User-created list
By ava1806 · Updated November 2023
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Portuguese diminutive of Rodrigo
"famous ruler"
This charming mini name began life as a nickname for Rodrigo but has since taken on a life of its own, ranking as an independent name in Portugal, it’s country of origin. If you’re looking to honor a…
Greek
"hospitable, welcoming, guest"
The name of a Christian saint and a city in Ohio, Xenia is one of the more accessible and intriguing x names. It is the name of one of the Bond Girls--played by Famke Janssen in the film "GoldenEye."…
Hebrew
"mankind"
A thundering biblical name - belonging to a grandson of Adam and Eve, also known as Enosh - that hasn't made as much of a comeback as similar Enoch. Enos is also a book in the Book of Mormon, and the…
Lithuanian
"to visit, to appear, to haunt"
A Lithuanian short form of various Vaid- names often used on its own, or a spelling variant of Vada.
Catalan form of Ferdinand, Germanic
"bold voyager"
A Catalan variant of Ferdinand, Ferran holds appeal as more concise form with that same adventurous, travel-inspired meaning, but without the association of Ferdinand the Bull (which puts some off…
Elira is a feminine name with multiple potential origins. In Albanian culture, it derives from the word for 'free' or 'freedom,' making it a name with powerful symbolic significance. Alternatively,…
"zealous, ardent"
An appealing name almost unknown in our culture but with roots in several others; worldlier than cousins Celia and Delia.
Orlin is a masculine name with Slavic origins, particularly popular in Bulgaria where it derives from the word "orel" meaning "eagle." This connection gives the name associations with freedom,…
Variation of Dane, Dean, or Dáinn, literary, Norse
"from Denmark; valley; died"
Dain might simply be considered an unusual spelling variation of the familiar Dane and Dean, however, it may also have its roots in Norse mythology, in which it belonged to a several different…
Cherokee or variation of Jonah, Hebrew
"bear; dove"
A name with a double animal connection via two distinct origins, one Native American and the other Hebrew and Biblical. Yona is rare in the US but not unknown: It was given to a dozen baby girls in…
Sanskrit, Latin
"shore, sail"
Vela is one of those rare names that is at once simple, straightforward, authentic, and unusual, at least in the Western World. Besides being an Indian girls' name, Vela is a Southern sky…
"I will thank God"
Derived from a Hebrew phrase: ode "I will thank, praise" combined with yah "Yahweh". A famous bearer is Israeli-American actress Odeya Rush.
Ethiopian, Amharic
"new"
This Ethiopian boy name looks like a shortening of popular Addison, but has separate roots. Nonetheless, with Addison's popularity, Addis would fit in while standing out as a boy's name in…
"mother's gift"
Medora is a Greek name much less common here than, say, Melanie or Melissa. It has some literary references, including as the beautiful and passionate heroine of Lord Byron's poem The Corsair, and in…
Portuguese place name
"yew tree"
Evora is a city in Portugal known for its magnificent Roman aged ruins. It is occasionally seen as a female name, evoking some of the mystique of this region.
Biblical place-name
Anatolian city visited by Paul in the Bible, though risks sounding a tad antiseptic.
Vanora is an elegant feminine name with Celtic roots, particularly associated with Scottish and Irish heritage. Often considered a variant of Guinevere (King Arthur's queen), Vanora carries the…
Ceris is a feminine name with Welsh origins, often associated with the cherry tree or cherry fruit. This concise, two-syllable name (pronounced either as KEH-ris or SEH-ris) carries natural symbolism…
Sanskrit
"world, wandering, cyclic change"
In Indian religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, Samsara is the concept of rebirth and the cyclicality of life: in other words, a pretty fundamental principle. It has occasionally been used as a…
