User-created list
Character Names For Me
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Marin
Latin
"of the sea"
Marin is a lovely county north of San Francisco, and a lovely baby name on the rise, one which sounds more refreshing than the more familiar Marina. As a place-name, Marin is pronounced with the…
Lenore
German variation of Leonora, Italian derivative of Eleonora, meaning unknown
A "modernization" of Leonora that has suddenly come back on the radar along with the many other Leo names--both male and female. With literary cred via a famous eponymous poem by Edgar Allan Poe (and…
Rowena
Welsh
"white spear; famous friend; fame and joy"
A fabled storybook name via the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819), which featured a heroine called Rowena of Hargottstanstede, and also a Harry Potter name, as Rowena Ravenclaw,…
Nyx
Greek mythology name
"night"
In Greek mythology, Nyx was a powerful goddess and the embodiment of the night, giving this name a dark yet mystical feel. She is often depicted as one of the first deities, an offspring of Chaos who…
Odessa
Russian form of Odesa, Ukrainian place-name
"voyage"
Odessa, (transcribed as Odesa in Ukrainian) is a Ukrainian port city and was given its name by Catherine the Great, who was inspired by Homer's Odyssey . It would make an original and intriguing…
Xanthe
Greek
"golden, yellow"
X marks the spot in names these days, usually at the middles or ends of names, but here is one that puts it squarely up front. This extravagant name, which, like many Greek names beginning with X, is…
Verity
Latin
"truth"
If you love Puritan virtue names and want to move beyond Hope and Faith and Grace, this is a wonderful choice, both for its meaning and its sound. A rare find here, though occasionally heard in…
Saskia
Dutch
"Saxon"
From the first time we saw the name Saskia attached to a portrait of Rembrandt's wife (her full name was Saakje van Uylenburgh, but she was always called Saskia), we have found it utterly charming…
Mika
Japanese, Slovene, Hebrew, English, Greek
"beautiful fragrance; who is like God?; follower of Demeter"
Mika is a sparky and stylish Japanese girls' name that translates easily to English. Also used as a Slovene and Hebrew diminutive for Mihaela and Michaela, as an alternative spelling to the Biblical…
Althea
Greek
"with healing power"
Althea is a poetic, almost ethereal name found in Greek myth and pastoral poetry, associated in modern times with the great tennis player Althea Gibson, the first African-American to win at…
Ariadne
Greek
"most holy"
This name of the Cretan goddess of fertility is most popular now as the more melodic Ariana, but Ariadne has possibilities of its own. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. The renewed interest…
Neve
Anglicized spelling of Irish Niamh or Italian and Portuguese
"snow"
Introduced to the American public by actress Neve Campbell; it was her Dutch-born mother's maiden name. Neve is an interesting and fresh new possibility, one which Conan O'Brien chose for his…
Manon
French, diminutive of Marie
"bitter"
Manon is an endearing French pet name for Marie or Marianne; it has the international yet straightforward feel that makes it a viable import. Manon of the Spring was a gorgeous French film, Manon…
Polly
English variation of Molly, diminutive of Mary, Hebrew
"bitter"
An alternative to the no-longer-fresh Molly, the initial 'P' gives Polly a peppier sound, combining the cozy virtues of an old-timey name with the bounce of a barmaid. Associated with Tom Sawyer's…
Sunniva
Scandinavian
"sun gift"
Sunniva was an Irish-born saint who fled to Norway, where she hid in an island cave with her followers and eventually died. After miracles were reported on the island, the cave was excavated and…
Edie
English, diminutive of Edith
"prosperous in war"
Edie is part of the Evie-Ellie et al family of cute and friendly short forms that sometimes stand on its own. Briefly popular in the 1960s, it could well be due for rediscovery. It's already a…
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…
Idony
English, Norse
"love again, renewal"
Idony is a Medieval variation of Idonea, itself an English form of Iðunn, the Norse goddess of spring and eternal youth. She was notable for carrying, keeping, and guarding the box of apples from…
Pia
Feminine form of Pius or diminutive of Olympia, Latin, Greek, Sanskrit
"pious; from Mount Olympus; beloved"
Soft, light, and international, Pia is familiar across Europe, South America, and Asia. Usually considered a feminine form of the Latin Pius — lending it a surprisingly serious and spiritual air — it…
Dove
Nature name
"dove, a bird"
One of the new bird names, like Lark and Wren, this one's associated with the billing and cooing sounds of love. Soft and gentle, Dove also has the admirable association with peace. Dove was actually…