A word name that's appealing when applied to a person boogying or doing ballet; a different story in the context of Santa's reindeer.

March has never been popular as a month name, possibly because of its slightly abrupt sound. But with all kinds of month (and season, day, and holiday) names, from January to December, Sunday to Easter, Winter to Midnight, coming to the fore, March is beginning to seem eminently baby-ready.

Sky may be a bit hippie-ish, but it's bright and sunny nonetheless. Sky rejoined the Top 1000 in 2013 after spending many years off the list. Sky was the choice of magician David Copperfield for his daughter, born in 2010.

Florence, Flora, and a whole plethora of botanical names are in style at the moment, but simple Flower remains rare. Perhaps it's the association with the little skunk in Bambi, or because it rhymes with flour used for cooking, but with Clover and Meadow in the charts, perhaps Flower might be one to reconsider.

We once dismissed Bird as "too flighty", but with the rise of avian names from Lark to Robin to, well, Birdie, we don't see why Bird can't be a fine choice, especially as a middle name.

The menu of usable month names seems to expand every, well, month, with such choices as November, October, and January joining more established names like April, May, June and August. Logical November nicknames include Nova, Novi, or Ember, making this a natural (if adventurous) choice for a baby girl. November is also, obviously, one of the perfect names for November babies.

This kind of plainspoken nature name (think River and Sunshine) may still carry a whiff of the hippie, but this one has a nice, airy feel. It's slight similarity to Claude and Clyde helps to ground it.

There are many lovely day/month/seasonal names -- and this is one of the most intriguing.

A simple and appealing unisex Korean name with many possible meanings, depending on the hanja characters used. Coincides with the English word "sun", which is a nice bonus.

Petal is the soft and sweet-smelling name of a character in the novel and film, The Shipping News. With the rise of such flower names as Poppy and Posy, we believe Petal — down-to-earth yet romantic — has its own appealingly distinctive style.

Sure it makes a big statement, but if you can call your child Wren, Robin or Falcon, why not also Hummingbird? This pint-sized jewel of a bird is a lovely connotation for the baby that's full of energy and spirit.

A bright and optimistic middle name choice.

Best in the middle.

Among the first wave of word names used in the hippie era, it actually is a legitimate girl's name with a lot of luster.

Not most people's favorite day, but a pretty name.

Fiery but slight middle name choice; much more apt to be a redhead's nickname. Instead, check out other names that mean red: Rory, Rowan, Ruby.

Pet is an unusual feminine name that originated as a diminutive nickname form of names like Patricia or Petra. It derives from the same Latin root 'petra' meaning 'rock' or 'stone.' While more commonly recognized as a term for a beloved animal companion, Pet as a given name has historical usage particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries. It remains extremely rare in modern naming practices. The name can be seen as endearing and affectionate, suggesting someone who is cherished or treasured. Its brevity gives it a simple, distinctive quality, though parents might hesitate due to its stronger association with companion animals.

Parents are beginning to turn away from springtime months like April and June and are moving toward the cooler and crisper three-syllable September, October, November, and December.

Cooler than April, May, or June, but also a tad icy. December gets its name from the number ten as the old Roman calendar only had ten months, and as now, December was the last.

Christmas is a day name long and quietly used as a name for babies born at Christmas. Prettier and more modern than Noel or Noelle.