Down the Rabbit Hole Names

Babs

Nickname for Barbara or Babette

"foreign woman"

Babs is an old-fashioned nickname for Barbara, itself an old-fashioned name that was hugely popular in the 20th century but that's not (yet) on its way back in. If you really want a vintage-y…

Roos

Dutch variation of Rose, Latin

"rose"

A Roos by any other name smells as sweet.

Luminosa

Luminosa is a feminine name with Latin origins, meaning 'full of light' or 'luminous.' This evocative name derives from the Latin 'lumen' (light) and directly connects to concepts of brightness,…

Cinderella

French

"little ash-girl"

One familiar name never used for real people, for obvious reasons. Read more about Cinderella and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.

Padme

Modern invented name

Padmé Amidala, played by Natalie Portman, was one of the main characters in the Star Wars prequels, the mother (with Anakin Skywalker) of Luke and Leia. Enough time may have passed for it to be…

Ethelinda

German, Spanish compound name, Ethel + Linda

"noble + pretty"

Ethelinda is a feminine name that combines the elements "ethel" meaning "noble" or "of noble birth" and "linda" meaning "pretty." The name was used in medieval England but became less common after…

Nastassia

Variation of Anastasia

A pleasing blend of Natasha and Anastasia.

Perouze

Armenian

"turquoise"

Interesting on paper, though most people would confuse it with the word peruse.

Chelle

Chelle is typically a shortened form of names ending in '-chelle' such as Michelle, Rachelle, or Rochelle. This feminine diminutive has French origins, where 'Michelle' derives from the Hebrew name…

Pascha

Greek from Hebrew

"Easter, pass over"

The Greek name for Easter, derived from the same root as Pesach , the Hebrew word for Passover.

Duscha

Russian

"happy"

Seems like a possible alternative to the more popular Sascha, but middle school life would be difficult for any girl bearing this name in an English-speaking world.

Mētra

Latvian

"mint"

Mētra is the Latvian word for the mint plant and is seen as both a given name and a surname, although it is rare in both cases.

Philadelphia

Greek place-name

"brotherly love"

Place-name mentioned in the New Testament and not yet on the name map. Philadelphia Thursday was the character played by Shirley Temple in John Ford's 1948 "Fort Apache."

Abaigeal

Abaigeal is a feminine name representing an uncommon Gaelic spelling variant of Abigail. The name traces back to Hebrew origins, where the original form 'Avigayil' means 'father's joy' or 'source of…

Hitomi

Japanese

"pupil of the eye; beautiful history; noble beauty"

Common name in Japan primarily associated with Hitomi (Furuya), a mononymous Japanese singer.

Colombine

Latin

"dove"

A beautiful English and French flower name deriving from the Latin word for dove. Sadly, in America this name is now forever linked with a tragic terrorist attack on a Colorado high school.

Bayou

Native American nature name

A slow and sultry southern choice that's definitely cool for babies of either gender. While the word feels French and has its roots in 18th century French Louisiana, it derives from the Choctaw word…

Anjali

Sanskrit

"gift"

This Indian name meaning gift or offering feels familiar via sound-alikes Angela or Angelina, and made a brief appearance on the U.S. Top 1000. Anjali is a pretty route to a name that's at once easy…

Hodel

Hodel is a feminine Yiddish name that gained recognition as one of Tevye's daughters in the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." The name has Jewish origins and may be related to the Hebrew word "hodaya"…

Eroica

Latin

"heroic"

The name of Beethoven's third symphony, and too close to the word erotica.