Elusive Forest Fae

Beryl

Greek

"sea-green jewel"

Dated British favorite that never caught on in this country, where Jade remains the green gem of choice. Interesting namesakes: British writer Beryl Bainbridge and British aviatrix Beryl Markham.

Bliss

English word name

"great joy"

A sweet, uplifting and still fairly uncommon modern virtue name. Its single syllable makes it especially good as a middle name, but it would also make a big impact in the first spot; in fact, nearly…

Blossom

English

"to bloom"

Now that parents have picked virtually every name in the garden, from the common Rose to the captivating Zinnia, some are reconsidering the old, more generic names like Flora and Posy and Blossom —…

Blythe

English

"happy, carefree"

Blythe is Nameberry gem — one of those names that visitors to the site are often searching for, despite the fact it's never ranked in the US charts as a given name. The name is derived the Old…

Cassia

Feminine form of Cassius or Greek

"cinnamon"

Cassia is related to the cassia tree, which has yellow flowers and produces a spice that can be a substitute for cinnamon. Keziah, the name of Job’s daughter in the Old Testament, derives from the…

Cedar

English from Latin tree name

"cedar tree"

A fresh and fragrant nature name, Cedar is one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider. While it is currently more popular for boys, it sounds similar enough to Selah, Celia,…

Cefariana

Cefariana is an extremely rare feminine name with exotic flair. Likely a modern creation or elaboration of other names, it may be related to the Spanish name Ceferina (feminine form of Ceferino) or…

Celandine

English botanical name

A botanical name belonging to a small yellow flower in the poppy family. The word ultimately derives from chelidon, the Ancient Greek for "swallow (bird)". Characters called Celandine feature in The…

Celestia

Variation of Celeste, Latin

"heavenly"

Celestia is a heavenly name that sounds more ethereal than Celeste, Celestia might make a distinctive, feminine choice if your taste runs toward names like Angelina and Seraphina. Celestia was more…

Cendrine

French

"little ashes"

Cendrine derives from Cendrillon, the French form of Cinderella. It's quite uncommon, even in France, but if the fairy tale made a big impression on you, it could be a sweet tribute.

Cerelia

Latin

"relating to springtime"

Cerelia is a melodic and unusual choice, perfect for a child born in April or May. Another version is Cerella.

Cerys

Welsh

"love"

Common name in Wales that's all but unknown in the U.S. Certainly an attractive choice ripe for export. In the UK it sits at Number 330.

Chrysalis

Nature name, English word name

"a quiescent insect pupa, of a butterfly or moth"

Chrysalis is a girls' baby name derived from the state of a butterfly or moth between larva and adult. A chrysalis is a hard-shelled pupa in which the transition of the butterfly or moth takes place.…

Cirrus

Latin

Cirrus is a type of cloud formation characterized by thin, wispy strands (from the Latin cirrus "tendril; ringlet"). British cloudspotter Gavin Pretor-Pinney named his eldest daughter Flora Cirrus.

Conwenna

Cornish, Welsh or Breton

Made familiar by poet William Blake. According to Blake, after her death, Conwenna "shines ... over the north with pearly beams gorgeous and terrible". Make of that what you will.

Corliss

English

"carefree person"

Corliss, eccentric yet well-established, has an independent and artistic air.

Cypress

Botanical name

Lovely entry into the tree name genre, joining Juniper, Maple, and Willow. Nearly 200 babies were named Cypress in the US last year, about 40 percent of them female.