Favorite Names

Celestine

Latin

"heavenly"

Celestine is a pretty, crystalline extension (actually a diminutive) of Celeste that would make a choice that is both delicate and strong. It is also a popular name in France, though typically…

Ophelie

French variation of Ophelia

"help"

Though this name properly takes an accent over the first e, most Americans would probably have trouble pronouncing it with French elan. Ophelie is the title of a Rimbaud poem, Ophelie Davis is a…

Irina

Russian from Greek

"peace"

Irina is a Russian ballet-inflected classic, one of the Three Sisters in the Chekhov play. While some Americans will pronounce this like Irene with three syllables, the pronunciation used throughout…

Ismay

Possible variation of Esme

"esteemed, beloved"

The rise of the the various Isabel names may give a boost to this variation, which has a sunny, springtime feel. Although this name has been around since the thirteenth century, its origins remain…

Auria

American variation of Aurelia or Aria, Latin

"the golden one or air"

Auria is a highly unusual choice with a pleasant aura. As cousin names Aurelia and Aurora become more prominent, Auria is getting some attention too. About 50 baby girls were called Auria in the US…

Fleur

French

"flower"

Fleur is a generic, delicate flower name that emigrated into the English-speaking world when John Galsworthy bestowed it on one of the Forsytes in his celebrated saga. More recently, there was Fleur…

Amabel

Latin

"lovable"

Amabel is an older name than Annabel and a lot more distinctive. Amabel was a very common name in the twelfth and thirteen centuries, then was revived during the nineteenth century British fad for…

Ottilie

German, French

"prosperous in battle"

Ottilie is trending in the UK, where the pronounced T helps the name sound pretty and delicate, rather like Amelie and Elodie. Ottilie is less popular in the US, where many Americans pronounce it as…

Gioia

Italian

"joy"

Prettier than Joy and just beginning to be used here.

Graziana

Italian variation of Grazia

"grace"

An appealingly international spin on Grace.

Boheme

French word name

"Girls Gone Child" blogger Rebecca Woolf made Boheme a first name when she gave it to one of her twin daughters (the other one's name is Reverie). La Boheme -- "The Bohemian" -- is a Puccini opera…

Isaline

French variation of Isabelle

A trendy name in France, sometimes also spelled Ysaline, that's related to both Isabelle and Iseult. To the American ear, it freshens up Isabelle without really improving on it.

Tatiana

Russian, from Latin family name Tatius, meaning unknown

Classic yet spritely, Tatiana has long been familiar and popular in Russia and Eastern Europe, though it wasn't until the 80s that it caught on in the English-speaking world. With short forms Tiana,…

Cosette

French literary nickname

"little thing"

Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables . In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some…

Rhonwen

Welsh

"slender, fair"

The delicate and haunting Welsh Rhonwen is still a rarity in the U.S., where her English version Rowena is better known, but would be a lovely choice for any parent in search of a name that was both…

Thais

Greek

"beloved, bandage"

A paramour of Alexander the Great and the heroine of a Jules Massenet opera based on the life of a fourth century Egyptian saint, this name is nothing if not dramatic. Often spelled with a diaeresis…

Tosca

Italian

"from Tuscany"

Tosca is one operatic heroine that has never taken off as a baby name -- there were no babies named Tosca in the US last year -- but it's the name of entrepreneur Elon Musk's sister so may benefit…

Corisande

Greek

"chorus-singer"

Corisande is a very unusual, haunting choice, with the aura of medieval romance--it is found in early Spanish romantic tales, arriving in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. 'La…