List of My Favorite Baby Names

Peta

Native American, Blackfoot,or Greek, "golden eagle, or rock, stone"

"golden eagle, or rock, stone"

Too tightly tied to the acronym for the activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Sequoia

Native American, Cherokee

"sparrow"

This name of a giant tree, itself named for a nineteenth-century Cherokee who invented a way to write his tribe's language, makes a strong, stately statement.

Sequoyah

Native American, Cherokee

"sparrow"

A strong name equally appropriate for girls and boys. For more, see Sequoia, which is the more feminine-feeling spelling.

Shawnee

Native American tribe name

The Shawnee were an Eastern tribe that migrated westward; Shawnee makes an unusual name, if a little dated a la Shawn and Tawnee.

Talullah

Irish, Anglicized variation of Tuilelaith

"lady of abundance"

Talullah or Talulla, the old Irish name of two early saints, is almost identical to the Native-American Tallulah. A modern hipster favorite, however it's spelled.

Topanga

Native American

"where the mountain meets the sea"

Used for a free-spirited character on a 1990s sitcom, this name of a beautiful Southern California canyon does have an unconventional aura.

Tula

Choctaw, English, Spanish, Hindi, or Kiswahili

"leaping waters; town; spear strength; mountain peak"

Tula is a multicultural name, linked to the names Tallulah, Gertrude, and Tullia, a mountain range in Antarctica, and to the Greek Toula, used for the heroine of the hit film My Big Fat Greek Wedding…

Waneta

American, meaning unknown

Rumors abound about Waneta, which is a Canadian place name. Some say it's an Anglicization of Juanita, while others claim it's a Native American name. Interestingly, Waneta is a common name among the…

Aiko

Japanese

"beloved child"

Aiko is a very common Japanese name with a lovely meaning that is rarely heard outside the Asian community.

Philippa

Greek, feminine variation of Philip

"lover of horses"

Philippa is a prime example of a boy's name adapted for girls that was common as crumpets in Cornwall, but rarely heard stateside. That was before the advent of royal sister-in-law Philippa…

Kalila

Arabic

"beloved"

The lilting name of a range of mythical mountains, with an extensive menu of spellings, and a more unusual way of fitting in with current favorites Lila and Lola.

Suki

Japanese or English

"loved one; lily"

As a Japanese name, Suki has the sweet meaning "loved one". It's also an English diminutive of Susanna, making it a creative and modern way to honor a Susan in your life.

Ludmila

Slavic

"beloved of the people"

This Slavic classic name might begin to make its mark with American parents, what with the growing popularity of the short form Mila. Borne by a tenth century saint who had been a princess from…

Rita

Spanish, Hindi

"pearl; truth, order"

One of the glamour girl names of the Rita Hayworth 1940s, Rita was once a Top 50 name and stayed on the SSA list until 2002. The name Rita still has enough Latin zip to be a lively, revivable short…

Imara

Kiswahili

"firm"

This could make a hauntingly evocative name for an American child, striking the perfect balance of the unusual and the familiar. Imara's meaning adds further appeal placing it among the special class…

Avalon

Celtic

"island of apples"

Avalon, an island paradise of Celtic myth and Arthurian legend--it was where King Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds-- and also the colorful capital of the California island of Catalina--…