Soft-Spot-In-My-Heart Names

Names that I have always loved or am attracted to. Some I would actually use, while others I wouldn't. Please vote!
  1. Asher
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "fortunate, blessed, happy one"
    • Description:

      Asher—an excellent, soft and sensitive Old Testament choice—is a baby boy name on the rise, and is a Nameberry biblical favorite.
  2. Aurelia
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "the golden one"
    • Description:

      Aurelia is an ancient Roman name that's become a surprise hit in the contemporary world. A top favorite on Nameberry, it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 70-year absence and continues to climb.
  3. Bernadette
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "brave as a bear"
    • Description:

      Although feminizations ending in "ette" are not particularly popular now, Bernadette is a pleasant, feminine, but strong name that doesn't feel prohibitively dated. And though strongly associated with the saint who saw visions of the Virgin Mary—Saint Bernadette of Lourdes—it is now no longer strictly inhabiting the Catholic diocese.
  4. Chrysanthemum
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "gold flower"
    • Description:

      One of the rarest of the flower names, that of the blossom celebrated in Japan as a symbol of the sun and a possible object of meditation. One of the rare flower names counted among names for autumn babies, Chrysanthemum is also one of the most unusual nature-themed girl names starting with C.
  5. Ealasaid
    • Elspeth
      • Origin:

        Scottish variation of Elizabeth
      • Meaning:

        "pledged to God"
      • Description:

        Elspeth is one of those names that never quite made it out of the British Isles--particularly Scotland, but possesses a winningly childlike charm. Elspeth was used by Sir Walter Scott for several of his female characters.
    • Elowyn
      • Faye
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "fairy"
        • Description:

          Soft and simple, but no less magical, Faye is enjoying a quiet spell of popularity in the US. It broke the Top 1000 in 2014, and by 2023, was one of the fastest rising names on the charts. Faye is a perfect example of a name that fits in and stands out, recognizable and yet unexpected. It also makes a beautiful middle name option, if Mae and Rae are feeling too overdone.
      • Finn
        • Origin:

          Irish
        • Meaning:

          "fair or white"
        • Description:

          Finn is a name with enormous energy and charm, that of the greatest hero of Irish mythology, Finn MacCool (aka Fionn mac Cuumhaill), an intrepid warrior with mystical supernatural powers, noted as well for his wisdom and generosity.
      • Gemma
        • Origin:

          Italian, Catalonian, Spanish
        • Meaning:

          "precious stone"
        • Description:

          Gemma is a jewel of a name, an Italian classic that was very popular in 1980s England, but has only recently been started to be used here; it entered the list in 2008.
      • Ione
        • Origin:

          Greek
        • Meaning:

          "violet flower"
        • Description:

          This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan.
      • Joy
        • Origin:

          English word name
        • Meaning:

          "joy"
        • Description:

          Joy is from an older generation of word names, which also included Merry, Bliss, and Glory -- all of which exert a certain amount of personality pressure on a child. However, Joy, like Grace, Hope, and Rose, has crossed more into name-territory than other word choices, which lightens some of that pressure.
      • Julia
        • Origin:

          Latin
        • Meaning:

          "youthful or sky father"
        • Description:

          Julia was an ancient Roman imperial name given to females in the house of a Julius, as in Caesar. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthfu"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".
      • Juno
        • Origin:

          Latin
        • Meaning:

          "queen of the heavens; young"
        • Description:

          Juno is an ancient name that feels as fresh as if it had been minted, well, not yesterday, but in 2007. Since the release of the popular indie film Juno, this lively but strong Roman goddess name has held new potential as a baby name. Currently in the UK Top 500 and used in The Netherlands too, Juno is on the rise in the US - and is 15 times more popular than it was before the release of the film.
      • Kai
        • Origin:

          Hawaiian, Frisian, Chinese
        • Meaning:

          "sea; warrior; triumph"
        • Description:

          Kai is an internationally flexible name with many possible origins and meanings, growing in popularity in the US and a diverse range of European countries.
      • Llewellen
        • Maggie
          • Origin:

            Diminutive of Margaret
          • Meaning:

            "pearl"
          • Description:

            Maggie is a cute, earthy short form that has been in style for several decades now, still sometimes used as an independent name by such parents as Jon Stewart. First used in Scotland, it got a large bump in popularity via the 1971 Rod Stewart hit song "Maggie May." Today's Maggie might just as well be short for a more adventurous name such as Magdalena or Magnolia as for the classic Margaret.

            Maggie Gyllenhaal was born Margaret.

        • Margo
          • Origin:

            French, diminutive of Margaret
          • Meaning:

            "pearl"
          • Description:

            Margo and Margot sound exactly the same, so why has the Margot spelling hopped back onto the Top 1000, outpacing Margo in numbers more than two to one? (Over 350 baby girls were named Margot in the most recent year, versus 150 named Margo.)
        • Milo
          • Origin:

            Latin and Old German
          • Meaning:

            "soldier or merciful"
          • Description:

            Milo is most commonly considered to be Germanic name derived from the Latin word miles, meaning "soldier." However, there is evidence to suggest it also may have independently spawned from the Slavic root milu, meaning "merciful." Milo predates brother name Miles, a variation that evolved when the name immigrated to the British Isles in the Middle Ages. Mylo is an alternate spelling.
        • Owen
          • Origin:

            Welsh
          • Meaning:

            "young warrior; well-born"
          • Description:

            Owen, a resonant Celtic name, has ranked among the Top 100 boys' names in the US for 20 years and is now at its highest point ever.