New Orleans Inspired Baby Names

  1. Azalea
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "azalea, a flower"
    • Description:

      Azalea is one of the fresher flower names, along with Zinnia and Lilac, that are new to the name bouquet — in fact, it entered the Social Security list for the first time in 2012. So if Lily and Rose are too tame for you, consider this brilliant pink springtime blossom with a touch of the unusual that has been growing in popularity.
  2. Yvonne
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "yew wood"
    • Description:

      Peaking in the 1950s, Yvonne has now dropped out of the Top 1000 in 2003 and doesn't look set to return soon, although its rare Y initial might endear it to some. Yvaine, from Neil Gaiman's Stardust, has more modern appeal.
  3. Fleur
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "flower"
    • Description:

      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 Delacour, a French witch and the Beauxbatons champion for the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter.
  4. Clio
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "glory"
    • Description:

      Clio is the name of the ancient Greek mythological muse of history and heroic poetry, one that is rich with modern charm and would make an intriguing choice, especially thanks to its dynamic o-ending.
  5. Brennan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "descendent of the sad one"
    • Description:

      Brennan is a winning Irish surname name, more modern than Brian or Brendan, more unusual than Conor and Aidan. The only possible problem with Brennan: people might think you're saying Brendan.
  6. Crew
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "a band or force of armed men"
    • Description:

      Crew is yet another word name that was added to the baby name lexicon when this one was chosen by The Young and the Restless star Joshua Morrow for his son. It debuted on the Top 1000 in 2010. We've also heard spelling variations Cru and Crue.
  7. Antoinette
    • Origin:

      French feminine diminutive form of Antoine
    • Meaning:

      "priceless one"
    • Description:

      This feminization of Anthony, like other early French forms, such as Babette and Nanette, is not heard as often as it once was, but it could be time for a reappraisal of this delicate Gallic choice.
  8. Cypress
    • Origin:

      botanical name
    • Description:

      Attractive entry into the tree name genre, joining Ash, Oak, and Juniper. Over 110 baby boys were named Cypress in the US last year, along with 70 baby girls.
  9. Neville
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "new town"
    • Description:

      More often used in Britain than here, where most names ending in ville fall into the unthinkable class, this might make an exception via fans of the musical Neville Brothers.
  10. Saint
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "saint"
    • Description:

      Saint as a descriptive word name was first chosen by rocker Pete Wentz for his younger son (baby brother is Bronx), and now Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have catapulted the name into the celebrity stratosphere by choosing it for their baby boy. The couple called their baby "Saint" throughout the pregnancy because his conception had been so difficult. Saint was named in our predictions for the top baby name trends of 2015, on descriptive word names which also include Royal and Noble, King and Rogue. Saint is moving beyond the group of names that are only celebrity baby names and into the general lexicon.
  11. Blanche
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "white"
    • Description:

      Blanche, which originated as a nickname for a pale blonde and then became associated with the notion of purity, was in style a century ago, ranking in the double digits until 1920. She then had to fight the stereotype of faded Southern belle, a la Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire and Blanche Devereaux in TV's Golden Girls. Now all three of the Golden Girls--Blanche, Rose and Dorothy--could be ready for revival, with Blanche sounding like a stronger, simpler alternative to Bianca.
  12. Hermes
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Meaning:

      "cairn, pile of stones, boundary marker"
    • Description:

      These days, some may think of Hermes as an upscale brand name like Chanel and Porsche (spelled as Hermès), or a strange choice thanks to the parcel delivery company. However, with names from Greek mythology very much in style, it is possible there will be plenty who link it to the Greek messenger god.
  13. Beauregard
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful gaze"
    • Description:

      In the past this was seen as a jokey Southern colonel name, but we have heard of some parents considering it as a path to the likeable Beau.
  14. Rain
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Among a small shower of rain-related names, this pure version can have a cool, refreshing image.
  15. Roux
    • Origin:

      French from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "russet"
    • Description:

      Roux is the name of the dashing Johnny Depp character in Chocolat. Roux is French from a Latin word meaning russet or brownish red; it's also a cooking term for a mixture of flour and butter that forms the foundation of many gravies or sauces. Most of today's children with this name, pronounced roo, will actually spell it Rue, for the female character in The Hunger Games.
  16. Toulouse
    • Origin:

      French place-name and surname
    • Description:

      Creative choice, evoking the high-kicking can-can girls and other colorful figures in the works of Toulouse-Lautrec.
  17. Irma
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "universal, whole, great"
    • Description:

      A Top 200 choice in the US from the late 1880s to the early 1930s, Irma has nevertheless fallen out of favor with modern parents, and doesn't look set for the sort of comeback that some of her vintage sisters have enjoyed in recent years. The devastating hurricane which hit the Caribbean Islands and the south-east coast of the US in 2017 has no doubt dealt its chances of revival a further blow.
  18. Dixie
    • Origin:

      Latin, French
    • Meaning:

      "I have spoken; tenth"
    • Description:

      A sassy, spunky, punchy kind of name, Dixie can also be considered a place name, one that has become problematic because of its association with the antebellum South. The Dixie Chicks recently dropped Dixie from their band name because of its association with slavery and white privilege.
  19. Argus
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "watchful guardian"
    • Description:

      In mythology, a creature with a hundred eyes, making it a better name for a camera than a baby.
  20. Huey
    • Origin:

      Variation of Hugh, English
    • Meaning:

      "mind, intellect"
    • Description:

      Once upon a time, in the 1930s, Huey (yes, just Huey) was a Top 250 name. Could the 100-Year Rule bring it back?

The Nameberry App Is Live

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Find your perfect baby name together in our iPhone app, now available on the App Store.
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