This neglected Biblical name--it was the name of the commander of Saul's army and appears twice in the New Testament--is ready to flee Dogpatch. It was regularly used in the nineteenth century, but was pretty much demolished by the long-running hillbilly comic strip L'il Abner, which began in 1934 and ran through 1977. A more respectable namesake is Abner Doubleday, who has been credited with inventing baseball.
 Abner also has literary credentials, having appeared in works by James Fenimore Cooper, Thomas Hardy and Eugene O'Neill.

Abner

Now that all names Adel- are the height of fashion, Adella is an unusual name that nevertheless sounds very trendy. Adella is one of Ariel's sisters in The Little Mermaid.

Adella

Hot young actor Alden Ehrenreich, the new Han Solo, gives this formerly-stodgy surname name an attractive new image, making it a fresh successor to Aiden or Holden. Before it got this fresh shine, Alden was among the classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/645/delicious-thanksgiving-names">Thanksgiving baby names</a>.

Alden

Alec, though an old nickname for Alexander, is much fresher sounding than Alex, with the additional advantage, at least to some parents, of being distinctly male (there are as many girl Alexes these days as there are boys). While Alec has a clipped British image, it's actually one of the classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/508/greek-names-for-boys">Greek names for boys</a>, by way of father name Alexander.
 Alec Baldwin is by far the best known current bearer of the name. In the past there have been actor Alec Guinness and writer Alec Waugh.

Alec

Alonzo is dashing and debonair, with a large measure of Latin flair.
 You may be surprised to know that Alonzo has been on the Most Popular list since 1880, when such records began to be kept, at which point it was Number 110. The same is true for nickname Lon, which was 193 at the time.
 Alonso Quijano was the real name of Don Quixote--Alonso being the Spanish version of the name. In the old Judy Garland musical Meet Me in St. Louis, Alonzo/Lon was the name of both her father and brother. 
 Horror film star Lon Chaney was christened Leonidas, but Lon Chaney, Jr. was Creighton at birth. Alonzo Mourning is a former basketball star who goes by the nickname Zo--much more modern sounding than Lon or Lonnie.

Alonzo

Angus is a traditional yet stylish choice in the UK, especially in Scotland. And it's a cool choice for US parents too, particularly those whose roots go back to Glasgow. The ancient Celtic form Oenghus has important historical overtones in Scotland, and the Gaelic form Aonghas is associated with two distinguished modern poets. In Irish folklore, Angus Og is a chieftain-lord who used his magical powers for the pleasure and prosperity of mankind--and in Irish myth, Aonghus was the god of love and youth.
 These days, Angus is even more popular in Australia than Scotland, possibly due to the fame of Scottish-born Australian musician Angus Young, lead guitarist and co-founder of the seminal rock band AC/DC.
 Other pop culture references: Angus was the first name of TV's McGyver and the young actor who plays the half man on Two and a Half Men is Angus T. Jones. Angus Wilson was a noted British novelist and short story writer.

Angus

Annetta

The short form Archie is so open and friendly --and very trendy in the British Isles--that some parents are now beginning to consider the formerly fusty Archibald as well. SNL comedians Amy Poehler and Will Arnett are one couple who made this breakthrough choice.
 After being introduced to England in the twelfth century, Archibald became especially popular in Scotland, where it was in the Top 20 until the 1930s, but later took on a stuffy, aristocratic air. In the US, Archibald ranked as high as Number 279 in 1889.
 A notable literary namesake is poet Archibald MacLeish, and Archibald was the full name of both comic-book star Archie Andrews and curmudgeon Archie Bunker. And of course suave Cary Grant was born Archibald Alexander Leach.

Archibald

One of the rare English surname names originally derived from a female given name: Eoforhild (Everild), meaning "boar battle". Also spelled Averill, it's an extremely rare choice today, but shares sounds with fashionable Ava and Avery.

Averil

Adoniram

Atossa

Barrett is one of many surname names that are up and coming for boys in recent years. Barrett joints Bennett, Beckett, and others in the trend of "-tt" ending boy names taking over the charts. 

Barrett first experienced a small bout of popularity in the 60s and 70s, but never quite cracked the Top 500. However, since 2000 Barrett has been rising quickly, and is now officially in the Top 200. 

Barrett has a pleasing sound and literary association with poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and would be a fresh way to honor a grandpa Barry.

Barrett

Long a royal nickname in England, it's coming back there along with Archie and Alfie.  British singer Kate Bush calls her little boy Bertie.

