User-created list
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Across 19 pages
of 19
Angèle
French from Latin
"angel"
The French word for angel is Ange, but Angèle is the French version of the name Angela, and feels much fresher nowadays.
Joan
English feminine variation of John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
Joan was the perfect name choice for one of the leading characters on Mad Men , being a quintessential girls' name of the period. A Top 10 name in the 30s, a Top 50 name from the 40s through the…
Edna
Hebrew
"rejuvenation, delight"
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…
Millicent
German
"strong in work"
Combining the mild and the innocent, this sweet and feminine name is worthy of a comeback, in the mode of Madeline and Cecilia. Its original, also attractive form is Melisende, which came from…
Gretel
Diminutive of Margarete, German
"pearl"
Gretel originated as a nickname for Margarete, the German form of Margaret. It’s a charming name, but most American parents prefer Greta, as Gretel is strongly tied to the fairy tale heroine. The…
Merlina
Merlina is a feminine name that appears to be a diminutive or feminine form of Merlin, the legendary wizard from Arthurian tales. The name carries mystical connotations and evokes images of wisdom,…
Ingrid
Norse
"fair; Ing is beautiful"
The luminous Ingrid Bergman's appeal was strong enough to lend universal charisma to this classic Scandinavian name, which has been somewhat neglected in the US. Even today, a child named Ingrid…
Norma
English or Latin
"from the north; or, the pattern"
Invented for Bellini's opera, Norma had some star quality in the silent-screen and Marilyn Monroe days, but at this point it's a graying grandma in baby name limbo.
Claudia
Feminine variation of Claude
"lame; enclosure"
Claudia is a classic name with ancient Roman roots. Never truly in or truly out, Claudia feels like a strong, modern choice that hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.. Claudia was…
Joyce
Latin
"merry, joyous"
Joyce was once a boy name , 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 girls' names starting with J least likely to…
Rowena
Welsh
"white spear; famous friend; fame and joy"
A fabled storybook name via the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819), which featured a heroine called Rowena of Hargottstanstede, and also a Harry Potter name, as Rowena Ravenclaw,…
Olga
Slavic variation of Helga, Norse
"holy"
This Slavic form of the Norse name Helga is a classic in many Slavic countries, including Russia and Poland, where it currently ranks within the Top 100 girl names. It has historically ranked among…
Harriet
English variation of French Henriette
"estate ruler"
Harriet has long been considered a stylish, upscale name in England, but it's still waiting to be revived in the US—though some parents seeking a solid, serious semi-classic are beginning to consider…
Zelie
French
"noble"
A cute, zippy French saint's name that's picking up in popularity there, and starting to in the US as well. Zélie originated as a short form of Azélie, thought to derive from Adelaide via the Occitan…
Dorothea
Greek
"gift of God"
Dorothea is a romantic Victorian-sounding name that blends elegance, gravitas and a hint of clunkiness too. Popular in the early decades of the twentieth century, it has been off the charts since…
Kathleen
Anglicized form of Irish Caitlin
"pure"
Kathleen is the early Irish import version that came between Katherine and Kaitlin, and which hasn't been used in so long it's almost beginning to sound fresh again. It was a surprise pick by one of…
Coco
Spanish and French pet name
Coco came to prominence as the nickname of the legendary French designer Chanel (born Gabrielle) and has lately become a starbaby favorite, initially chosen by Courteney Cox for her daughter Coco…
Freda
German
"peace"
Freda, along with near-identical twin sisters Frida and Frieda, has not been popular in the US for decades. After the two world wars, German names fell out of favor in the US and UK. The…
Virginie
French variation of Virginia, Latin
"virginal, pure"
Say Virginie they way they do in Paris -- VAIR-zhin-ee -- and it sounds elegant and appealing. But Americans might pronounce it like virgin-y, which is a no-go.
Ernestine
Femeninization of Ernest, English from German
"serious, resolute"
One time joke name, à la Lily Tomlin's bossy telephone operator, Ernestine is ready for a possible reevaluation, like cousins Josephine and Clementine.