Character Names For Me

Katarina

Slovak; Swedish; Serbian; Croatian; Slovenian, variation of Katherine

"pure"

The Russian version of Katherine is usually Ekaterina, but this form is used throughout Eastern Europe and may be more friendly to the American ear.

Corinna

Greek

"maiden"

Delicate and gentle old-fashioned name, the kind found in early English poetry. While Corinna and the original Green Korinna are technically diminutives of the ancient Kore, now the popular Cora,…

Lielle

English, German, Hebrew

"my god"

Bright and light with a pleasing simplicity, Lielle is a distinctly feminine form of the unisex Hebrew name Liel. Comprised of the elements li ("for me") and el ("God"), it is interpreted as meaning…

Deryn

Welsh

"bird"

This 1950s Welsh bird name sounds less dated than our fifties Robin.

Bowie

Scottish

"blond"

Music legend David Bowie lends his adopted surname considerable charisma to this stylish Scottish name for girls and boys. Born David Robert Jones, he changed his name to avoid confusion with The…

Malina

Feminine form of Malcolm or spelling variation of Melina or Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian

"raspberry"

Malina is a synthetic-feeling name that may be a feminization of the Scottish Malcolm or a spelling twist on the Greek Melina and that also has a fruit meaning in several Eastern European languages.…

Florentine

Latin

"flowering; flourishing; from Florence"

Florentine is an unusual member of a group of names destined for great popularity for girls. Its primary members are Flora and Florence, but rarer choices such as Flory and Fleur and Florentine are…

Vespertine

Latin

"of the evening"

An elaborate form of the stylish Vesper, taken from the Latin vespertinus meaning "evening". It may work for those who want to step away from the religious connotations of Vespers.

Nyxie

English from Greek

"night or water nymph"

Variant of Nyx or Nixie

Cambrie

Modern invented name

Cute but slight mix of stylish sounds Cam and Bree, chosen by Rick Schroder for his daughter.

Carson

English and Scottish surname

"son of the marsh dwellers"

Very popular surname choice — it's in the Boys' Top 100 — beginning to catch on for girls. First female association: novelist Carson McCullers.

Alex

Diminutive of Alexandra or Alexis

"defending men"

One of the most evenly divided unisex names these days; strong and energetic, if overused, for both genders.

Sterling

English

"of the highest quality"

A name with some sterling qualities, most associated with the British currency and silver markets, though it could easily be read as virtuous, celebratory choice, like Merritt or Goldie. Sterling is…

Lenny

Diminutive of Leonard, German

"brave lion"

This old man nickname feels remarkably fresh when applied to girls and can be used as a short form of Lena, Helena, Magdalena, Lennon or Lennox. The pan-European Leni is identical in sound yet feels…

Terra

Latin

"earth"

A video-game import (Final Fantasy VI) for a character with green hair and a name that brings the outmoded Terry and Tara into the postmodern age. In ancient Rome, Terra was also a minor goddess and…

Poet

English word name

A recently entered name on the roster, Poet was used for her daughter by Soleil Moon (Punky Brewster) Frye, who obviously appreciates the advantages of an unusual name. This is a possible middle name…

Fianna

Irish

"band of warriors"

Fianna, a virtually unknown Irish name in the US, combines the best elements of Fiona and Brianna. In Irish and Scottish mythology, the Fianna were independent bands of warriors. It has ranked in…

Marybeth

English, combination of Mary and Beth

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + oath"

Marybeth, something written like this as one word and sometimes as Mary Beth, is one of those compound versions of Mary popular in the midcentury US. Parents were trying to move away from plain old…

Roan

Variation of Rowan, Irish and Scottish, Frisian, English word name

"little redhead; rowan tree; raven; animal with a coat of two interspersed colors"

Historically more popular for boys and generally less familiar than its sound-alike Rowan, Roan is a name with multiple meanings, origins, and pronunciations. Given to less than 10 girls back in…

Bay

English word, Old English

"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"

One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May…