User-created list
Names I love
Across 8 pages
of 8
Amidala
Italian
"beautiful flower"
An attractive enough name, but for die-hard Star Wars fans only.
Rajani
Sanskrit
"dark, of the night"
Lots of charm.
AGAPe
Pamina
Italian
"little honey"
This operatic Italian name -- it appears in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" -- is a more unusual route to the nickname Pam/Pammy.
Fern
English
"plant name"
Of all the botanicals, Fern has been one of the slowest to move back from the front parlor into the nursery, despite the appealing girl character in the children's classic Charlotte's Web . Fern was…
Peridot
Arabic
"a green gemstone"
Peridot is the gem of the month of August, a vibrant green mineral, said to be good for helping people put the past behind them, and an interesting, undiscovered jewel name. It was regarded in…
Katniss
Literary and botanical name
Katniss Everdeen is the heroine of the popular Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, whose name comes from the (very real) edible aquatic plant of the genus Sagittaria. Katniss's father tells her…
Alaïa
Arabic
"sublime"
Fashion designer surname that could make a dynamic first.
Minka
Polish diminutive of Mina, short form of Wilhelmina, German
"resolute protection"
In the contemporary US, Minka attracted notice via actress Minka Kelly, who played the gorgeous Lyla on Friday Night Lights . This cute and lively nickname name can (and does) certainly stand on its…
Constance
English version of Latin Constantia
"steadfastness"
Constance is one of the more subtle of the virtue baby names , but still has quite a prim and proper image. One impediment to its revival has been the decidedly dated nickname Connie, though modern…
Viveca
Swedish, Nordic
"alive, life; place of refuge"
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. Celebrated Swedish actress Viveca Lindfors,…
Raffaela
German variation of Hebrew Raphaela
"God heals"
Whether spelled Raffaela, Rafaela, Raffaella, or Raphaela, a euphonius name with a dark-eyed, long-flowing-haired image. Like Gabriella and Isabella, is beginning to be drawn into the American…
Pamela
English
"all honey"
Pam was a somewhat pampered prom queen of the sixties who was never called by her full name, which is a pity because Pamela is so mellifluous and rich in literary history. A Top 25 name from the late…
Tikvah
Hebrew
"hope"
Appreciated by religious Jews for its connection to "Hatikva," the Israeli national anthem.
Ezri
Variation of Ezra, Hebrew
"help"
Ezri is one of the cool new unisex names starting with E , except as a Biblical name, it's not so new. Used for both genders in Israel, in the US it's currently running five to one in favor of girls,…
Altalune
Latin
"over the moon"
Altalune is an invention used by Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson as one of several middle names for their daughter. It's evocative Latin meaning roughly translates to "over the moon." Celebrity baby…
Tammy
English, diminutive of Tamara
Made famous in fifties movies as a wholesome backwoods gal, Tammy was a Top 10 choice from the mid-60s to early-70s, but is now given to fewer than 100 babies per year in the US.
Dexamene
Zenovia
Russian form of Zenobia, Greek
"force of Zeus"
Zenovia makes Zenobia even more unusual. This mythology-adjacent name is worth a look.
Elmira
English, Turkish
"noblewoman; country, world commander; ruler of the people"
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…