Down the Rabbit Hole Names

Aravis

Literary name and place-name

Aravis was the name of a female character in C.S. Lewis's A Horse and His Boy , and is also the name of a mountain range in southern France. With the rise of Ava, Avery, and indeed seemingly all…

Atara

Hebrew

"crown"

Also written as Atarah, this regal name appears in the Old Testament, borne by the wife of Jerahmeel. With its confident air and concise appearance, it was given to just under 50 girls in the US in a…

Yue

Yue is a feminine name of Chinese origin that means 'moon.' This elegant, single-syllable name carries deep significance in Chinese culture, where the moon represents beauty, elegance, and the…

Tempest

English word name

"turbulent, stormy"

Tempest is one of those names that could go either way. Cool, evocative modern word name? Or asking for trouble? Your call, but if you decide the former image is dominant, be warned that some people…

Gertie

Short form of Gertrude

Gertie has a certain homespun charm, summoning to mind butter-yellow braids and denim overalls, summoning mind the adorable character played by little Drew Barrymore in E.T. Is the world ready for…

Scheherazade

Persian

"noble lineage"

Scheherazade -- or Sheherazade --is a legendary Persian queen immortalized as the narrator of all one thousand stories in the One Thousand and One Nights . Her story is even more remarkable than the…

Laverne

French

"springlike"

Although it has a sweet meaning, this name feels dated nowadays, like a fifties poodle skirt. Lavender may be a fresher alternative.

Emmalina

English variation of Emmeline or a compound of Emma + Lina

"brave and courageous; universal tenderness; universal free man"

Princess-y but not overly fussy, thanks to the classic simplicity of Emma, Emmalina is a sweet, bright alternative to Emilia. The meaning can vary depending on if you see it as an elaboration of…

Emmanuelle

French, feminine variation of Emanuel

"God is with us"

The female version of Emanuel could become more prominent, though for some it still carries a steamy image dating back to a then sensationally erotic French film. Singer and Shameless star Emmy…

Fuchsia

Plant and color name

"vivid purplish-red; tubular flower"

A plausible color name, it was chosen by the singer Sting as a middle name for his daughter, after a character in the Gormenghast fantasy trilogy, of which he's a big fan. Another bearer is Fuchsia…

Dido

Greek, meaning obscure

Dido was the heroine of Virgil's Aeneid and of the opera "Dido and Aeneas," and in Roman mythology the founder of Carthage. A strong ancient name in the Juno mode, but it could have some awkward…

Farah

Arabic

"happiness"

Farah is a soft and lovely Arabic name, best known here in this original spelling via the last Empress of Iran, Farah Palavi. It's currently a Top 250 name in both France and the Netherlands, which…

Aggie

English, diminutive of Agatha and Agnes

Mauve-tinted nickname with vintage charm that could just follow in the footsteps of ABBIE. More prominent now as the nickname for the Texas A&M sports teams.

Fionnuala

Irish Gaelic

"white shoulders"

This lovely Gaelic name, very popular in the Emerald Isle, has inspired a whole host of diminutives (including Nuala and Nola) and variant spellings, from Finola to Finula to the Scottish and English…

Megumi

Japanese

"blessing"

An Asian name not widely known in the West.

Sookie

Variation of Sukey, pet form of Susanna

"lily"

This spelling seems to be taking off as a result of media appearances as characters in first "Gilmore Girls" and then as Sookie Stackhouse, the Anna Paquin character in "True Blood," based on "The…

Lemon

English word name

Sweet but sharp, Lemon was given to a surprising 50 girls back in 2021, while in a more recent year, it was given to just shy of 30. Some parents may find it summery and refreshing, while others may…

Beloved

English word name

"beloved"

Toni Morrison, the modern master of literary names, made this one famous as the title character of a novel. But things didn't work out so well for that Beloved.

Crimson

Color name

"rich deep red"

Crimson could be a possible competitor for Scarlett's success, though it's lacking that Johansson charm. Crimson tends to be disproportionately popular in Alabama — the University of Alabama's…

Starlette

English word name or elaboration of Star

"aspirational actress; little star"

A sound-alike to Scarlett, Starlette might be considered a word name, associated with actresses on the brink of stardom, or it may be an elaborate form of Star, with the diminutive -lette suffix.…