breezy//southern

This is a long-recognized smoosh name merging Anna with the short form of Elizabeth, and is one of the prettiest combo names, a possible alternative to Annabel.

A short but strong biblical name with multicultural appeal, Asa is enjoying new visibility thanks to hot young actor Asa Butterfield of Hugo fame.

Surname of a character in Henry James' What Maisie Knew.

One of the rare cases where spelling a name with a y makes it less rather than more feminine. Birdie might be the freshest choice in this aviary.

Fresh, bright, and sunny, Della could be an alternative to Ella, Delilah, or Adeline. Familiar but not yet overused, it combines the elements of contemporary favorites with vintage charm.

Cross-cultural name with a great nautical meaning. It boomed in the 1930s and has potential for revival now.

Elsie is a sweet vintage nickname-name turned modern star. After a 30-year hiatus, Elsie started climbing the US popularity list 20 years ago and is still headed for the top.

Emmett, honest and sincere, laid-back and creative, is on the rise as a male cognate of the megapopular Emma and Emily, not to mention being a character in the popular Twilight series.

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 most popular from the turn of the last century through the 1940s, reaching a high of #152 in 1916. We can certainly see her rejoining the long list of popular greenery names.

Garrett, also spelled with one 't', is an Irish-inflected name that was in the Top 100 in the nineties, but has now slipped in popularity.

Lawrence has survived from Roman times, when Laurentium was a city noted for its laurel trees (the laurel is a symbol of wisdom and achievement). It was in the Top 50 from the 1890s through the 1950s and the Top 100 for decades longer, always among the most popular boys' names starting with L, but Lawrence is now used less for babies than Landon or Lorenzo.

Sweet and stylish, Lucine is a versatile choice that can be used as a spelling variation of the celestial Armenian name Lusine. It is equally considered an elaboration of the classic Lucy and as a French form of Lucina, a name that means "grove", but can also be associated with light.

Magnolia, a sweet-smelling Southern belle of a name made famous via the iconic Edna Ferber novel and musical Showboat, is one of the latest wave of botanical names, along with unexpected blossoms Azalea and Zinnia. It is named for French botanist Pierre Magnol.

A word name with a touch of Adeline/Caroline/Apolline mixed in, Opaline has a sleek and stylish yet whimsical feel.

Paget is a feminine name originating as an English surname derived from Old French, meaning 'young servant' or 'page.' It gained limited use as a given name for girls in the 20th century, drawing associations with elegance and British aristocracy. The name carries a sophisticated quality and projects confidence and distinction. Paget remains quite rare as a first name, appealing to parents seeking something uncommon with historical resonance. Its crisp, clear pronunciation and brief, two-syllable structure give it a modern sensibility despite its traditional origins. In contemporary usage, the name balances uniqueness with accessibility, offering a distinctive option that doesn't feel invented or overly unfamiliar.

Paralee is a feminine given name that appears to have emerged in the United States primarily in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The name may be a compound formation combining elements like 'Para-' (possibly from Greek, meaning 'beside' or 'beyond') and '-lee' (a common suffix in American feminine names, possibly derived from the popular name Lee which has English origins meaning 'meadow' or 'clearing'). Alternatively, it might be a variant of Paralie or Parley. Historical records show usage primarily in the Southern United States during the early 1900s. The name follows patterns of other melodic feminine names ending in '-lee' or '-lie' that were somewhat common during this period. Paralee has become quite rare in contemporary naming patterns, representing a style of naming that was more prevalent in earlier generations.

Like Peggy and Patsy, the kind of zesty moniker young Judy Garland would sport in her early let's-put-on-a-show flicks. It fell out of favor (and the Top 1000) for a while, but has recently rebounded by reentering the charts in 2013. Expect it to continue gaining traction on the heels of Penelope.

Generally used in conjunction with another name to form a religious phrase -- for instance the daughter of rapper DMX is called Praise Mary Ella.