Bertie

Boyce

Betram

Carlisle is more popular than Carlyle for both genders, and in both spellings more widely used for boys than for girls.  It's a name we see on the rise in either spelling.

Carlyle

Though not much in use, still retains a cozy Little House on the Prairie-type pioneer feel. 

Cassie

This form of Charlotte, long obscure, is sure to grow in popularity along with the explosion of Charlotte. It's pretty and feminine and a nice spin on the more familiar version. In Germany, short form Lotta is popular.

Charlotta

Clancy, one of the original crossover Irish surname names, is as energetic and appealing as ever &mdash; full of moxie, more distinctive than Casey, and also one of the less obvious of the red-headed names.
 A literary namesake is Clancy Sigal, author of the autobiographical novel Going Away, and there is also the comical mid-century song, Clancy Lowered the Boom.
 More common as a last name than a first, Clancy has gained fame via the Irish folk music group the Clancy Brothers, and one of the bestselling authors of all time, Tom Clancy, known for his espionage and techno thrillers.

Clancy

If you’re a fan of the annual animated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you’ll recognize the name of Rudolph’s beautiful doe sweetheart, pronounced cla-REES—uncomfortably close to the Silence of the Lambs pronunciation.  Clarice was the name of the wife of Lorenzo de' Medici, and Clarice Cliff was a famed British ceramics artist. Though a Top 300 name from 1906 to 1934, modern parents might prefer the more delicate Clarissa.



Clarice

Claude is a soft-spoken French name that conjures up the pastel colors of Monet and harmonies of Debussy. In France, it is used for girls as well, in fact in the Tracy Chevalier novel Lady and the Unicorn, the protagonist is a female Claude.
 Claudes have appeared in such iconic movies as Chinatown and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Actor Simon Baker has a son named Claude Blue.
 A French classic, Claude was also a top 100 name in the U.S. until 1922.
 The attractive Italian version Claudio is occasionally heard in this country, and Claudius is the original Latin--which could be restored in the current Latin-loving climate. While "lame" is the most widely-acknowledged meaning, some etymologists theorize that the name may relate to the word for enclosure or clause, an alternate meaning that may appeal to a child with a form of this otherwise-appealing name.

Claude

A less-used cross between Clifford and Clinton. 

Clifton

Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both style and substance along with its Shakespearean pedigree.
 <br/
Cordelia is a Nameberry favorite—Number 106 on the site—and it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 60+ year absence. By 2016 it sank below that line again, must to the relief of many Cordelia fans who feared the name would get too popular.
 
If you're torn between Cordelia and the equally lovely Cora, you can always choose Cordelia for long and then call her Cora for short—or Delia, Lia, Del, or even the extremely different Cordie.
 Cordelia also appeared in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye, as detective Cordelia Gray in P.D. James's mystery novels, and was promoted by a character on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.
 And then there's that quote from the heroine of Anne of Green Gables: "I would love to be called Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant name."

Cordelia

Curtis is an attractive if somewhat dated surname name that has been borne by several significant musicians and athletes--think Curtis Mayfield, Curtis James Jackson III--aka 50 Cent, and also director Curtis Hanson. 
 In the USA, Curtis was in the Top 200 for most of the 20th century. We think Curtis, with is clean sound and nice meaning, will survive the all the trends that come and go, and remain in the Top 1000 for many years to come.

Curtis

Cyrus is one of those surprising names that have always ranked among the Top 1000 boy names in the US. On an upward trend since the mid-90s, Cyrus now sits in that comfortable place between too popular and too unusual.
 
Long popular in the Iranian community, this name of the founder of the Persian Empire has had a more down-home, corncob pipe-smoking image for most Americans in the past, but today it's one of those antique names that sounds fresh again. 
 The powerful Cyrus the Great was the fifth century B.C. Persian leader who conquered Babylon to establish his empire. He is noted in the Old Testament as freeing the Jewish captives in Babylonia and permitting them to return to their homelands. Since his name is mentioned in the Old Testament, it was fashionable with the Puritans.
 Cyrus McCormick was the inventor of the reaper, and Cyrus Vance was Secretary of State under Jimmy Carter. The name is also associated these days with singer Miley Cyrus. Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy named their baby boy Cyrus, and there have been Cyruses on Gossip Girl, Law & Order and Scandal.
Ciro is the catchy Italian version.

