all of drew's liked names

Selket

Egyptian

"(she who) tightens the throat, (she who) causes the throat to breathe"

Also spelled Selqet, Serket and Serqet, Selket was the Ancient Egyptian goddess of the scorpions and of magic. She was a helpful goddess and protected souls on their journey to the afterlife. She is…

Marchesa

Italian hereditary title of nobility

Marchesa, pronounced with a K sound rather than a CH, fits right in with all those boys named Messiah and King. In Italy, a marchesa is the wife of a marchese. In France, the equivalent titles are…

Elsinore

Literary place name, English, Danish

"narrow strait"

The famous home of Hamlet in Shakespeare's great play, Elsinore is based on Kronborg Castle in eastern Denmark. Known as Helsingør in Danish, it guarded the narrow entryway to the Baltic Sea for…

Ilithyia

Greek from Latin

"the readycomer"

A name so old that it may predate the written word. Ilithyia is, immediately, the Latinized version of the name of the Greek goddess of childbirth and midwifery, but its roots stretch back to the…

Mako

Japanese

"sincerity"

Mako is a name used for both genders in Japan, most notably for the granddaughter of the emperor who chose to leave the Royal Family to marry a commoner. It's a simple name that translates easily to…

Senuna

Celtic

"old"

A goddess worshipped in Roman times by Celtic peoples on the British isles, only recently rediscovered by historians. Though little is understood about her -- most of what we know comes from a single…

Sereia

Portuguese

"mermaid"

The lovely Sereia is the Portuguese word for mermaid but can also be used as a name. English speakers may shy away from the name because of pronunciation questions and indeed, any little Sereia…

Allegory

English word name

If Fable, Story and Saga are getting a look in, why not Allegory? Allegory offers the cute nickname Ally.

Virelai

French poetic form

This could be an obscure choice for literary families, but beware the connotations with virus and virulent.

Chrysalis

Nature name, English word name

"a quiescent insect pupa, of a butterfly or moth"

Chrysalis is a girls' baby name derived from the state of a butterfly or moth between larva and adult. A chrysalis is a hard-shelled pupa in which the transition of the butterfly or moth takes place.…

Betony

English botanical name

"flower name derived from the Vettones tribe"

This unusual English botanical name would make an interesting update to 80s and 90s favorite Bethany. It belongs to a minty-smelling, flowering herb (also called bishopwort), which has been used…

Cariad

Welsh

"love"

The Welsh word for "love" and a term of endearment turned modern word-name, Cariad is a sweet possibility that might work well as a name for a February or Valentines baby or a name for a Christmas…

Casilda

Spanish

"poem, ode; battle"

An obscure medieval saint's name which nevertheless sounds pretty on-trend right now: a softer alternative to Matilda, perhaps. If you're searching for Spanish names for girls , this can make an…

Deia

Place name; Latin

"joy; goddess"

Sam Branson (son of businessman Sir Richard Branson) and his wife put this pretty place name on the baby name map when they called their daughter Eva-Deia in 2015. Their inspiration was the beautiful…

Hespera

Greek

"evening, evening star"

Hespera is a variation of Hesperia, the feminine form of Hesperus. In Greek mythology, Hesperus is the Evening Star or the planet Venus. Hesperus is the son of the dawn goddess Eos or her Roman…

Ia

Cornish

This punchy little name, reminiscent of Latin Io, has a whimsical and beautiful fable behind it. According to legend, the Cornish saint Ia was an Irish princess who sailed across the sea to Cornwall…

Ismerie

French

This French form of the name Ismeria is one of those uncommon names that's been consistently used in France since the middle ages.The origins of this rare name are shrouded in mystery. Ismeria /…

Isola

Celtic variation of Isolde or Italian

"island"

Isola (named for the Celtic heroine Iseult) was the unusual name of Irish author Oscar Wilde’s younger sister, who died of meningitis at the age of nine. Wilde later dedicated his poem Requiescat to…

Lowenna

Cornish

"joy"

Lowena is the Cornish word for "joy". As a given name, it is most commonly spelt as in this entry - Lowenna. Lowen is a lovely unisex option which is closely related: it means "joyful" or "glad".

Proserpina

Variation of Proserpine, Latin

"bringer of destruction"

The Roman equivalent of Persephone, making her a goddess of spring, and queen of the underworld. Also spelled Proserpine.