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Out-there Names I Love
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The names
Ezra
Hebrew
"help"
Ezra has a lot going for it: the strength of its heroic Biblical legacy, its quirky sound, and its fresh but familiar feel. Ezra is now at its highest point ever, but its intuitive streamlined…
Arthur
Celtic
" bear"
Arthur, once the shining head of the Knights of the Round Table, is, after decades of neglect, now being polished up and restored by stylish parents, inspired perhaps by the new generation of royals.…
Magnolia
Flower name, from French surname
"Magnol's flower"
Magnolia, a sweet-smelling Southern belle of a name made famous via the iconic Edna Ferber novel and musical Showboat , is one of the latest wave of botanical names, along with unexpected blossoms…
Abel
Hebrew
"breath"
Abel, the name of Adam and Eve's unfortunate younger son, compensates with positive connotations: capable, competent, ready and willing. Abel has literary connections to the novels of Dickens and…
Ophelia
Greek
"help"
Floral, elegant, and bold, Ophelia re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after more than 50 years off the charts. It has risen more than 700 spots since then and shows no signs of slowing down. Now in…
Lola
Spanish, diminutive of Dolores
"lady of sorrows"
A hot starbaby name – chosen by Kelly Ripa, Chris Rock, Lisa Bonet, Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, Carnie Wilson, and Annie Lennox, and used as the nickname of Madonna's Lourdes – Lola manages to…
Atticus
Latin
"from Attica"
Atticus, with its trendy Roman feel combined with the upstanding, noble image of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird , is a real winner among boy names . Atticus entered the US Top 1000 in 2004…
Holden
English
"hollow valley"
Holden is a classic case of a name that jumped out of a book and onto birth certificates--though it took quite a while. Parents who loved J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye are flocking to the…
Elodie
French, variation of Alodia, German
"foreign riches"
The lyrical and melodious Elodie, a Nameberry favorite, is starting to rise through the US popularity charts for the first time since the 1880s. This once uncommon member of the El- family is a Top…
Samson
Hebrew
"sun"
With the prevailing popularity of Samuel, some parents are considering this more (literally) powerful biblical name, which shares the desirable nickname of Sam. Samson was, of course, the…
Edith
English
"prosperous in war"
Edith was a hugely popular name a hundred years ago that's being revived among stylish parents in Stockholm and London. It's currently beginning to gain traction in the US among those with a taste…
Beatrice
Latin
"she who brings happiness; blessed"
Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, the lovely Beatrice with its long literary (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history is being looked at with fresh eyes by parents seeking a…
Fletcher
English occupational name
"arrow-maker"
Fletcher is a common surname with a touch of quirkiness; it definitely fits into the So Far Out It's In category--and moving further in all the time along with other occupational names from Parker to…
Quincy
French
"estate of the fifth son"
Quirky in the way that all Q names are quirky, Quincy was once a buttoned-up, patrician New England name, an image countered in recent years by the talented and ultracool musician Quincy Jones…
Ramona
Spanish, feminine variation of Ramon
"wise protector"
Ramona is a sweet spot name – neither too trendy nor too eccentric. Kids will associate it with the clever Ramona Quimby character in the series of books by Beverly Cleary, also seen on TV. It was…
Alistair
English spelling of Alasdair, Scottish version of Alexander
"defending men"
With many British names invading the Yankee name pool, the sophisticated Alistair could and should be part of the next wave. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016. You have a triple choice with this…
Winifred
Welsh
"blessed peacemaking"
One of the few remaining unrestored vintage gems, with a choice of two winning nicknames--the girlish Winnie and the tomboyish Freddie. Winifred, the name of a legendary Welsh saint, was a Top 200…
Quentin
Latin
"fifth"
Quentin, an offbeat name with lots of character, relates to the Latin for the number five and is by far the subtlest and most usable of the Latin birth-order names, masculine as well as stylish and…
Ephraim
Hebrew
"fruitful, fertile, productive"
Ephraim is an Old Testament name we would place high on the list of neglected Biblical possibilities, solid but not solemn. In Genesis, Ephraim is the second son of Joseph, and founder of one of the…
Adair
Scottish and Irish, Brazilian
"oak tree ford; wealthy spearman; wealth and fame"
A unisex name with lots of flair and a daring spirit, Adair was first noticed as a girl's name in the 1980's, thanks to the long-running daytime drama Search for Tomorrow , with the character Adair…