Boys Girls Unisex

Calypso

Greek

"she who hides"

Melodic, rhythmic, and poetic in sound, Calypso is a name with connections to music, mythology, space, and pop culture. A distinctive was to nickname Callie or even Pip, it has that charming -o…

Delphi

Greek place name

"of Delphi; womb"

An interesting unisex possibility, with an air of mystery connected to the Delphic Oracle, the most important oracle in ancient Greece; it was also a major site for the worship of the god Apollo.…

Elysian

Latin from Greek

"of Elysium; blissful"

In Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields was the final resting place of righteous souls. Elysian falls under two current trends — spiritual names and mythological names — and could easily be a hit in…

Gale

Spelling variation of Gail

When Gail was popular, half a century ago, Gale was a plausible choice. Gale does put a slightly more masculine spin on the name, but it's dated in any version.

Geneva

Swiss place-name or French

"juniper tree"

Unlike its somewhat formal Swiss city namesake, this is a lively and appealing place-name that also has a real history as a female name. Geneva was a relatively popular American name at one time: it…

Hyacinth

Flower name, from Greek

"blue larkspur; precious stone"

Though it may not be as sweet and gentle as, say, Violet, the purple-hued Hyacinth still might hold some appeal for the parent seeking a truly unusual flower name. In Greek mythology, Hyacinthus was…

Lethe

Greek

"oblivion"

In Greek mythology, Lethe was the name of one of the five rivers in Hades, the underworld. Lethe was also the name of the Greek spirit of forgetfulness and oblivion, with whom the river was often…

Rene

Variation of Renee

"reborn"

This name is hanging on as Renee, thanks to Ms. Zellweger, and in newer forms Renae and Renny.

Solace

English word name

A rare unisex word/virtue name that is currently given to around 10 babies of each gender per year in the US. It could make for an unexpected route to bright, easygoing nickname Sol (or trendy…

Valkyrie

Old Norse

"chooser of the slain"

In Norse mythology, the valkyries decided the fate of men in battle and conveyed the spirits of the fallen to Valhalla, to dwell with the god Odin. Often associated with ravens, swans, and horses,…

Desdemona

Greek

"ill-starred"

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,…

Elektra

Greek

"shining, bright"

This spelling of Electra makes this vibrant name less electric and more kinetic.

Deianira

Greek

"man destroyer"

The name of Hercules' third wife in Greek mythology, who unwittingly killed her demigod husband by giving him a poisoned shirt. Hence the meaning. Dayanara -- as in "Orange is the New Black"…