Cyrus

Davy

In the 1930s, Dorothy left Kansas and landed in the Land of Oz; by the '80s she had become a Golden Girl, living in Miami with roommates Blanche and Rose, giving her a decidedly older image. But parents today seeking a quiet classic are bringing Dorothy back—she reentered the Top 1000 in 2011 after almost completely disappearing.
 Dorothy was once one of the most <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular names</a> in the US; she was in the Top 10 from 1904 to 1939, and held the Number 2 spot for eight years.
 Dorothy has been used in Britain since the sixteenth century and was so common there that nickname Dolly led to the word "doll." Many Brits are reviving the cute nickname Dot or Dottie.
 There are numerous worthy Dorothy namesakes, including essayist and wit Dorothy Parker; writer Dorothy L. Sayers; journalist Dorothy Thomson; social activist Dorothy Day; actresses Dorothy Gish, Dandridge, McGuire, and Lamour; and figure skater/haircut icon Dorothy Hamill. Actress Faye Dunaway was born Dorothy.
 Some parents now are favoring the more flowing, romantic variant Dorothea.

Dorothy

Dovie was a fairly popular nickname name a century or more ago, dropping off the Top 1000 in the 1940s only to be heading straight back uphill now.

While Dovie has a ways to go to enter the Top 1000 again -- about 25 baby girls were given the name last year in the US -- we can see it getting there in the next decade or two.

Dovie is also an antiquated nickname for Deborah that sounds a lot fresher than Debbie and gives the name a second nature meaning.

Dovie

Dusty

Though most parents would shy away from Ebenezer, short form Eben is affable and creative and perfectly able to stand alone; nothing Scroogish about it. This also makes a fresh new spin on the very popular Ethan or Evan.
 Eben Oleson is the name of the character played by Josh Hartnett in the movie "30 Days of Night."

Eben

Edna is one of those names that, until what it seemed like a few minutes ago, felt so terminally frumpy that no one could imagine a parent choosing it for an innocent modern baby girl. But with the great upswing in names honoring ancestral family members, several of them being other four-letter, e-ending names, we wouldn't be so sure.
 Edna, which means delight, is a semi-biblical name--in the Apocrypha she is seen as a loving mother-- and was enormously popular in this country in the late nineteenth century, reaching as high as Number 11. It also relates to Eden--another, more contemporary sounding, option.
 Three literary bearers of the name are Edna St. Vincent Millay, Edna Ferber and Edna O'Brien, and to some the name might be identified with the campy character, Dame Edna Everage.

Edna

A bit too elephantine for a modern child.

Eliphalet

One time joke name, à la Lily Tomlin's bossy telephone operator, Ernestine is ready for a possible reevaluation, like cousins Josephine and Clementine.. 

Ernestine

A sweet Bobbsey-twin era nickname, fluffy and floral.

Florrie

Though twin brother Gerald is still in baby name limbo, Geraldine is in line to follow the path of Josephine to imminent revival—even though Gerry is not as spunky a nickname as Josie.
 Geraldine was at its hottest from the 1910s through the forties, peaking at Number 38 in 1931. It was invented in the time of Henry VIII by a noble poet who fell in love with a Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald and, taking off from her surname, referred to her as the "Faire Geraldine."
 Geraldine has the distinction of being the name of the first woman to be a major party vice presidential candidate, Geraldine Ferraro. Other notable bearers include actors Fitzgerald, Chaplin, and Page, and Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.
 Trivia notes: Geraldine is the middle name of Ramona Quimby. And Geraldine was the name of the sassy female character played by Flip Wilson on his popular TV variety show.

Geraldine

Considered ultra debonair in the silent-movie era, Gilbert then went through a nerdy phase, a la Gilbert Gottfried. Now though, like Albert and Alfred and Walter and Frank, it could be in for a style revival. 
 Gilbert has always been on the US popularity list, reaching as high as Number 90 in 1930. The Normans introduced Gilbert to England, where it was common during the Middle Ages; it was the name of a 12th century English saint.
 Gilberts have appeared in such books as Henry James's Portrait of a Lady, Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, and Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, and on screen in The Incredibles and as embodied by the young Johnny Depp in What's Eating Gilbert Grape?. The most famous portrait painter of George Washington was Gilbert Stuart. 
 Nickname Gil could come back along with Hal, but even more appealing are Gib or Gibby.

