Cassiopeia, the name of a mythological mother who became a stellar constellation, is challenging but intriguing, and has all those softening Cass nicknames available. And with all names Cass-related trending, Cassiopeia may be an unusual route to a stylish name.

A Shakespearean invention for an abandoned baby in The Winter's Tale, Perdita's sense of loss has always been off-putting to parents. But her image was somewhat resuscitated by its association with the appealing canine character in Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmations.

Best known as one of the moons of Jupiter, Callisto was a nymph coveted by Zeus who was turned into a bear by Hera, becoming the Great Bear (Ursa Major) constellation.

Whether it's pronounced with an "een" or an "aine" or an "enn" sound at the end, Helene doesn't feel as current the more forthright Helen or the airier Helena. Helene reached a high of Number 228 in the US in 1916, when ene, ine and een names were all the fashion, and stayed in the Top 500 until 1962, making a final exit in 1970. It still ranks well in its native France, and even more in Norway (#70). Model Heidi Klum's daughter 'Leni' has Helene on her birth certificate.

A little heavy on the fiber content; we prefer Bram. But Bran is also the Celtic god of the underworld, whose symbol is the raven.

Little known name of the goddess of the harvest — her name literally means nourishment, and is the origin of the word cereal. A possibility for the parent seeking something original, but with the aura of Roman myth. Her Greek counterpart is Demeter.

This might sound and look like a blend of Ryan, Riley, and Nigel, but it is in fact the name of the seventh brightest star in the sky. Found in the constellation of Orion, its name comes from the Arabic phrase, Rijl Jauzah al Yusrā, , meaning "the left foot of the central one."

The traditional name of the brightest star in the constellation Leo and a minor character in the "Harry Potter" series might be a good pick for parents interested in a regal name but turned off by the blatancy of Royalty and King. The nickname Reggie is all but inevitable, for better or worse.

Invented for Bellini's opera, Norma had some star quality in the silent-screen and Marilyn Monroe days, but at this point it's a graying grandma in baby name limbo.

Desdemona is as Shakespearean as a name can be, but because the beautiful and innocent wife of Othello came to such a tragic end, her name has been avoided for centuries. But at this point in time, there might be some adventurous parents willing to overlook that.

Better than Capricorn or Cancer, not as usable as Leo, the name of the Roman god of war becomes more possible as a baby name every day, as mythological names take the place of biblical names.

This name's meaning derives from the material from which the mythical sculptor Pygmalion chiselled his ideal woman - she was carved from ivory. Pygmalion fell in love with his creation and Aphrodite, taking pity on him, brought the sculpture to life. The woman was named Galatea due to her incredibly pale skin. The Pygmalion myth was the inspiration behind the story of "My Fair Lady" starring Julie Andrews on stage and Audrey Hepburn on screen.

The name of a heavenly planet and the Roman goddess of beauty and love was an intimidating no-no until tennis champ Venus Williams put an athletic, modern spin on it.

A pretty, rarely used Greek name, Thalassa is the ancient personification of the sea, particularly the Mediterranean, who is sometimes considered the mother of Aphrodite. In 1991, a newly discovered moon of Neptune was dubbed Thalassa.

Io may be one of the slightest names in the book, but there aren't many two-letter names with as much substance as this Greek mythological example. Io, a name used for the largest moon of Jupiter, was in classic myth raped by Zeus and escaped from him by changing herself into a cow.

This name comes from Greek mythology, where the Titans were a band of immortal, powerful giants.

One of the fierce new animal names new to name lists, helped by its strong x-ending.

The astronomical Polaris is better known as the North Star, the brightest star in the Ursa Minor constellation. It's also the name of a character in the Marvel Universe, the daughter of Magneto.

A simple but unusual name with roots in disparate cultures, Neri appears in the Bible as a male name and is still sometimes used for boys as well as girls. The appeal of Neri are its deep roots combined with its simple, upbeat, modern feel, ala Peri and Rory.

Puck was Shakespeare's mischievous pixie who'a had a few television incarnations in more recent years. A popular name in The Netherlands but nowhere else, from what we can tell.