User-created list
By rosa grimes · Updated September 2023
Across 8 pages
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Demia is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a shortened form of Damiana, which derives from Greek meaning 'to tame' or 'to subdue,' or could be connected to Demetria, meaning…
German form of Maurice
"dark-skinned"
The unusual-to-the-English-ear Moritz is a Top 25 name in Austria and a form of Maurice or Morris, which are modern variations of the ancient Roman Maurus. There were several early saints named…
Hungarian and Dutch diminutive of Maria
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Robust and energetic with an even blend of spikiness and elegance, Mariska is a diminutive of Maria, notably used in Hungary and The Netherlands. Internationally, it was brought into the spotlight by…
Greek
"bear guardian"
The brightest star in the constellation Boötes, and the third-brightest in the night sky. According to Greek myth, Arcturus was placed in the sky by Zeus to protect the two bears — the adjacent…
Flower name; Greek
"unfading"
Amarantha is a rare botanical name whose mythical equivalent was believed to be immortal. The Italian and Spanish form is the somewhat-more-acccessible Amaranta.
Spanish and Portuguese
"refuge, shelter"
Amparo is a medieval name related to the Virgin Mary most closely associated with the city of Valencia, in Spain. Although it does not appear at all on the most recent US name roster, meaning it was…
Latin
"lovable"
Amabella is an elaboration of Amabel, a popular medieval name. Neil Gaiman and Liane Moriarty used Amabella as a character name in their novels, The Graveyard Book and Big Little Lies , respectively.
Welsh
"maiden"
Morwenna is an ancient Cornish name now being revived in Wales, deriving from a Celtic word meaning "maiden", although the Mor- syllable means that it's often associated with the sea. It's been heard…
Greek mythology name
The mythological queen whose perpetual weeping for her slain children turned her into a stone has always cast a pall over this name. Still, when other names with less-than-savory associations --…
French
"wood, forest"
Doesn't everything sound better with a French accent? Sylvain, the French variation of the Roman wood god's name, sounds somehow cooler and more sophisticated than Sylvan.
"from Sidon "
Sidonie is an appealing and chic French favorite that is starting to attract some American fans as a fresher alternative to Sydney. Also spelled Sidony, Sidonie was the birth name of the French…
"fortification"
An old French surname derived from baille , meaning "fortification" – the same root as the English word bailey. The surname was borne by an aristocratic English family descended from French nobility.…
Italian literary name
"good, nice"
A character the Italian fairy tale Prunella ; Bensiabel is the benevolent son of a witch, and the heroine's love interest.
Bhaltair is a masculine name representing the Scottish Gaelic form of Walter. With Celtic origins, this uncommon name carries the same Germanic roots as Walter, derived from 'wald' (rule) and 'hari'…
German, diminutive of Dietrich
Dieter is a classic German name that got lots of satiric exposure via Mike Myers on "Saturday Night Live" a few years back. If mispronounced, it could conceivably be read as someone on a diet.
English, 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 unconventional flower name. In Greek mythology…
Persian place name
Now deeply associated with the gemstone Lapis Lazuli, Lazuli is derived from one of the places where the stone was first mined. The word Lazuli is the root for words like azure. Lapis Lazuli is a…
Variation of Iliodor, Russian from Greek
"gift of the sun"
Liodor is the Leo and Theodore mash-up you didn't know you needed — with authentic Russian roots! It ultimately derives from the Greek name Heliodoros.