Gilbert

Gilbertine

Harmon

The disgraced heroine of The Scarlet Letter's name, after long neglect, just might have a chance at revival, following in the wake of sister-name Esther. We've characterized her elsewhere as an eccentric aristocrat, much more accepted in the U.K. than she has been here.
 Hester's beyond-Hawthorne's literary appearances include as characters in Theodore Dreiser's novel An American Tragedy, in Oscar Wilde's play A Woman of No Importance, in John Irving's novel A Prayer for Owen Meaney, and as Niles and Frasier Crane's mom on Frasier.
 Hetty is Hester's usual nickname, sometimes used independently.

Hester

Hiram is the kind of forgotten biblical name that adventurous parents who wish to move beyond David and Daniel are beginning to reconsider--even though it has bits of its old stiff-collared image clinging to it, along with a little hillbilly feel as well. 
The name belonged to an Old Testament king of Tyre who helped David and Solomon plan and build the temple in Jerusalem, and was a favorite in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, though a couple of well-known bearers dropped it--Ulysses S. Grant was orignially Hiram Ulysses Grant, but he didn't like having the initials H.U.G., and country singer Hank Williams was also born Hiram.
With its definite funk factor, and its friendly nickname Hi, Hiram would make a distinctive choice.

Hiram

Jabez has a rare combo of three appealing elements: a Biblical heritage, a captivating Southern accent, and a jazzy feel. It was popular with the Pilgrims and on into the nineteenth century (there have been four U.S. Congressmen named Jabez), but it hasn't been in the Top 1000 since 1880.
 Jabez came back into the spotlight in 2000 with the publication of Bruce Wilkinson's book The Prayer of Jabez, based on the Old Testament passage beginning "Jabez was more honorable than his brothers." The book became an international best seller, selling nine million copies and heading the New York Times bestseller list.
 In literature, Jabez Stone was the main character in the story and film "The Devil and Daniel Webster," and a principal character in a Sherlock Holmes story. Real life Jabezes include a founding partner of Standard Oil.

Jabez

More grown up than Jamie, but never given to more than 13 baby girls in the US per year (and that back in 1968). Modern parents prefer Jamie, Jameson or even James itself, as Blake and Ryan Reynolds chose in 2014.

Jamesina

Janetta

Jarvis, one of the original two-syllable nouveau boys' choices, is a saint's name with a certain retro charm and a nice quirky feel. Though Jarvis peaked in the late 1880s, he is beginning to sound fresh again.
 Jarvis Lorry is a character in Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, and there was another Jarvis in Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. Probably the best known modern Jarvis is British rocker Jarvis Cocker.

Jarvis

Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara, meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to that of the gemstone, which comes from a Semitic word meaning "speckled stone." Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition and appears in the Bible as a reference to the stone itself in Revelations 4:3.
 
Jasper has a lot going for it—it's been rocketing up the ranks in the US, after long being considered a posh and charming name in England. Distinctly masculine, Jasper represents a variety of quartz—one of the few gem <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">names for boys</a>—and is the first name of the great modern artist Jasper Johns. Our only caveat: Jasper is a favorite of a lot of hip parents, and has gotten even more popular since its strong appearance in the Twilight books and movies.
 Jasper has considerable literary cred as well, appearing in works by Sir Walter Scott, James Fenimore Cooper, Thackeray, and Thomas Hardy--as well as Stephenie Meyer. 
 Casper/Caspar is the German version.

Jasper

This name of the ten-year-old boy in the much loved and acclaimed modern classic To Kill a Mockingbird could find favor along with that of the character's sister, Scout.

Joyce was once a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boy name</a>, but took off for girls during the mid-twentieth century, when it spent 1930 to 1947 in the Top 20. 
 Now, Joyce is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/j">girls' names starting with J</a> least likely to make a comeback any time soon.
 Joyce has a long history as a surname, perhaps most prominently connected to James Joyce, author of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake.

Joyce

Judson remained in the US Top 1000 every year until it dropped off in 1987. In 2014, the named rejoined the list. With Hudson gaining in popularity, Judson—a possible alternative to Justin—could follow its path. 

Judson

The first syllable of Laura in Italian rhymes with now, so Lauretta does not really sound like the decidedly midcentury Loretta thought most English speakers will pronounce it that way. Still, this <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/505/italian-names-for-girls">Italian names for girls</a> feels more closely related to the classic beauty Laura and somehow more charming and unusual.

Lauretta

Lavendar

Lennox is an aristocratic and powerful Scottish surname name made truly special by that final x. The worldwide fame of British boxer--World and Olympic champion--Lennox Claudius Lewis brought the name into the spotlight as a first name, while as a last it's tied to Eurythmics singer Annie L.
 The Thane of Lennox appears in Macbeth, Mary Lennox is in The Secret Garden and there are two Agatha Christie characters with the name.
 Lenox is another accepted spelling.

