User-created list
By almostactually · Updated May 2023
Across 27 pages
of 27
Greek
"seer, prophetess"
The image of the lovely Lady Sybil, tragic youngest daughter of the Crawley family on Downton Abbey is likely to go a long way towards reviving this almost forgotten name, off the list since 1966 and…
Spanish
"gracious gifts, benefits"
Mercedes is one of the few names attached to luxury living that we can wholeheartedly recommend, it being a legitimate Spanish appellation stemming from one of the epithets given to the Virgin…
Hebrew
"deliver us"
In the New Testament, Hosanna was exclaimed by those around Jesus when he first entered Jerusalem, making this an exuberant and spiritual choice. A possible alternative for Susanna or Hannah, it was…
Latin
"truth"
If you love Puritan virtue names and want to move beyond Hope and Faith and Grace, this is a wonderful choice, both for its meaning and its sound. A rare find here, though occasionally heard in…
Diminutive of June
A cute nickname, but June is a much better bet for the birth certificate.
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…
Diminutive of Janet, Jane, Jean, and Jennifer
At the height of the Jennifer craze, many parents were cutting straight to the nickname and putting Jenny on the birth certificate. But now that Jennifer is the mom rather than the daughter, Jenny,…
"born on the island of Delos"
Delia is a somewhat neglected southern charmer that stands on its own but also might be short for Adelia or Cordelia. Delia's name is based on that of the Greek island of Delos, which in Greek myth…
French variation of Angela
"angel"
With Angelina becoming so popular thanks to Ms. Jolie, this could be a new twist—but everyone will always misunderstand it as Angelina. While it currently ranks at Number 951 in the US, it's Number…
"life"
A zippy little international name. The Hebrew name relates to the month of Israeli independence, while the Slavic Ziva (also spelled Živa and Siva) is a goddess of love, life and fertility. The name…
"springlike, fresh, dewy"
Aviva is vivacious and memorable, a fresh spin on the Vivian and Vivienne names that have been getting more popular since Angelina and Brad chose one for their twin daughter. Another A-beginning…
French variation of Nadia, Russian
"hope"
Part of the vogue for French-sounding names in the 1920s and 30s, Nadine has been replaced by the Russian sound of Nadia and Natasha.
English, diminutive of Helen, Eleanor, et al
"bright, shining one"
Nell, once a nickname for Helen, Ellen, or Eleanor, is a sweet old-fashioned charmer that is fashionably used today in its own right. While Nell is perfectly in tune with contemporary vintage name…
English
Popular in the US from the 1920s to the 1950s, Arlene is of uncertain origin and seems to be a modern innovation, perhaps based on names like Marlene and Darlene which were popular around the same…
Diminutive of Anastasia
A key cheerleader in the nickname game of the 1970s, Stacy is now the mom. Consider Stacia, or the original Anastasia.
French
"noble"
A cute, zippy French saint's name that's picking up in popularity there, and starting to in the US as well. Zélie originated as a short form of Azélie, thought to derive from Adelaide via the Occitan…
"good woman"
Agatha until recently summoned up visions of martyred saints, mauve silk dresses, and high lace collars, but now that some dauntless excavators have begun to resurrect it, we're sure more will follow…
"white, fair"
Before there was the campy TV Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Elvira was the long-suffering wife of Don Juan, and remnants of those negative, gothic images still cling to it, though they are fading.…
Germanic, Persian, or diminutive of Isabel
"ice; strong-willed; pledged to God"
Isa is a name unto itself as both a Persian name meaning "strong-willed" and as Germanic one derived from the element is meaning "ice". It can also be a short form of Isabel, Isabella, Isadora,…
English, Spanish, and Portuguese variation of Lucia
"light"
Lucinda, an elaboration of Lucia created by Cervantes for his 1605 novel Don Quixote , is a pleasingly pretty alternative to Lucy. It was subsequently used by Moliere in his play The Doctor in Spite…
