Character Names For Me

Petal

English from Greek

"leaf"

Petal is the soft and sweet-smelling name of a character in the novel and film, The Shipping News . With the rise of such flower names as Poppy and Posy, we believe Petal — down-to-earth yet romantic…

Jules

Latin; Greek

"youthful; soft, downy"

Jules is one of the adorable boyish nicknames newly fashionable for girls. It's rarer than Billie, with a cool and casual feel. It's use in the popular TV series Euphoria - where the character of…

Brenna

Feminine form of Brennan

"descendant of the sad one; raindrops"

Brenna is a feminine form of the Irish surname Brennan, or perhaps a variation of Brenda or Brendan—all of which have different meanings. Whatever its derivation or authenticity, it's a modern…

Liberty

Word name

Less common than other virtue names, Liberty is nonetheless a name with a long American heritage. Liberty is seeing a level of popularity not seen since the end of the First World War, but its heyday…

Rudy

German, short form of Rudolph

"famous wolf"

Rudy hasn't yet enjoyed the comeback of cousin name Ruby, despite having been chosen by hip couple Sadie Frost and Jude Law, but it still could happen. Rudy has a lot going for it as a…

Cooper

English surname

"barrel maker"

Cooper is one of the American names used for both genders, but much more often for boys. More than 140 American parents chose it for their baby girls in the most recent year counted....compared with…

Cleora

Greek

"glory"

Cleora is a now-extinct name (there were no babies named Cleora recorded in the U.S. since 1982) that achieved some standing in the early 20th century thanks to the craze for all things…

Wesley

English

"western meadow"

Wesley, the long-standing classic boy name that has never dipped below the Top 200, is popular again — this time for boys and girls. The shared sounds with Leslie — which was once a masculine name…

Alisa

Variation of Alice, or Hebrew

"noble; great happiness"

Alisa is variation of Alice with a touch of international flair. Used in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia and Poland, it is also familiar in English speaking countries too. As a Hebrew name, Alisa…

Kasia

Diminutive of Katarzyna, Polish, Greek

"pure; cassia, cinnamon"

An attractive and intriguing choice with an appealing blend of gentle and sharper sounds, Kasia is a diminutive of Katarzyna, the Polish form of Katherine. Ultimately from Greek, it is generally…

Nicolette

French, diminutive of Nicole, feminine variation of Nicholas, Greek

"people of victory"

Frilly and feminine, Nicolette is the name of an enchanting princess in the medieval French romance, Aucassin et Nicolette , but really got its publicity from the heyday of Desperate Housewives and…

Cicely

English variation of Cecilia

"blind"

This frilly Victorian name is a variant of Cecilia and Cecily, with which it might well be confused. Cicely was a surprise choice for comedienne Sandra Bernhard. Literary Cicelys can be found in Sir…

Bridie

Irish diminutive of Bridget

"strength or exalted one"

Swap two letters of Birdie and you get Bridie, a traditional diminutive of Bridget. Bridie fits perfectly with the trend for standalone vintage nicknames like Betty and Sadie, but is surprisingly…

Moxie

English slang

"aggressive energy, know-how"

Like Penn Jillette, you can have your own little brash babe.

Dinah

Hebrew

"God will judge"

Dinah is a charming, underused Old Testament name with a rich literary and musical resume. In the Old Testament, Dinah was the beautiful daughter of Jacob and Leah and while some conflate her with…

Valentine

French variation of Valentina

"strength, health"

For a girl, we'd say Val-en-teen, though many would insist on pronouncing it like the holiday.

Melrose

Scottish surname

"bare promontory"

Traditionally a Scottish habitational surname, but today could be viewed as a mashup of Melanie or Melissa and Rose. The '90s soap opera Melrose Place gives it a melodramatic vibe, but the…

Larkin

Irish

"rough, fierce"

While Larkin takes this name from bird to surname, there are actually more female Larkins these days than male, and it's a name that works as well for either gender. It has the literary connection to…

Avril

French

"April"

The French Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne put the spotlight on this name when she made the charts with "Sk8er Boi". It is simply the French form of April, the fourth month of the year, whose name…

Vianne

French, blend of Vivian and Anne

A smooth and velvety Gallic choice first heard here as the heroine of the movie "Chocolat."