Names I love

Appreciated by religious Jews for its connection to "Hatikva," the Israeli national anthem.

Innocent, sincere, and bright-eyed, and as outdated as its mother name, Gertrude.

Victoria is the Latin word for "victory" and a feminine form of Victor. It is the name of the ancient Roman goddess of victory, the equivalent of the Greek Nike, and also a popular third century saint.

The name of the greatest Roman poet and an early Irish saint who believed the earth was round, Virgil is heard most notably today as the name of designer Virgil Abloh of Off-White.

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.

Walter was seen as a noble name in the Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Walter Scott era, but it then spent decades in baby name limbo. Now quite a few independent-minded parents are looking at it as a renewable, slightly quirky, classic, stronger and more distinctive than James or John, second only to William among the handsome classic boy baby names starting with W.

With its rugged, country charm and confident sounds, Waylon is among the wave of Old Western names that parents are choosing.

Long associated with the Churchill family and common in the West Indies, the distinguished Winston has tended to be neglected here. The exception was during the World War II period, when Winston Churchill was a towering figure and his name reached Number 234. It's now enjoying something of a renaissance.

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 .

Classified as an early beauty, Zelda has long and often been used as such for characters in books and films. Since 1986, Zelda has been a prime Nintendo name, as in the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Zenovia makes Zenobia even more unusual. This mythology-adjacent name is worth a look.

This name feels warmer and more human-appropriate in its longer version, but still retains that breezy feel. Trivia tidbit: Zephyrinus was a Jewish pope.

Perhaps the ultimate nicknamey name, Ziggy manages to sound cool, cutesy, spiky, and energetic all at once. It brings to mind the glam-rock of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and the cool vibes of reggae musician Ziggy Marley, along with the contemporary-but-vintage appeal of Teddy, Mack, and Albie.

A vibrant and lively name, Živanka is likely to be a variation of Živa or Živana. Deriving from the Old Slavic word živŭ meaning "alive, living", it is also related to a Slavic goddess, associated with life and fertility.