Down the Rabbit Hole Names

Amaryllis

Greek

"to sparkle"

If you love both unique baby names and flower names for girls, Amaryllis might be a perfect choice for you. A showier flower name than Lily, but in the same botanical family, Amaryllis is not as…

Solstice

English from Latin

"when the sun stands still"

Solstice graduated from word to official first name when author Lionel Shriver used it for a character in her novel Big Brother . But of course, there were people named Solstice before: 16 baby girls…

Eilidh

Gaelic form of Eleanor

Long popular in Scotland, this attractive name is strictly-speaking the Gaelic version of Eleanor, but is also often considered part of the Helen family of names. After the Normans introduced it into…

Tula

Choctaw, English, Spanish, Hindi, or Kiswahili

"leaping waters; town; spear strength; mountain peak"

Tula is a multicultural name, linked to the names Tallulah, Gertrude, and Tullia, a mountain range in Antarctica, and to the Greek Toula, used for the heroine of the hit film My Big Fat Greek Wedding…

Blanche

French

"white"

Blanche, which originated as a nickname for a pale blonde and then became associated with the notion of purity, was in style a century ago, ranking in the double digits until 1920. She then had to…

Aphra

Hebrew, variation of Aphrah

"dust"

Aphra would make an interesting choice-- especially since it's the name of the first professional female writer in English, the seventeenth century's Aphra Behn. Born in 1640, she was a prolific…

Eudora

Greek

"generous gift"

Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and…

Honor

English word and virtue name

"honor"

Honor is a somewhat more straight-laced virtue name than Hope or Grace, placing a high standard on any girl carrying it, but it's a goal worth setting. By choosing Honor for her daughter, Jessica…

Artemisia

Greek, variation of Artemis

You might think Artemisia is the feminine form of the name, but in fact the original Artemis is feminine too, the name of the Greek mythological goddess of the moon. Artemisia Gentileschi was an…

Drusilla

Latin

"fruitful"

Drusilla is an ancient Roman name, (probably) borne by descendants of Antony and Cleopatra, and is one of the 'illa' names that are ready for a comeback, especially with its cute short form Dru.…

Sorcha

Irish

"bright, shining"

A popular Irish name virtually unknown here, but one that feels like it could follow in the footsteps of Siobhan and Saoirse. It's pronounced SOR-ka, but with a little hiccup between the ' r ' and…

Bunny

Animal name or English diminutive of Berenice, Greek

"she who brings victory"

Bunny may be adorable, but is it really enough of a name for your daughter? Plus if Buffy is fluffy, what would that make Bunny? Still, Bunny as a baby name is in the spotlight since Bryan Adams…

Ceres

Roman

"nourishment"

Little known name of the goddess of the harvest — her name literally means nourishment, and is the origin of the word cereal. A possibility for the parent seeking something original, but with the…

Hester

Medieval variation of Esther, Persian

"star"

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…

Sonnet

English from Italian

"little song"

Could there be a more poetic name than Sonnet? Actor Forest Whitaker was inspired to choose it for his daughter. The word sonnet derives from the Italian sonetto , meaning 'little song.' And although…

Posey

English

"a bunch of flowers"

Posey is fashionable in England, a country of gardeners, but this pretty bouquet-of-flowers name is only starting to be heard here. A possible alternative to Rosy or short form for Josephine. Posey…

Bluebell

Flower name from English

"blue bell"

Bluebell is one flower name that is used very quietly. Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell joined her former Spice Sisters in creative baby-naming with this adventurous — some might say outlandish —…

Moon

Word name

At one time, Moon might have felt like a celebrity-only option, memorably chosen by Frank Zappa for his daughter Moon Unit. Now, with Sunny, Goldie, Wren, Star, Storm, Ocean, Onyx, and Scout in the…

Seva

Seva is a feminine name with multicultural origins and rich spiritual significance. In Sanskrit, "seva" means "selfless service" or "devotion," representing acts of kindness without expectation of…

Tuva

Swedish and Norwegian variation of Tove

"beautiful"

Tove is a modern variation of an Old Norse name, related to Thor. Tuva is a form of the name popular in modern Scandinavia.