Lennox

A Top 100 name from 1896 to 1921, Leona reached as high as Number 72.
Since then, Leona had seemed to be one of the most unfashionable of the pride of lion names, but singer Leona Lewis has done a lot to rejuvenate it.

Leona returned to the Top 1000 in 2009 after decades of being away. 
 A somewhat more sophisticated option is the French Leontine.

Leona

Lisette, also spelled Lizette, is a dainty,, if somewhat dated, Gallic offshoot of Elizabeth. It reached its U.S. peak of popularity in 1999, then fell off the list in 2001.
 Lisette Model (born Elise) was an influential Austrian-born photographer; Lizette Reese was an esteemed early twentieth century poet. 
 There's a Lisette character in the new show Welcome to the Family.

Lisette

Lottie is a nostalgic great-grandma name that conjures up lockets and lace, and -- like Nellie, Josie, Hattie, Tillie, and Milly -- has considerable vintage charm. A Top 100 name at the end of the nineteenth century, Lottie fell off the popularity list around 1960, but is now climbing back both as a nickname for popular Charlotte, as well as on its' own. Lottie re-entered the US charts for the first time since the 50s in 2022, and is likely going to keep climbing. It's already an amazing Number 85 in England and Wales.
 There are several Charlottes who go by Lottie in kids lit, in particular in The Little Princess and the film The Princess and the Frog.
 Similar feel: Lettie.

Lottie

Euro-cool. Heard more in Scotland than in England or the US, Ludovic Lesly is a character in the Sir Walter Scott novel Quentin Durward and Sir Ludovic Kennedy was a noted Scottish broadcaster and writer. Cute nickname: Ludo.

Ludovic

Mabel is a saucy Victorian favorite rising in popularity in the US over the past decade, after a 50-year nap If you love offbeat old-fashioned names like Violet or Josephine, only sassier, Mabel is one for you to consider.
 In the 1880s and 1890s, Mabel was a Top 20 name. Some of Mabel's vintage cultural references include Charlie Chaplin's favorite leading lady Mabel Normand, jazz singer Mabel Mercer, the lead character in Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance
 There is a Princess Mabel in the Netherlands today, born a commoner and the widow of Prince Friso. Several celebrities have named their daughters Mabel, including Chad Lowe, Nenah Cherry, Bruce Willis and Dermot Mulroney., and the baby on the sitcom Mad About You (in which Mabel was an acronym for Mothers Always Bring Extra Love--a nice thought).

Mabel

An Old Testament name with a Gaelic lilt, Malachi entered the list in 1987.
 In the Bible, Malachi (pronounced with the final syllable as EYE), was the last of the twelve Hebrew prophets, who foretold the coming of Christ. 
 In Anthony Trollope's Phineas Finn, Malachi is the name of the hero's father, and in James Joyce's Ulysses, Malachi Mulligan is a medical student. The lighter-hearted Irish version is usually spelled Malachy.

Malachi

Marilla is a names that's familiar via its resemblance to Mary and variations, but also distinctive: It hasn't been on the Top 1000 since the 1800s and was given to only 27 baby girls last year. 
 
Delicate and sweet, Marilla might be seen as a Latinate form of Maria or a short form of the flower name Amaryllis. Marilla Cuthbert was a character in L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables.
 Not heard much since the 1880s, Marilla could make a distinctive alternative to Marissa.

Marilla

Marjory

Marshall is an occupational surname, not having to do with anything military or martial, but stemming from the Norman French for someone caring for horses. It's been used as a first name since the nineteenth century and has been on the Social Security list since it started to publish its data in 1880.
 Marshall is the real name of rapper Eminem, and it got some attention during the heyday of communications maven Marshall McLuhan. Peyton Manning named his son Marshall, and Jason Segel played the character of Marshall Eriksen on How I Met Your Mother.

Marshall

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.

Maurice

This spelling variation of Mabel clears up the pronunciation — "may-belle", as opposed to "may-bull". Maybelle is packed with Southern charm, and like sister name Mabel is on the rise, but still on a much smaller scale. 

