Sage is an evocatively fragrant herbal name that also connotes wisdom, giving it a double advantage. It entered the Top 1000 at about the same time for both genders in the early 1990s, but it has pulled ahead for the girls. Toni Collette named her daughter Sage Florence.

Araminta is a poetic and enchanting eighteenth-century invention with plenty of elegance and a touch of old-fashioned clunkiness. It first appeared in William Congreve's 17th century comedy The Old Bachelor and then again in 1705 when it was used by architect and playwright Sir John Vanbrugh in his play The Confederacy.

A modern, multifaceted name, Sage is short, sweet, and strong. A unisex possibility, it is also a virtuous word name associated with wisdom, and a nature name linked to a fragrant herb.

A calm and gentle multicultural choice. Oran is popular in Ireland, where its Gaelic form is Odhrán, meaning "little green one". In Scottish Gaelic, the name means "song", and in Hebrew, it's a combination of Or "light" + Ran "singing".

With its bubbly sounds and stylish feel, Pepper joins a small but distinctive group of names inspired by the spice rack: Saffron, Juniper, Cassia, Sage, Ginger, and Rosemary. Enough like Pippa, Piper and Penelope that it feels usable, Pepper has appeared every year in the US stats since the 60s.

Dated British favorite that never caught on in this country, where Jade remains the green gem of choice. Interesting namesakes: British writer Beryl Bainbridge and British aviatrix Beryl Markham.

Aminta is now considered a feminine name, but it originated as a variation of Amyntas, a name connected to numerous ancient kings. In the 16th century, Torquato Tasso, an Italian poet, wrote a play titled Aminta about a lovestruck shepherd who falls for a beautiful nymph named Silvia.

Like Cerulean, one of the new and unusual color names -- it's a soft grayish green -- suitable for a boy.

Minty isn't a fresh word name — it's an old-fashioned nickname for Araminta, the romantic smoosh name coined by playwright William Congreve in 1693.

This Irish saint's name sounds like a lopped-off Lorna.

Odhran, Anglicized as Oran, was the name of an ancient saint. Today, Odhran is among the Top 100 Irish names for boys in Ireland.

You may be tempted to scoff at Mint as another wacky celebrity baby name — it was used by Dutch model Romee Strijd for her daughter in 2020 — but it's a far more legitimate choice than many would guess. Minty baby names for girls are having a style moment in Nordic countries — Mynte is a Top 50 name in Denmark, and Minttu ranks in Finland's Top 50. It's ultimately not so surprising that a well-traveled international star would choose to use the English variation of these names for her daughter.

One of the romantic names favored by British pastoral poets, it was first used as a masculine name by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso for his 16th century play about a shepherd falling in love with a nymph.

Move over Brandy and Sherry, Julep is an alcohol-inspired name that certainly feels unique today, despite sharing similar sounds to popular Juliet and Juliana.

A fresh and summery — if rather long — color that sounds namelike, but is extremely rarely used.

Minto is used for both sexes in Japan, commonly with the kanji combination equating to the word for "mint."

Minta is an eighteenth century short form of a literary beauty still used in England today, but yet to be discovered by American baby namers. It has a fresh and dainty feel.

The mythological story of Minthe goes that she attempted to seduce Hades, god of the underworld. In an act of revenge, his wife Persephone transformed Minthe into the mint plant. In Ancient Greece, mint was commonly associated with funerals and the afterlife, both for its scent-masking properties and Minthe's connection to Hades.

The term "wintergreen" historically referred to plants that remain green through the winter, for which we use the word "evergreen" today. Gaultheria wintergreens, shrubs, contain the oil used to make wintergreen mint flavoring, used in chewing gum, toothpaste, and even root beer.

Amyntas is derived from the Greek word amyntor, meaning "defender." It was borne by several ancient kings and military leaders.