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Carina

Italian

"dear little one"

Carina is a pretty delicately feminine name whose fall from popularity is not helped by its similarity to hurricane name Katrina or slang victim Karen.

Catarina

Portuguese variation of Katherine

One of the most popular names of all time in Portugal and Brazil, with a romantic, lively sound. The main risk is confusion with other names that sound similar: Catalina, Katrina, and so forth.…

Catrina

Catrina is a feminine name with Spanish and Latin roots. It's a variation of Katherine, which derives from the Greek name 'Aikaterine,' meaning 'pure.' Catrina has special cultural significance in…

Celestine

Latin

"heavenly"

Celestine is a pretty, crystalline extension (actually a diminutive) of Celeste that would make a choice that is both delicate and strong. It is also a popular name in France, though typically…

Chiara

Italian

"light, clear"

Chiara is a lovely and romantic Italian name that's familiar but not widely used here: a real winner. You might consider Chiara instead of Claire, Clara, Cara, or even Keira. Santa Chiara, Aglicized…

Ciara

Irish

"little dark one"

Ciara is very popular in Ireland, more familiar here as the Anglicized Kiera or Keira. The uninitiated will tend to pronounce Ciara as the Italian Chiara, a form of Claire—kee-AHR-a or even…

Claudette

French, feminine variation of Claude

"lame; enclosure"

Once seen as a dated French Claudette-Colbert feminization, along with Annette and Paulette, we can see Claudette moving into a more plausible Colette-Cosette arena. While some may be put off by the…

Corisande

Greek

"chorus-singer"

Corisande is a very unusual, haunting choice, with the aura of medieval romance--it is found in early Spanish romantic tales, arriving in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. 'La…

Corsica

Place name, English from Latin, or Italian, Corsican surname

"from Corsica"

Corsica, the picturesque Mediterrean island birthplace of Napoleon, makes an easy switch from atlas to baby name book, with its delicate, feminine ending. Just don't consider neighboring island…

Cosette

French literary nickname

"little thing"

Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables . In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some…

Cosima

Italian feminine variation of Cosmo, Greek

"order, beauty, universe"

Cosima, the kind of elegant and unusual name the British upper classes love to use for their daughters, is given to a handful of baby girls in the US after being chosen by two high-profile celebs in…

Cyrene

Greek

"supreme power"

Cyrene was a mythical nymph and huntress who was beloved by the god Apollo. He founded a city named after her in what is now Libya and made her the queen. Derived from Greek and pronounced with three…

Cyrille

French from Latin

"lordly"

Cyrille is a unisex French name, and its association with the suddenly suave Cyril has turned from a liability into an advantage.

Danica

Slavic

"morning star"

While Danica may sound similar to Dana, Danielle, and Daniela, Danica is not a variation. Danica, a delicate and unique Slavic name meaning "Morning Star," is synonymous with Venus in many countries.…

Delphine

French from Greek

"of Delphi; womb"

Delphine is a sleek, chic French name with two nature associations — the dolphin and the delphinium, a bluebell-like flower, a well as a link to the ancient city of Delphi, which the Greeks believed…

Dianna

Dianna is a feminine name that represents a variant spelling of Diana, which derives from the Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, and childbirth. With Latin origins, the name means 'divine' or…

Diantha

Greek

"divine flower"

Diantha, a mythological flower of the supreme Greek god Zeus, is a melodious and more unusual cousin of Diana, heard most often in The Netherlands. Some similar choices: Diandra and Dianthe.

Dominica

Italian, feminine variation of Dominic

"belonging to the Lord"

Fashionably Continental and much fresher than Dominique, though it's been used since the Middle Ages. Dominica can be spelled any number of ways, from Dominika to Domenica, but we prefer this…

Erica

Norse feminization of Eric or Italian word name

"eternal ruler; heather"

The straightforward Erica is a Norse feminization that was long associated with the complex, mega-popular character Erica Kane, played by Susan Lucci for decades on the soap opera All My Children .…

Guinivere

Guinivere is a variant spelling of Guinevere, the name of King Arthur's queen in Arthurian legend. Derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, meaning 'white phantom' or 'fair one,' it combines 'gwen'…