Maybelle

The quality of mercy makes this lovely Puritan virtue name a quiet favorite today. Although it was most popular in the late nineteenth century, Mercy is on its way to a comeback -- it rose 143 spots between 2012 and 2013, making it one of the year's fastest-rising names. Right now, it's still stylish and distinctive, a rare and wonderful combination.
 Mercy is one of the characters with allegorical names in John Bunyan's A Pilgrim's Progress, and Mercy Pecksniff appears in Dickens's novel Martin Chuzzlewit with the nickname Merry. Mercy Lewis, in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, was based on a real-life person, a witness at the Salem witch trials. Another historic Mercy is Mercy Warren, Revolutionary period patriot and writer of plays, books and poetry.
 Comic/sidekick Andy Richter, when he named his daughter Mercy, joked, "Just in case Puritanism comes back, we'll be ready with a real Puritan name"; Madonna renamed her Malawi-born daughter Mercy James. As a word name and modern virtue name, it's one of the most fashionable <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/501/english-names-for-girls">English names for girls</a>.

Mercy

Mirabel is one of those names that's not on the Top 1000 but ought to be, and undoubtedly will be soon following the release of Disney's 2021 Encanto. Mirabel is the film's quirky and highly relatable heroine. Mirabel had a significant rise in 2022, going from 34 births in 2021 to 153 births in 2022. Read more about Mirabel and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

 Along with Maribel, Annabel, Rosabel and the like, Mirabel is a more unusual and elegant alternative to the popular Isabel. Spelled Mirabelle, it is also the name of a delicate French plum variety.
 
Mirabel and the Italian form Mirabella were both quite common in the later Middle Ages, and Mirabel is scattered throughout early English poetry. Mirabel has a nice pair of nickname options: Mira and Belle.

Mirabel

Moody would work great as the name of Snow White's lost eighth dwarf friend, but we can't recommend it as a first name IRL. It was the last name of Harry Potter character Mad-Eye Moody, played by Brenden Gleason in the movies; his given name was Alastor. The bond credit rating company Moody's is likewise named for the surname of its founder, John Moody.

Moody

Gently pleasant English family name long associated with 60-Minuteman Morley Safer. 

Morley

Long in our category of so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out category, once seen as a gum-cracking 1940's telephone operator, we think it's time to reassess Myrtle, and look at is as a nature name, a plant with pink or white aromatic berries. Ruled by Venus, myrtle is a plant associated with love, peace, fertility and youth.
 Myrtle has lots of literary references as well: in Thomas Hardy's The Hand of Ethelberta, Theodore Dreiser's The Genius, P. G. Wodehouse's Meet Mr Mulliner, and especially The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald's Myrtle Wilson has been played on film by actresses as varies as Shelley Winters, Karen Black and Isla Fisher.

Myrtle

Myrom

Opal is on the verge of a repolishing, following other jewel names like Ruby and Pearl. A Top 100 name during the first two decades of the twentieth century, the opalescent Opal has a good chance of coming back as another O-initial option.
 The ancient Greeks believed that opals were formed from the tears of joy wept by Zeus when he defeated the titans, and that the opal bestowed prophetic powers; the Romans considered it a symbol of hope and good fortune. It was a favorite gem of Queen Victoria.
 Opal Pelis is a character in Theodore Dreiser's seminal 1925 novel An American Tragedy.
 And keeping with the O theme, Opal is the birthstone of October, making it an appropriate choice for a little girl born in that month.

Opal

Patience is a passive virtue turned engaging name, fresher than Hope, Faith, or even Charity. Its resemblance to the trendy Payton may be one reason for its recent spike in popularity.
 Common in the seventeenth century, Patience is the eponymous heroine of a Gilbert & Sullivan comic operetta. In literature, Patience appears in Shakespeare's Henry VIII and in an Anthony Trollope novel.
In the 2004 film Catwoman, the non-superhero name of the protagonist, played by Halle Berry, is Patience Phillips--which may have caused the name's bump in popularity two years later.

Patience

Perceval

Parents seeking a distinctive New Testament name might consider this one. Adopted by some Puritans in the seventeenth century, Persis was used in the William Dean Howells novel The Rise of Silas Lapham for the wife of the protagonist.
 In Romans 16.12 of the New Testament, Persis is a Roman woman who was an early follower of Christ, mentioned by St. Paul in a letter as "beloved" and having "worked hard in the Lord."
 Indian actress Persis Khambatta was Lieutenant Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Persis

Prissy

Pacifique

Phillippa

Reuben is derived from the Hebrew words ra’a, meaning "to see, to understand," and ben, "son." As a phrase it translates to "behold, a son." In the Bible, Reuben is Jacob's first-born son by Leah and the founder of one of the tribes of Israel.
 
