Names I love
- Amadeus
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"lover of God"Description:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's middle name could make an interesting pick for music-loving parents--if only in middle place. Amadeus is the title of a Peter Shaffer play which became an award-winning film in 1984.
- Wolfgang
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"traveling wolf"Description:
Chef Wolfgang Puck has helped soften this thunderous Germanic name; music-lovers will appreciate its association with Mozart, though the composer's middle name Amadeus is more appealing. With Wolf on the rise, however, and parents looking for bolder options, Wolfgang might just intrigue people with its historical feel .
- Edna
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"rejuvenation, delight"Description:
Edna is one of those names that, until what it seemed like a few minutes ago, felt so terminally frumpy that no one could imagine a parent choosing it for an innocent modern baby girl. But with the great upswing in names honoring ancestral family members, several of them being other four-letter, e-ending names, we wouldn't be so sure.
- Frost
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"freezing"Description:
Long heard as a last name, as in venerable poet Robert, U.K. talk show host David, British actress Sadie and old Jack Frost, Frost has suddenly entered the scene as a possible first, along with other seasonal weather names like Winter and Snow.
- Viveca
Origin:
Swedish, NordicMeaning:
"alive, life; place of refuge"Description:
This is one of the most vibrant and feminine of the names meaning life, and it's sure to gain more attention as the whole sisterhood of Viv- names rise.
- Crispin
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"curly-haired"Description:
Crispin, which was introduced into the mainstream by actor Crispin Glover and which means "curly-haired" in Latin, has an image very much like its first syllable: crisp, autumnal, and colorful.
- Prudence
Origin:
Virtue nameMeaning:
"caution"Description:
Prudence, like Hope and Faith, is a Puritan virtue name with a quiet charm and sensitivity that is slowly returning to favor, though it hasn't yet registered on the charts.
- Beauregard
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"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.
- Hermione
Origin:
Feminine version of Hermes, GreekMeaning:
"messenger, earthly"Description:
Hermione's costarring role in Harry Potter has made this previously ignored, once stodgy name suddenly viable. Hermione could really take off once today's children start having kids of their own.
- Rasmus
Origin:
Finnish and Scandinavian variation of ErasmusMeaning:
"beloved, desired"Description:
A form of ancient name newly popular in Eastern Europe, Rasmus is rugged and distinctive - and on trend in Estonia and Finland. Virtually unknown in the U.S. but with its philosophical roots and uplifting meaning, Rasmus seems prime for use. The Rasmus is a Finnish rock band.
- Tansy
Origin:
Flower name, from GreekMeaning:
"immortality"Description:
Tansy is a flower name rarer than Rose, livelier than Lily and a lot less teasable than Pansy.
- Erasmus
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"beloved, desired"Description:
Erasmus has long retained the image of the bearded and bespectacled Dutch philosopher, but could be one that the audacious baby namer just might dare to dust off.
- Judith
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"He will be praised or woman from Judea"Description:
The biblical Judith, the fourth most popular name in 1940, may be getting ready for a comeback in its full, elegant, if somewhat solemn form. Many of those earlier Judiths were called Judy—some after Judy (born Frances) Garland—preferring it over their more formal proper name. Today, Judith, like Deborah, may have shaken off just enough to appeal to parents looking for a traditional, yet under-the-radar biblical name. And Jude would be a likelier nickname these days than the Judge Judy connection.
- Deveraux
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"of Evreux; riverbank"Description:
Swashbuckling name worthy of a hero in a romance novel. Deveraux or Devereaux is drawn from the town of Evreux in France and combined with the prefix de- denoting it likely referred to a noble of that area.
- Nicodemus
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"victory of the people"Description:
This rarely used New Testament name could make an unusual route to the cool nickname Nico. Nicodemus (Noddy) Boffin is a character in the Dickens novel Our Mutual Friend.
- Elmira
Origin:
English, TurkishMeaning:
"noblewoman; country, world commander; ruler of the people"Description:
A name with various origins, Elmira combines the sounds of multicultural Mira with the popular El- beginning. Despite this, the name is rarely heard in the US, though it does rank in the Top 100 names in Azerbaijan.
- Temperance
Origin:
Virtue nameDescription:
Not too long ago, Temperance was found only on lists of Puritan baby names.
- Minka
Origin:
Polish diminutive of Mina, short form of Wilhelmina, GermanMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
In the contemporary US, Minka attracted notice via actress Minka Kelly, who played the gorgeous Lyla on Friday Night Lights.
- Mariska
Origin:
Hungarian and Dutch diminutive of MariaMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
Robust and energetic with an even blend of spikiness and elegance, Mariska is a diminutive of Maria, notably used in Hungary and The Netherlands. Internationally, it was brought into the spotlight by Law & Order actress, Mariska Hargitay.
- Darwin
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dear friend"Description:
Enough parents have found naturalist Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, a worthy hero to keep Darwin relatively consistently in the Top 1000. It has a lovely meaning too—"dear friend."
Introducing the Nameberry App

Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
- Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
- Names you match on are saved to your shared list
- Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
- Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
- Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.

