 'he teaches.' It…

Juanita

Spanish, feminine variation of Juan

Pervasive in all Spanish-speaking cultures, Juanita, like Juana, has not emigrated.

Juhi

Sanskrit

"jasmine"

Common Sanskrit name for baby girls.

Kaisa

Kaisa is a feminine name with Finnish and Estonian origins, functioning as a variant of Katherine or Kaarina. Simple yet distinctive, this name carries a fresh, modern sound while maintaining…

Kajol

Variation of Kajal, Sanskrit

"kohl, eyeliner"

Kajol and kajal are terms for the kohl that was used as eyeliner in ancient India. Indian actress Kajol Devgn is the most notable bearer.

Kalpana

Sanskrit

"fantasy"

Kalpana is a strong name with a great namesake in Kalpana Chawla: the first woman of Indian origin in space. Perfect for the intrepid explorer baby!

Kaya

Scandinavian, English, Literature, Japanese

"pure; one who arranges rocks; perfume, incense; fruit, reward"

A multicultural name, that's currently on style and fits right in with Kaia, Maya, Raya, and Mia. Currently in the Top 500 in both the UK and The Netherlands, it has several different origins and…

Keegan

Irish

"son of Egan"

Another two-syllable surname zooming up the ladder for boys, and poised to be grabbed by the girls.