Sweet Summer Child

  1. Junia
    • Origin:

      Latin, Feminine variation of Junius
    • Meaning:

      "born in June"
    • Description:

      Juno is hot, June is showing signs of a comeback along with other month and day names, whereas Junia, the name of the the first century Christian referred to by the apostle Paul as an apostle (and who may have been male), is yet to be discovered.
  2. Solara
    • Origin:

      English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "of the sun"
    • Description:

      An English innovation based on Latin solaris "of the sun", or on its English cognate "solar". Toyota used it for one of its cars, and Mila Kunis played a character by the name in the 2010 post-apocalyptic action film The Book of Eli.
  3. Demelza
    • Origin:

      Cornish
    • Meaning:

      "eel house or Maeldaf's fort"
    • Description:

      A punchy modern Cornish name derived from a place name, which is of disputed origin. It is sometimes said to derive from a rare Welsh name, Maeldaf, plus dinas, the Cornish for "fort". Another theory is that it comes from Cornish ty "house" plus malsai "eel" – likely a reference to Cornwall's fishing trade.
  4. Betsy
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      This Elizabeth nickname has a decidedly retro feel--think Betsy Ross and the Betsy Wetsy doll-- once seen as a perkier, younger-sounding alternative to Betty. But with Betty on the brink of a comeback, pigtailed Betsy could return as well.
  5. Katniss
    • Origin:

      Literary and botanical name
    • Description:

      Katniss Everdeen is the heroine of the popular Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, whose name comes from the (very real) edible aquatic plant of the genus Sagittaria. Katniss's father tells her that if she "finds herself," she'll never go hungry. Other unusual botanical names in the series include Primrose, Posy, Rue, and Clove, all for girls. Several of the boys' names come from ancient Rome: Cato, Seneca, Flavius, Caesar. Katniss the name has less appeal than Katniss the heroine, though it's definitely more attractive than Renesmee.
  6. Posie
    • Origin:

      Variation of Posy or short form of Mariposa, English or Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "a bunch of flowers or butterfly"
    • Description:

      Posie and its near-identical twins Posy and Posey are delicate old-fashioned flower names of the type that are stylish today: Think Poppy, Marigold, Clover.
  7. Lisette
    • Origin:

      French, diminutive of Elizabeth or Lise
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Lisette, also spelled Lizette, is a dainty,, if somewhat dated, Gallic offshoot of Elizabeth. It reached its U.S. peak of popularity in 1999, then fell off the list in 2001.
  8. Melina
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "little honey"
    • Description:

      This traditional Greek name has held somewhat steady in the lower half of the US Top 1000 for the past 25 years, which makes it a great option for parents looking for a name that both fits in and stands out.
  9. Summer
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      The temperature is definitely rising for this popular seasonal name, which began being used in the seventies, and has been heard consistently ever since.
  10. Endellion
    • Origin:

      Cornish place and saint's name
    • Meaning:

      "fire soul"
    • Description:

      Endellion is the name of an early saint who was a daughter of King Brychan and goddaughter of King Arthur whose life is commemorated by the Cornish village of St. Endellion. This intriguing ancient name was brought into modern usage by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who used it as one of the middle names for his fourth child, a baby girl.
  11. Theodosia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"
    • Description:

      This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter Theodosia ("Dear Theodosia" is a song in the smash musical Hamilton), and it was the birth name of silent screen vamp Theda Bara. Theodosia actually appeared on the US popularity lists in the 1880s and 90s.
  12. Evadne
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "pleasing one"
    • Description:

      In Greek mythology, Evadne was the daughter of Poseidon. Evadne also appears in literature (Mary Shelley's "The Last Man") and has a pop culture reference as the cousin of Wonder Woman. A more unusual alternative to other Greek "-ee" names like Ariadne, Daphne and Penelope. The trendy "Ev" sound makes this a lovely choice in a world of Evelyns, Evangelines and Everlys.
  13. Ginger
    • Origin:

      English diminutive
    • Description:

      Originally a unisex nickname for a redhead -- red hair is called "ginger" in Britain -- or for the name Virginia, Ginger perennially wears pink gingham and spike heels.
  14. Euphemia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "fair speech"
    • Description:

      Ancient martyr's name that, though not especially appealing, might still be mildly possible, especially for Anglophiles. It was widely used in early Scotland, but was overtaken by its nickname, Effie.
  15. Ferelith
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "true sovereignty"
    • Description:

      Ferelith is an unusual yet deeply-rooted Scottish girl's name, also found in ancient Ireland and drawn from the Gaelic Forbhlaith or Forbflaith. While it went through a period of dormancy after the Middle Ages, there are some modern women named Ferelith, including actress Ferelith Young and Princess of Denmark Anne Ferelith Fenella Bowes-Lyon.
  16. Magdalena
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "from Magdala"
    • Description:

      Magdalena is a pretty name forever associated with the fallen-yet-redeemed Mary Magdalen; often heard in the Hispanic community. But forward thinking parents are reviving Magdalena along with Magdalene and the unrelated but similar-sounding Marguerite.
  17. Farrah
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "happiness"
    • Description:

      Back in the late '70s, Farrah Fawcett's name was as frequently copied as her hairstyle and even made the Top 200 in 1977! Like any trend, however, it promptly fell back out of style, only to re-emerge in the 2010s, in honor of the star's death and possibly thanks to TV personality, Farrah Abraham of Teen Mom too.
  18. Sonia
    • Origin:

      Russian and Scandinavian variation of Sophia
    • Meaning:

      "wisdom"
    • Description:

      Early European import, well known in the 1940s via Norwegian skating movie star Sonja Henie, that has sailed back across the Atlantic, despite the rising popularity of other Russian names.
  19. Madelief
    • Origin:

      Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "daisy"
    • Description:

      Madelief is an uncommon name but not unheard of in the Netherlands, where 123 girls were called Madelief in one recent year. With its soft sounds and similarities to all those "Madeleine" type names as well as names ending in "eef/eev" sounds (Aoife, Eve, Genevieve), Madelief has potential in English-speaking countries to be a fresh and pleasant change from Daisy, Margaret and Madeleine.
  20. Eulalie
    • Origin:

      French form of Eulalia, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "sweetly speaking"
    • Description:

      Eulalie hasn't ranked in the US Top 1000 since 1899, but its French roots might make it more appealing to modern ears than its sister Eulalia.