User-created list
Unusual and On-Trend
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Nicolai
Scandinavian and Slavic form of Nicholas
"people of victory"
Related to the Russian name Nikolai, this is a fresh and worldly form of a popular favorite.
Oren
Hebrew
"laurel or pine tree"
Soft and sensitive name often heard in Israel.
Ginevra
Italian variation of Guinevere or Jennifer
"white shadow, white wave"
Arty and elegant, Ginevra is one of the most popular girls' names in Italy at the moment, ranking at #3 in a recent year. Ultimately from the Arthurian Guinevere, it's a relative of Jennifer, meaning…
Broderick
Norse
"brother"
Despite its brotherly meaning, sounds rather formal and cold.
Arista
Greek or Latin
"the best; ear of corn"
From the root for aristocrat, an upwardly mobile choice -- or if you go by its other meaning, an earthy delicious choice. Arista is a rare name for girls that has the popular A beginning-and-ending…
Carina
Italian
"dear little one"
Carina is a pretty delicately feminine name whose fall from popularity is not helped by its similarity to hurricane name Katrina or slang victim Karen.
Shea
Irish
"the stately, dauntless one; hawk"
Not to be confused with shea butter, this name is a common surname in Ireland, combining spirit, substance, and gentleness. The traditional Irish form is Séaghdha (SHEH), though it could also be used…
Leander
Greek
"lion-man"
Leander was once an almost unknown name, however, with the popularity of Leo and the rise of Leandro, it now feels like a perfectly accessible alternative to Leon or Alexander. In Greek legend,…
Heather
English botanical name
"small shrub"
This flower name was one of the most popular in her class in the seventies and eighties, a fact reflected in the 1989 movie Heathers , in which every snobby girl in the high school clique bears the…
Saxon
German
"people of the dagger"
Saxon is unusual word name that nevertheless feels right on trend, with that sharp X in the middle and that two-syllable-ending-in-n pattern. Reminiscent of Roman but not yet so popular, Saxon is one…
Harbin
German
"little bright warrior"
A possible new entry in the Hayden-Corbin two-syllable boys' name club.
Ephai
Hebrew
"gloomy"
Ephai may have a sad meaning but it's an interesting Biblical alternative to such widely-used names as Eli and Elijah.
Carolena
Carolena is a graceful feminine name that blends elements of Caroline and Elena/Helena. With Latin and Greek roots, it can be interpreted as meaning "strong" or "free woman" combined with "bright" or…
Abilene
English from Hebrew
"grass"
Abilene is a rarely used place name, mentioned as such in the New Testament, that combines the cowboy spunk of the Texas city with the midwestern morality of the Kansas town where Dwight D.…
Tavian
Romanian form of Octavian
A cool international name that could join the ranks of cool N-ending boy names. Americans may know it best from retired NFL player Tavian Banks.
Egon
German
"strong with a sword"
Muscular German name that never fully assimilated into American culture.
Ellery
English
"island with elder trees; descendant of Hilary; cheerful, happy"
In the past few years Ellery has gone from middle-aged male detective -- from old school fictional hero Ellery Queen -- to a plausible girls' name, a la Hillary. Ellery is one of the golden names…
Ezri
Variation of Ezra, Hebrew
"help"
Ezra is a Biblical name that is being rediscovered, which means its variation Ezri can't be far behind. Ezri is one of the up-and-coming unisex names starting with E , with the gender divide…
Jacinta
Spanish for Greek flower name
"hyacinth"
Jacinta, the Spanish word for hyacinth, is a lot softer and sweeter than the English version. The correct Spanish pronunciation is ha-SEEN-ta, though many English speakers would say ja-SIN-ta.…
Leighton
English
"meadow town"
More popular in its Layton spelling, Leighton is rising in popularity in the US for both sexes simultaneously, although this spelling remains more popular for girls for now – no doubt helped by…