Movie Credits

Annabella is one of a constellation of names that include Anabella, Annabelle, Annabel, Anabel, Annabelle, and Annabell -- all lovely names that have suffered from their association with the eponymous horror movie. Annabella fell off the US Top 1000 in 2021, and ironically, the only version of the name that hangs on in the Top 1000 is Annabelle, the spelling used in the movie.

Has some creative credibility via abstract painter Barnett Newman, but we'd prefer his nickname, Barney.

Billie is a tomboy nickname name, part of the growing trend for using boyish nicknames for girls and now destined for stardom along with its most famous contemporary bearer, music sensation Billie Eilish.

Like Benita, had some popularity in the fifties.

Related to the word bourgeois; actor Burgess Meredith put this surname in first place.

Once seen as a dated French Claudette-Colbert feminization, along with Annette and Paulette, we can see Claudette moving into a more plausible Colette-Cosette arena. While some may be put off by the common "lame" meaning, some etymologists theorize that the name may relate to the word for enclosure or clause, an alternate meaning that may appeal to a child with a form of this otherwise-appealing name.

This Hindu goddess name has a powerful heritage plus lively sound with a devilish edge. If you're enchanted by goddess names but want to set your little girl apart from all the Lunas and Athenas in the playground, consider Devi.

Creative name whose only limitation is that it looks like it would be pronounced akin to Alicia and Elissa — although as a Biblical boys’ name, it is traditionally pronounced ee-LIE-shah.

Ern is a masculine name that originated primarily as a shortened form of Ernest, though it can occasionally derive from other names like Vernon. With Germanic roots, Ernest means 'serious' or 'resolute,' giving Ern these same strong connotations. This brief, one-syllable name embodies a straightforward, unpretentious quality that reflects traditional values. Most common in English-speaking countries during the early to mid-20th century, Ern has since become increasingly rare as a standalone name rather than a nickname. It carries a certain vintage charm and working-class association, particularly in Australia and the UK, where diminutive forms have historically been popular. The name's simplicity gives it a distinct, no-nonsense character.

That er sound -- as in Myrna, Myrtle, and Bernice -- sounds terminally dated.

Finlay is a Scottish royal name: it belonged to Macbeth's father, Finlay MacRory--or Findlaech mac Ruaidri--that has a bit of a split personality. It has two acceptable spellings--Finlay and Finley, the first more popular in its native Scotland, where it ranks in the Top 10, the second in the US. It is also becoming more and more unisex in the States, with the Finley spelling now split between girls and boys, while Finlay was used last year for TEN TIMES as many boys as girls, about 50 to only five.

Originally a unisex nickname for a redhead -- red hair is called "ginger" in Britain -- or for the name Virginia, Ginger perennially wears pink gingham and spike heels.

The feminine version of the common Welsh name Glyn became somewhat known in this country via the charming Welsh actress Glynis Johns. Variations include Glenys and Glynys. With other Welsh names--Gwyneth, Bronwyn, Bryn, Griffith--now on the American table, Glynis could make a distinctive tribute to an Uncle Glenn.

This attractive Scottish surname choice, has a certain amount of glamour thanks to feisty British-born red-haired forties Academy Award winner Greer Garson, who was born Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson--Greer was her Irish mother's maiden name). Greer was chosen much more recently by Kelsey Grammer for his daughter and by Brooke Shields in the Grier form. As a surname, it's associated with feminist writer/activist Germaine Greer.

Hermine and Hermina once ranked in the US Top 1000 for girls, but the First World War put an end to the popularity of these and many other German names. Now, both names are extinct though father name Herman is sometimes found.

Distinguished actor Hume Cronyn (who shared his father's name) put this unusual choice in the lexicon.

Jobyna is a distinctive feminine name that gained limited recognition in the early 20th century, primarily due to American silent film actress Jobyna Ralston. The name appears to be a creative variation of the biblical name Job, with a feminine ending. Unlike many biblical derivative names, Jobyna remains extremely rare, giving it a unique quality. The name carries an artistic, vintage Hollywood association due to Ralston's career in the 1920s. With its unusual combination of sounds and spelling, Jobyna offers a dramatic quality that stands apart from more common names. Though never achieving widespread popularity, the name occasionally appears as parents seek distinctive vintage names with cultural connections. The unusual 'y' spelling gives the name a stylistic flair that distinguishes it from more traditional naming patterns.