Dusty Ancient Gems

Xanthe

Greek

"golden, yellow"

X marks the spot in names these days, usually at the middles or ends of names, but here is one that puts it squarely up front. This extravagant name, which, like many Greek names beginning with X, is…

Xanthippe

Greek

"yellow horse"

Famous as the long-suffering wife of the philosopher Socrates.

Xenia

Greek

"hospitable, welcoming, guest"

The name of a Christian saint and a city in Ohio, Xenia is one of the more accessible and intriguing x names. It is the name of one of the Bond Girls--played by Famke Janssen in the film "GoldenEye."…

Yseult

French variation of Iseult, Celtic

"fair, light-skinned"

Variation of Isolde, the name of a great Celtic heroine. The mononymous French singer Yseult is the most notable bearer today.

Zenobia

Greek

"force of Zeus"

With historical roots as a beautiful and intelligent ancient queen and literary ties to Hawthorne and Edith Wharton novels, this rarity could appeal to adventurous parents seeking the romantically…

Zephyrine

Feminine variation of Zephyr, Greek

"west wind"

Zephyr may not be a name often heard in the U.S., but its variations are used throughout Europe. Zephyrine, a cousin in sound and feel if not in fact to such lovely names as Severine and Seraphina,…

Zerynthia

Greek, place name

Zerynthia is one of the alternate names of Hecate, deriving from one of the caves in which she appeared. Zerynthia is also the name of a set of strikingly-coloured Spanish butterflies. This is one…

Zipporah

Variation of Tziporah, Hebrew

"bird"

There are many variations of this name, with or without the initial T and the final h, with one p or two. In the Bible she was the wife of Moses.

Zita

Italian or Persian; Greek

"little girl; seeker"

A thirteenth-century Tuscan saint, patron of homemakers, Zita is the kind of name that sounded really creative in an earlier era.

Persephassa

Persephassa is a feminine name with ancient Greek origins, representing an alternative or earlier form of Persephone, the goddess of spring growth and queen of the underworld in Greek mythology. The…

Clarimond

French

"Light of the World"

Clarimond is related to the Occitan name Esclarmonde, and is probably the more wearable of the two variations. Seventeenth century French novelist Nicolas des Escuteaux used the name for the…

Brunhilda

Norse

"armed for battle"

Variant of Brunhild, still clad in heavy armor. Though the heroine Brunhilda of Quentin Tarantino's recent film Django Unchained may have given this version of the name new appeal.