Reuben is a rich and resonant underused Old Testament choice with several ingredients for success: its biblical pedigree, the distinction of being one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/158/hebrew-names">Hebrew baby names</a> that's never been heavily used, and a friendly, down-home image. Maybe the current crowd of Jacobs will grow up and follow their biblical namesake by calling their own sons Reuben. 
 Only downsides: Reuben is also known as a sandwich, and is the source of the word rube.
 Panama-born salsa singer Ruben Blades represents the Latin version (with the accent on the second syllable); Reuven is the name in Hebrew.

Reuben

Rilla dropped out of the US Top 1000 in 1915, but it's starting to feel like an intriguing possibility again in this age of short, sweet, a-ending names for girls. It is traditionally a short form for names ending in -rilla, like Marilla from the Anne of Green Gables books (Anne's youngest daughter is Bertha Marilla, called Rilla for short). Rilla may also derive from the German word Rille, meaning "brook; stream".

Rilla

Roberta has been one of the most successful feminization names, up at #64 in 1936. It's a name that's found all over children's lit, often nicknamed Bobbie or Robbie, though Bertie is another possibility. Notable bearers have included singers Roberta Flack and Roberta Peters--plus it's the birth name of Joni Mitchell. 

Roberta

Even less subtle than Duke or Earl, this name shot up the popularity charts in 2013, the same year young Prince George was born and the craze for all things royal (and Royal) began. Today, it's a leading boys' name on Nameberry's own popularity charts.

While Royal ranks on the US Top 1000 list for both girls and boys, It's rising precipitously for boys but softening for girls. There are currently nearly three times as many boy babies named Royal as girls..

Pop culture references: the hit Lorde song "Royals.", the Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums (in which the paterfamilias was named Royal), and most recently, the Amazon Prime series Outer Range, a supernatural neo-Western starring Josh Brolin as Royal Abbott.

The name's resemblance to the more classic Roy doesn't hurt either.

Royal

Seraphine is the Gallic version of the angelic name Seraphina. But while Seraphina has been rising rapidly since Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck chose it for their second daughter, Seraphine has been largely ignored, though we believe the French vowel-sound ending will soon be more stylish than the a-endings that have predominated in <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a> for years.

 Another cousin, Seraphita, is the heroine of an eponymous 1837 Balzac novel.

Seraphine

Sleek and smart, with a hint of mystique about it, Silas is a recent addition to the US Top 100. Both mythological and Biblical in origin, Silas joins the ranks of Isaiah, Atlas, Elias, and Sebastian: polished and contemporary feeling names with plenty of history. 
The origins of Silas are debated or perhaps multiple. On one hand, it could a simplified form of the Latin Silvanus, meaning “of the forest.” 
In Roman mythology, Silvanus was the god of trees, and his name was originally bestowed on those who lived in forested areas or who worked with wood. This could bring either a hardy, outdoorsy ruggedness to the name or something more mystical, dark, and intriguing. 
On the other hand, Silas could be a Greek form of the Aramaic Seila or of the Hebrew Saul, meaning “asked for” or “prayed for”. 
Its Biblical roots can then be traced to either Saul, the first King of Israel, or to a companion of Paul the Apostle. Later venerated as a saint, Silas was a leading member of the early Christian community, who accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey. 
Given as an English name from the 17th century onwards, Silas has a rich literary history. Notably used by George Eliot in Silas Marner and by Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code, Sheridan Le Fanu, Charles Dickens, Robert Frost, Willaim D. Howell, Neil Gaiman, and Mark Twain have also featured a Silas in their work. 
A longstanding favorite and <a href=“https://nameberry.com/popular-names/nameberry/boys”>one of the most searched names on Nameberry</a>, in the ‘real world’, Silas had mostly lingered towards the lower end of the US Top 1000 in the 20th century. 
It did gain some attention in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland in the 2000’s, but it took until the 2010’s for it to make significant moves in the US. Now, it is trending upwards and given to nearly 4000 babies each year. 
Based on its Nameberry popularity, its status as ancient but still fresh, and its similarity in sound or style to popular Elijah, Isaac, Lucas, and Samuel, Silas could continue to climb the charts. 
If you love it, but don’t want to be part of the crowd, you could consider one of Silas’s relatives, such as Sylvan, Sylvester, or Sylvius; alternatively, Linus, Rufus, Caius, Laurence, or Ozias might appeal as less popular options.

