User-created list
List of My Favorite Baby Names
Across 24 pages
of 24
Tempo
Italian
"time"
An offbeat word name referring to the speed of a piece of music.
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…
Crow
Bird name
From Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore , the story of a boy named Kafka -- crow in Czech.
Pike
American animal name
"pike, a fish"
The field of nature names is constantly expanding to include all species of flowers and trees and animals and birds and even fish. In addition to its appeal for anglers, Pike recalls Zebulon Pike,…
Winslet
English surname and place-name
"Wynn's channel or stream"
Winslet is one of a legion of surnames newly considered fair game as first names. The inspiration may be British star Kate, but she's not the only reason parents are attracted to Winslet, one of…
Monet
French artist name, from diminutive of Simon
A new favorite of the bohemian set, brought to light by actress Monet Mazur, daughter of the artist who designed the Rolling Stones' mouth logo.
Aida
Arabic; Italian; Lithuanian
"returning visitor; happy; echo"
Aida is a melodic name largely associated with the title character of the 1871 Verdi opera, an enslaved Ethiopian princess who dies to save her people. In the past, her name was rarely heard outside…
Calista
Greek
"most beautiful"
Spelled with either one 'l' or two, Calista came to the fore in 1997 when Calista Flockhart hit it big as Ally McBeal. Flockhart, who bears her mother's middle name, didn't just introduce a name, she…
Oona
Irish, variation of Una
"lamb"
Oona is a name made famous by Eugene O'Neill's daughter, who became Charlie Chaplin's wife. One of the original Oona's granddaughters was named after her, and is now an actress famous in her own…
Niles
Scandinavian
"son of Neil"
Perfect name for TV Frasier's effete brother. In the 2020 film Palm Springs , Andy Samberg plays a character with the updated spelling Nyles.
Moon
Word name
At one time, Moon might have felt like a celebrity-only option, memorably chosen by Frank Zappa for his daughter Moon Unit. Now, with Sunny, Goldie, Wren, Star, Storm, Ocean, Onyx, and Scout in the…
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…
Lisette
French, diminutive of Elizabeth or Lise
"pledged to God"
Lisette, also spelled Lizette, is a dainty,, if somewhat dated, Gallic offshoot of Elizabeth. It reached its U.S. peak of popularity in 1999, then fell off the list in 2001. Lisette Model (born…
Milly
Variation of Millie, English diminutive of Mildred or Millicent
"gentle strength; strong in work"
Milly and her more popular sister Millie are adorable Old Lady nickname-names springing back to life. Nearly 100 baby girls were named Milly, just Milly, last year, and Millie is in the US Top 500.…
Dara
Hebrew, Slavic or Irish
"pearl of wisdom; gift; or oak tree"
Though Dara was an (extremely wise) male figure in the Bible, this name feels mostly feminine to modern Americans. The Irish Gaelic version, Darragh, is well-used in contemporary times for boys.…
Edeline
Variation of Adeline, French from German
"noble, nobility"
An Old French variation of the popular Adeline and Adelina, Edeline may appeal to those who want something rare-but-familiar, to anyone looking to honor and Edward or Edith, or to those who want…
Tressa
Short form of Theresa, English, Greek, or Cornish
"to harvest; third"
While Tessa is now preferred, this slightly sharper diminutive of Theresa was the more familiar option in the early 20th-century. It enjoyed a brief return to the US charts in the 60s and 70s but is…
Edel
German
"noble"
Rarely used independently, it's more often the start of a multisyllabic German mouthful.
Sonya
See SONIA.
Corin
Latin
"spear"
Corin is a Shakespearean male name that could easily be adapted for a girl, making a strong update for Corinne or Karen.