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Guilty Pleasures
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The names
Everly
English
"wild boar in woodland clearing"
Sweet and stylish, with a sporty, energetic undertone, Everly is a name that ticks lots of boxes. It's a contemporary choice that doesn't sound invented; it's got unisex appeal but still sounds…
Malachi
Hebrew
"my messenger"
An Old Testament name with a Gaelic lilt, Malachi entered the list in 1987. In the Bible, Malachi (pronounced with the final syllable as EYE), was the last of the twelve Hebrew prophets, who foretold…
Zion
Hebrew
"highest point"
Zion has taken off in recent years, particularly after singer Lauryn Hill used it for her son back in 1997 and incorporated the name into a hit song. It combines a user-friendly Ryan-Brian sound with…
Lorelei
German
"alluring, temptress"
The lovely Lorelei, a name from old German legend, was a beautiful Rhine River seductress whose haunting voice led sailors to hazardous rocks that would cause them to be shipwrecked. And this siren…
Neriah
Hebrew
"light of Jehovah"
A version of a symbolic name given to girls born on Hanukkah, the festival of lights. It can also be spelled Neriya(h), but this spelling made it into the Top 1000 in 2013. Neriah was among the…
Tanith
Phoenician
"serpent lady"
Name of the Phoenician deity who was the patron of Carthage, goddess of the moon, and a fertility figure. Variations include Tanit, Tanis, and Tanitha. The name is frequently misinterpreted to be an…
Seren
Welsh, Turkish
"star or sail mast"
Seren is a top girls' name in Wales – and a lovely choice almost unknown elsewhere. Seren, in the Sirona form, was an ancient goddess of the hot springs. Seren only recently fell out of the girls'…
Izar
Basque
"star"
Used more for girls in Europe, but definitely sounds masculine enough for a boy here.
Zohar
Hebrew
"light, brilliance"
Though this name is used for both boys and girls in Israel, in the U.S. it sounds decidedly masculine, with Zohara the feminine form. Has a futuristic macho feel.
Lior
Hebrew
"I have a light"
Lior connects with several factors stylish for Israeli names: It's short, it's unisex, and it has an uplifting nature theme. Lior might make a more modern spin on Leah.
Izara
Arabic, Basque, Hausa
"shawl; star; section of tree"
Attractive, rhythmic choice with roots in several languages and cultures. It's a lesser-known a celestial name, meaning "star" in Basque and referring to a star in the constellation Boötes in Arabic.
Rhiannon
Welsh
"divine queen"
Strong and outdoorsy, yet pretty and queenly, Rhiannon was a once obscure Welsh name, brought into the mainstream in 1976, following Fleetwood Mac's flash hit song of the same title. It stormed into…
Bryony
Greek
"to sprout, to swell"
Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan…
Malin
Scandinavian diminutive of Magdalene
"high tower or woman of Magdela"
The sleek Malin is a contracted form of Magdalene or Madeleine, used in Sweden, Norway, and Switzerland. A popular choice back in the 2000s, it has declined in popularity in recent years, but it…
Georgiana
English, feminine variation of George
"farmer"
Long a popular upper-crust form in England, where it's pronounced George-ee-AH-na, Georgiana has been been neglected here. But with Georgia growing more popular and the general fashion for elaborate…
Rahva
Eira
Welsh
"snow"
This Welsh nature name that can be pronounced exactly like the male Ira. Or, to avoid confusion, you could just name her Snow.
Ianthe
Greek
"purple flower"
Like Violet, Lavender and Lilac, Ianthe is a purple flower name. Chosen by the poet Shelley for his daughter, Ianthe has a poetic, romantic, almost ethereal quality. In the ancient myth, she was the…
Adair
Scottish and Irish, Brazilian
"oak tree ford; wealthy spearman; wealth and fame"
A unisex name with lots of flair and a daring spirit, Adair was first noticed as a girl's name in the 1980's, thanks to the long-running daytime drama Search for Tomorrow , with the character Adair…
Vashti
Persian
"lovely"
This Persian name with an Old Testament pedigree has a warm Sasha-like feel. The Biblical Vashti was a queen who refused her husband's orders to appear naked in front of his party guests and so was…