Heard or read 10/1

  1. Luke
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "man from Lucania"
    • Description:

      Luke is a cool-yet-strong Biblical name with a relaxed cowboy feel, which has been on the rise since the advent of Luke Skywalker.
  2. Lydia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "woman from Lydia"
    • Description:

      Lydia is one of the first place names, after an area of Asia Minor whose inhabitants are credited with strong musical talent great wealth. Always among the US Top 1000 girl names, Lydia is a quietly fashionable classic.
  3. Malcolm
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "devotee of St. Colomba"
    • Description:

      Malcolm is a warm and welcoming Scottish appellation (originally Mael-Colium) that fits into that golden circle of names that are distinctive but not at all odd. A royal name in Scotland, Malcolm is also a hero name for many via radical civil rights activist Malcolm X.
  4. Megan
    • Origin:

      Welsh diminutive of Margaret
    • Meaning:

      "pearl"
    • Description:

      Megan originally evolved from Meg, which itself derived as a nickname for Margaret. Margaret ultimately comes from the Greek word margarites, meaning "pearl." Megan is no longer a common nickname for Margaret—it is most often used as a full name. Other spellings include Meghan, Meagan, Megyn, and Meaghan.
  5. Melanie
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "black, dark"
    • Description:

      Gone with the Wind inspired a generation of girls named Melanie, though it looks as though Scarlett will triumph in the end.
  6. Marzetti
    • Orville
      • Origin:

        French
      • Meaning:

        "gold town"
      • Description:

        Only if you're an aviation buff or seriously addicted to popcorn.
    • Rae
      • Origin:

        English, diminutive of Rachel, Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "ewe"
      • Description:

        All the old ae/ay middle names for girls are back--Kay, Fay, Mae/May, --and Rae is one of the coolest, used as such by celebrities as Mark Wahlberg and Daniel Baldwin.
    • Robin
      • Origin:

        Bird name; or English, diminutive of Robert
      • Meaning:

        "bright fame"
      • Description:

        Now that it's no longer fashionable for girls, Robin is rising for boys again. Robin Hood, Robin Williams, Christopher Robin, and Robin the Boy Wonder are all male namesakes, after all. It reentered the US Top 1000 boys names in 2015 for the first time since 1999 and continues to bounce around the lower end of the Top 1000.
    • Sara
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "princess"
      • Description:

        Sara, the streamlined form of Sarah, makes this ancient name feel more modern, but perhaps a bit lighter weight.
    • Sierra
      • Origin:

        Spanish
      • Meaning:

        "saw"
      • Description:

        Sierra is a name borrowed from the western mountain range, with Latin rhythm and cowboy charm, that has led to many offshoots: Cierra, Cyara, and so on. It is now probably past its peak but retains its pretty-yet-strong sound. The meaning refers to the sharp, irregular peaks of some of the Western mountains such as the Sierra Nevada.
    • Stone
      • Origin:

        Word name
      • Description:

        Though some may find such names rather harsh and severe, increasing numbers of parents are gravitating toward this kind of flinty, steely, stony single-syllable name.
    • Taylor
      • Origin:

        English occupational name
      • Meaning:

        "tailor"
      • Description:

        Taylor was much more popular throughout the 1990s for both genders than it is today. Close to the Top 50 boys' names in the mid-1990s, Taylor recently fell out of the Top 500 for boys and out of the Top 100 for girls, and is predicted to continue on a downward trajectory for both genders. Similar but more stylish baby names today include Sawyer, Sayer and Thayer.
    • Tennessee
      • Origin:

        Native American, Cherokee, place-name
      • Meaning:

        "bend in the river or meeting place"
      • Description:

        When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size.
    • Thomas
      • Origin:

        Aramaic
      • Meaning:

        "twin"
      • Description:

        A solid classic with plenty of history, Thomas strikes the balance between strength and gentleness. A favorite in the UK, a staple in France, and Australia, and never absent from the US Top 100, Thomas feels like a safe bet and a name that fits into any era.
    • Trevor
      • Origin:

        Welsh
      • Meaning:

        "from the large village"
      • Description:

        Trevor, a British standard, took a long time to cross the Atlantic, but finally began its rise here in the 1980s. It is now a thoroughly naturalized citizen, though it still retains a touch of Anglo class.
    • Victoria
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "victory"
      • Description:

        Victoria is the Latin word for "victory" and a feminine form of Victor. It is the name of the ancient Roman goddess of victory, the equivalent of the Greek Nike, and also a popular third century saint.
    • Wendy
      • Origin:

        English, Celtic, Welsh
      • Meaning:

        "friend or white"
      • Description:

        It is popularly claimed that the name Wendy was invented by Sir James Barrie in 1904 for the big sister character in his play Peter Pan, which was followed by the classic novel in 1911. Barrie supposedly took it from the nickname "fwendy-wendy", that he was called by a young girl acquaintance.
    • Wilson
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "son of Will"
      • Description:

        Wilson is a substantive presidential choice far less prevalent than Taylor or Tyler, and with the advantage of being a new route to friendly nickname Will. We see Wilson growing in popularity as an alternative to William; and as a patronymic, it would make a conceivable (if possibly confusing) choice for a son of William.
    • Yolanda
      • Origin:

        Spanish from Greek
      • Meaning:

        "violet flower"
      • Description:

        Bold and distinctive, Yolanda is a floral name that doesn't sound frilly or delicate. Ultimately deriving from the Greek words ioles meaning "violet" and anthos meaning "flower", it appears in a variety of forms internationally, including Jolanda, Jolanta, Iolanthe, Iolanta, Iolanda, and Jolana.