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Dusty Ancient Gems
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About this list
The names
Arabella
Latin, Scottish
"yielding to prayer; lovable"
Arabella, lovely and elegant, has long been well used in Britain and finally made it onto the American list in 2005. A Top 50 choice in the UK, in the US in remains in the Top 300, given to around…
Antonella
Diminutive of Antonia, Spanish, Italian, Latin
"from Antium"
Antonella is an elaborate feminine form of Anthony growing in popularity throughout Latin America as well as in the US. It first entered the US charts back in 2017 and has since shot into the Top…
Aurelia
Latin
"the golden one"
Aurelia is an ancient Roman name that's become a surprise hit in the contemporary world. A top favorite on Nameberry, it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 70-year absence and continues to…
Octavia
Latin
"eighth"
Octavia began as the Latin, then Victorian name for an eighth child. While there aren't many eighth children anymore, this ancient Roman name has real possibilities as a substitute for the overused…
Fatima
Arabic
"a woman who abstains"
Captivating and gorgeous, powerful but with gentle sounds, Fatima is a popular name of Arabic origin. In the Quran, she is one of the Prophet Muhammad's daughters, and the wife of Ali, the forth…
Calliope
Greek mythology
"beautiful voice"
Melodic and beautiful but with a touch of sass, Calliope is the name of the muse of epic poetry — and perhaps less glamorously, the musical instrument on the merry-go-round. Bold and creative, it…
Renata
Latin
"reborn"
Widely used across Europe as a common baptismal name symbolizing spiritual rebirth, Renata, in this country it has an operatic image via Italian-born divas Renata Tebadi and Renata Scotti. Renata is…
Bianca
Italian
"white"
Bianca, the livelier Italian and Shakespearean version of Blanche, has been chosen by many American parents since the 1990s, just as Blanca is a favorite in the Spanish-speaking community. Its…
Beatrice
Latin
"she who brings happiness; blessed"
Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, the lovely Beatrice with its long literary (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history is being looked at with fresh eyes by parents seeking a…
Cecelia
Latin
"blind"
Cecelia, with this spelling, got some recent attention as the name of Jim and Pam's baby on The Office -- and also the name of actress Jenna Fischer's newborn niece. A spelling variation of Cecilia…
Cassandra
Greek
"shining or excelling man"
The name of the tragic mythological Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but was condemned never to be believed, Cassandra has been used for striking characters in movies and…
Arsinoe
Nerthus
Abyssinia
African place-name
Abyssinia is the ancient name of the Ethiopian Empire, no longer found on any map but with a possible future as a melodic girls' name in the ever-expanding place-name category. Among African names…
Acantha
Greek
"thorn, prickle"
Acantha is one of the unique baby names in the stylish mythological category that also might count as a flower name. In Greek mythology, Acantha was a nymph beloved by Apollo. An unusual and…
Accalia
Latin, mythological name
Accalia was the human foster-mother of twins Romulus and Remus. Her name is even more obscure than theirs.
Adamina
Hebrew
"child of the red earth"
A feminization of Adam with several sweet nickname options — Addie, Ada, Minnie, or Mina being a few.
Adelais
Adelais is a feminine name of Old German origin, representing a beautiful medieval variant of Adelaide. The name means 'noble kind' or 'of noble type,' combining 'adal' (noble) and 'heid' (kind,…
Aeliana
Latin
"sun"
This female form of the ancient Latin Aelian has an appealing sound, though kids might have a hard time handling that initial "ae" spelling. Just remember that the "ae" is pronounced "ee" (think…
Aglaia
Greek
"beauty, splendour"
The name of one of the three Graces or Charites in Greek mythology, sometimes spelt Aglaea. The anglicized pronunciation would be "ah-GLY-ah", while the traditional Greek would "ah-glah-EE-uh".