User-created list
Names I wish were used more in novels.
Across 7 pages
of 7
Gilbert
German
"shining pledge"
Considered ultra debonair in the silent-movie era, Gilbert then went through a nerdy phase, a la Gilbert Gottfried. Now though, like Albert and Alfred and Walter and Frank, it could be in for a style…
Mercer
French occupational name
"a merchant"
Mercer is an attractive possibility which is an occupational name that doesn't sound like one. Mercer and its cool, sophisticated short form Merce project a super creative image via their artistic…
Niall
Irish
"cloud"
Niall is pronounced nye-al--something like Neil, but this Irish spelling of the name makes it much more current and cool. This is an ancient name borne by several of the high kings of Tara, the most…
Orin
Variation of Oren or Oran, Hebrew, Irish, Scottish
"laurel, light, song, little green one"
Orin is one of a variety of similarly-spelled names that have a soft and sensitive image. The Orrin spelling has been known nationally via Republican Senator Hatch. Orin is the name of a character in…
Wyclef
English
"dweller at the white cliff"
Haitian-born rap superstar and humanitarian Wyclef ("Fugees") Jean has lent this name a powerful musical beat.
Wynn
Welsh
"fair, blessed"
Wynn or Wyn is a Welsh male name deriving from the very productive gwyn element, which forms part of all Welsh names ending -wyn or -wen, as well as the Gwen names and the Irish Fin- names. Wynn is a…
Aoife
Irish Gaelic
"beautiful, radiant"
Aoife, pronounced EE-fa, is derived from the Irish word aoibh , meaning "beauty." Aoife was borne by several different heroines of ancient Irish legend. In one tale, she was the fiercest woman…
Audra
English, Lithuanian
"noble strength; storm"
Used primarily in Scotland, and represented here by singer Audra McDonald, the girls' name Audra has been overshadowed by the return of the classic Audrey. Audra may be to Audrey what Jenna is to…
Aviva
Hebrew
"springlike, fresh, dewy"
Aviva is vivacious and memorable, a fresh spin on the Vivian and Vivienne names that have been getting more popular since Angelina and Brad chose one for their twin daughter. Another A-beginning…
Azelie
Blythe
English
"happy, carefree"
Blythe is Nameberry gem — one of those names that visitors to the site are often searching for, despite the fact it's never ranked in the US charts as a given name. The name is derived the Old…
Chandra
Hindi
"goddess of the moon"
Chandra is the name of the Hindu moon goddess last groovy when incense and meditation were hot new concepts but a new possibility with the resurgence of astrology and other non-Western spiritual…
Dorothea
Greek
"gift of God"
Dorothea is a romantic Victorian-sounding name that blends elegance, gravitas and a hint of clunkiness too. Popular in the early decades of the twentieth century, it has been off the charts since…
Dua
Albanian, Arabic
"love, prayer"
Dua is one of those names that has been popularized in English speaking countries by a single celebrity: British-Albanian model-singer Dua Lipa. It's simple, modern, appealing, and may find a wider…
Farrah
Arabic
"happiness"
Back in the late '70s, Farrah Fawcett's name was as frequently copied as her hairstyle and even made the Top 200 in 1977! Like any trend, however, it promptly fell back out of style, only to…
Imogen
Celtic
"maiden"
Imogen has long been fashionable in England and is gaining favor in the US among stylish parents. Pronounced the British way — the initial i is short as in Kim, as is the final E as in Ken — Imogen…
Jayna
Jayna is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. It can be viewed as a variant of Jane (Hebrew for 'God is gracious'), a feminine form of Jay, or derived from Sanskrit roots meaning 'victory'…
Kahlo
German
"bald"
Contrary to popular belief, the name Kahlo has German origins, rather than Spanish. It derives from kahl , a German word meaning "bald." Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo was born to a German father,…
Maite
Basque
"beloved"
A top ten choice in Chile and a popular name throughout the Spanish-speaking world, Maite is a mighty-sounding name with a soft and sweet meaning. It is also found as a contracted form of María…
Posy
English
"a bunch of flowers"
A sweet, nostalgic nosegay kind of name, Posy has been long fashionable in England, a country of gardeners, but this pretty bouquet-of-flowers name is still rarely heard in the US, though it could be…