User-created list
The Nixed List
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Brio
Italian
"vivacity, zest"
Musical term with a lot of energy.
Russet
English, French
"reddish brown"
Rustic and cosy, Russet is a color name, associated with the reddish-brown hues of earth and autumn, with homespun cloth, apples, and perhaps less appealingly, potatoes. While it has never featured…
Sonja
Russian, Slavic, and Scandinavian form of Sophia, Greek
"wisdom"
Popular throughout Northern and Eastern Europe, particularly in countries like Sweden, Norway, Russia, and Germany, Sonja has a rich cultural heritage. The name gained international recognition…
Peregrine
Latin
"traveler, pilgrim"
Peregrine is considered to be an elegantly aristocratic name in England, but has never made it to the U.S., where it has been seen as extravagantly eccentric. In the new naming climate, though, it's…
Sorrell
French
"reddish brown"
Soft, amber-hued herbal and autumnal name that's used most often to describe the color of a horse. The proper spelling: Sorrel.
Olivier
French
"olive tree"
More and more frequently heard as the Gallic version of Oliver, Olivier could be seen as a tribute to the great British actor, Sir Laurence O.
Marius
Latin, from a Roman family name related to Mars, the god of war
Marius, frequently heard in Germany and France, is a slightly fusty yet accessible name that has (Les Mis) to Anne Rice. With the rise in interest in such Latin names as Maximus and Atticus, Marius…
Saga
Swedish word name
"story; seeress"
Apt name for a little drama queen with a long future ahead of her. Saga is a Top 30 girls' name in Sweden. Saga was the Norse goddess of poetry, storytelling, and history. She was a prophetess — able…
Ondine
Latin
"little wave"
Mythological spirit of the waters; spelled Undine, she was an Edith Wharton heroine.
Ishmael
Hebrew
"God will hear"
Ishmael is most familiar through "Call me Ishmael," the opening line spoken by the youthful narrator of Moby-Dick . Few American parents have followed that advice, though the Spanish and Arabic…
Linus
Greek
"flax"
Can Linus lose its metaphorical security blanket and move from the Peanuts page onto the birth certificate? We think it has enough charm and other positive elements going for it for the answer to be…
Sylvan
Latin
"wood, forest"
One of the many variations of Silvanus, the name of the Roman forest god, and a little-used member of the freshly stylish Sylv- family of names. Silvan is the sleek German and Dutch form. Given to…
Bellemy
Bellemy is a masculine name with romantic French overtones, likely derived from the Old French 'bel ami' meaning 'beautiful friend' or 'handsome friend.' This elegant name carries connotations of…
Verity
Latin
"truth"
If you love Puritan virtue names and want to move beyond Hope and Faith and Grace, this is a wonderful choice, both for its meaning and its sound. A rare find here, though occasionally heard in…
Blythe
English
"happy, carefree"
Blythe is Nameberry gem — one of those names that visitors to the site are often searching for, despite the fact it's never ranked in the US charts as a given name. The name is derived the Old…
Bijoux
Bijoux is a distinctive feminine name derived from the French word meaning 'jewels' or 'jewelry.' As a personal name, it conveys notions of preciousness, beauty, and value. The unique spelling with…
Gwyn
Welsh
"fair, blessed"
Short, simple, gentle, undeniably Welsh but easy to spell and pronounce – there's a lot to like about this underused gem. In the States it's been almost exclusively female, perhaps due to the greater…
Meredith
Welsh
"great ruler"
Meredith has been considered primarily a girl's name since the fifties, before which it was more commonly used for boys. Comic actor Jay Mohr recently named his son Meredith, which might help it…
Llewellyn
Welsh, variation of Llywelyn
"leader's image"
Llewellyn/Llywelyn is a common patriotic first name in Wales, with its distinctive Welsh double LL's; in the U.S. Llewellyn would make a daring choice, though with the chance that some might find the…
Misha
Russian, diminutive of Mikhail
Brought into the American consciousness as the nickname of ballet great Mikhail Baryshnikov, it more recently took on a unisex air via TV and screen actress Mischa Barton. Could become the next Sasha.