Silas

Spurgeon entered the mainstream name lexicon when it was chosen for their son by Ben Seward and wife Jessa Duggar, from the US reality show 19 Kids and Counting starring their large family. Spurgeon is the surname of a popular 19th century British preacher, Charles Spurgeon, and has popped up occasionally near the bottom of the Social Security Administration's popularity ranking. It is an English surname by way of Scandinavia, thought to be a variation on the Norse name Sprigin, which means "little branch". Despite its celebrity baby name notoriety, we do not expect Spurgeon to catch on as a boys' name.

Spurgeon

Theodora is one of the most revival-worthy of the charmingly old-fashioned Victorian valentine names, softly evocative but still substantial, as is the reversed-syllable Dorothea. 
 
The name Theodora was borne by several saints and by the beautiful ninth wife of the Emperor Justinian, who became the power behind his throne. A later royal was Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, the older sister of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 

 Keith Richards named his daughter Theodora (with whom he recently collaborated on a best-selling children's book) in 1985; Robbie Williams did the same just last year. In TV's Grey's Anatomy Dr. Theodora "Teddy" Altman was a surgeon.

 Theodora offers a menu of neat nicknames, from the classic Teddy to trendy Thea to the vintage Dora. Theodora also has some cool international variations as well: Theodosia, Feodora and Teodora. It reentered the US Top 1000 in 2019 for the first time in over 60 years and seems destined to follow brother name Theodore toward the top of the list.

Theodora

Thomasine

Thyra

A surprise recent hit revival with cutting-edge British, Tribeca and Malibu parents; Tillie, also spelled Tilly, is cute, frilly, and sassy all at once. Tilly is currently Number 90 on the England-Wales popularity list, joining such other Top 100 nickname names as Milly, Maisie, Kitty and Lottie. Tillie along with these other short forms transform proper names rooted in other cultures into true <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/501/english-names-for-girls">English names for girls</a>. 
 Writer Tillie Olsen is a feminist favorite. Tillie's Punctured Romance is a classic Mack Sennett silent film, starring Charles Chaplin, Mabel Normand and Marie Dressler; Tillie the Toiler was an iconic flapper comic strip.

Tillie

In an epic poem, the personification of truth, beauty, and unity; this ancient name is popular in several European countries but less common in the US. The Oona spelling is slightly more popular but Una sleeker.

Uppity name associated with muckraking novelist Upton Sinclair.

Upton

For a girl, we'd say Val-en-teen, though many would insist on pronouncing it like the holiday.  

Valentine

Violetta is a more vibrantly colored, feminissima form of Violet. It is the name of the heroine of the Verdi opera La Traviata--in fact Violetta was the original title of the work.

Violetta

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 <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/w">boy baby names starting with W</a>.



 A favorite Norman name, Walter was extremely popular in medieval England, where it was pronounced "Water" and a common short form was Wat. In the US, Walter's heyday was from the 1870s through the 1940s. 



 The recent popularity of Breaking Bad has brought us Walter White, conferring on the name Walter a new kind of cool and prompting a fresh wave of popularity.Plus there are all those great Walters and Walts to consider, from Whitman to Disney to Cronkite to Mondale to Payton to Matthau. And then there's the ultimate fantasizer Walter Mitty, not to mention (Walter) Bruce Willis. Recently, actor Rainn Wilson named his son Walter.



 Short forms include Walt, Wally, and the antiquated Wat.

Walter

Wilfred is one of those Old Man Names that still sounds fusty in the US but is fashionable in the UK. It comes with readymade short forms Will or Fred and might make an adventurous alternative to the ubiquitous William. The central character of Walter Scott's Ivanhoe is the knight Wilfred of Ivanhoe. Wilfred Owens was a well-known British poet.

Wilfred

This pet form of such names as Winifred and Edwina and Gwendolyn has loads of vintage charm, a la Millie and Maisie, with a decidedly winning vibe. And it just got celebrity cred as the baby daughter of Jimmy Fallon.
 Winnie had been used regularly on its own in the U.S. through the early 1950's and has a number of varied namesakes. There's the Pooh, of course, and also Winnie Mandela, former wife of South African President Nelson; Winnie Cooper, the charming girlfriend of the young hero on The Wonder Years--whose given name was Gwendolyn; Winifred "Winnie" Foster, a main character in the childhood classic Tuck Everlasting; and it was also a nickname for Winston Churchill.

Winnie

icequeenpurple's list "Offbeat names from Anne of Green Gables" of 93 great name ideas: Abner - Winnie!