The Great Big List of Cottagecore Names
- Tansy
Origin:
Flower name, from GreekMeaning:
"immortality"Description:
Tansy is a flower name rarer than Rose, livelier than Lily and a lot less teasable than Pansy.
- Eudora
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"generous gift"Description:
Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and euphoneous and a possibility for rejuvenation.
- Blossom
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"to bloom"Description:
Now that parents have picked virtually every name in the garden, from the common Rose to the captivating Zinnia, some are reconsidering the old, more generic names like Flora and Posy and Blossom — which was last in favor in the 1920s and still has a Floradora showgirl aura.
- Maurice
Origin:
English and French from LatinMeaning:
"dark-skinned"Description:
In the USA, Maurice was in the Top 200 for most of the 20th century; since 1990, however, it has been on a slow and steady decline. This name has the potential for some old-school cute nicknames such as Mo as well as the more trendy Reece.
- Cedar
Origin:
English and French from Latin tree nameMeaning:
"cedar tree"Description:
Cedar is, like Ash, Oak, Pine and Ebony, one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider; this one is particularly aromatic.
- Sparrow
Origin:
Nature nameMeaning:
"sparrow, a bird"Description:
With related choices such as Lark and Phoenix gaining popularity, why not Sparrow? Though it's usually thought of as a female name, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden chose it for their son.
- Ginny
Origin:
Diminutive of Virginia, Ginevra, Genevieve, or ImogenMeaning:
"virgin, pure; white wave; maiden"Description:
A nickname to Latin Virginia, French Genevieve, Italian Ginevra, English Imogen, and any other name with the 'gin' sound in there, Ginny ranked in the latter end of the US charts in the mid 20th century. Made familiar again in the contemporary world by the show Ginny & Georgia, along with the Harry Potter character, Ginny has seen a small amount of attention in recent years, given to around 50 babies in the latest stats.
- Amity
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"friendship"Description:
Amity--what nicer gift to give your little girl than a name that signifies friendship and harmony? This virtue name is also more rhythmic and feminine than the single-syllable Hope, Faith, and Grace.
- Valley
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"low area of land between hills and mountains"Description:
An evocative word name, conjuring up images of the beautiful low land between hills and mountains, and the streams and rivers that often run through them, Valley has the advantage of also sounding totally name-y. Reminiscent of Ally, Valerie, Valentina, Tally, and Callie, it is a rising choice in the US, more than doubling in popularity in recent years.
- Birch
Origin:
Tree nameDescription:
Birch is a rarely used nature name that calls to mind the lovely image of the tall, strong but graceful white-barked tree.
- Cricket
Origin:
Nature nameDescription:
Nickname name from the era of Father Knows Best, though we can see it making something of a comeback, a la Clover and Pippa. Cricket has new potential especially since it has recently been chosen by Busy Philipps. Still, it's one of the quirkier girl names starting with C.
- Clea
Origin:
Latinate variation of Cleo, GreekMeaning:
"glory"Description:
An attractive and unusual name that may be a variation of Cleo, Clea was possibly invented by Lawrence Durrell for a character in his Alexandria Quartet.
- Calanthe
Origin:
English from GreekMeaning:
"Christmas orchid"Description:
If you love Calliope and Callista, you'll love Calanthe, which combines the trendiness of the Greek 'cal' names with the equally fashionable "the" ending (like Xanthe and Evanthe) and a connection to the beautiful Christmas Orchid. Color Calantha one of the more unusual and captivating names for Christmas babies.
- Cliff
Origin:
Topographical name or short form of Clifford or CliftonDescription:
Cliff is a familiar, timeless short form -- never too popular, yet widely known -- that you might also think of as a geographical name ala Vale or Field.
- Fable
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Inventive name for the child of a writer.
- Hale
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"someone who lives in a hollow; strong and hearty"Description:
This name projects a sense of well-being, as in "hale and hearty", while also having a nature-adjacent meaning, referring to someone who lives near a hollow, a nook, or a remote area of land. Rhyming word hail adds a hint of storminess to the name too.
- Iola
Origin:
Greek or WelshMeaning:
"violet; beautiful lady"Description:
Isla is hot, Iona is cool – maybe it's time Iola got a second look? Last heard from on Carol Burnett's Mama's Family show, Iola feels like just the sort of uncommon, vowel-rich, vintage name that should be ripe for rediscovery.
- Hilda
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"battle woman"Description:
Short for Brunhilda, the operatic Valkyrie of Teutonic legend, Hilda still has not quite shaken off that image that image. Though with the resurgence of Matilda, she might just have a bit of a comeback.
- Petunia
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"trumpet-shaped flower"Description:
Literary heritage: the "Loony Tunes" girlfriend of Porky Pig. But with the increasing popularity of all kinds of unusual botanical names, Petunia may be a name we start to hear more of. Perhaps-more-pleasing Petunia alternatives: Petal, Posy, Poppy.
- Clove
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"clove"Description:
Clove is a spice name that is a tad more piquant than Saffron or Cinnamon. It might get more attention now as a member of The Hunger Games family of names.
