Fun names that never get old

This aristocratic, somewhat formal Germanic route to the popular Leo is a royal name: Queen Victoria used it to honor a favorite uncle, King Leopold of Belgium. Though Leopold sounds as if it might be a leonine name, it's not really a relative of such choices as Leon, and Leonard.

There are ordinary folk named Prince, Earl, and Duke, so why not this rank of nobility as well? Many spellings compete, the most common being Marquis, Marquise, and Marquez. Rapper 50 Cent chose the Marquise version for his son; David Caruso chose Marquez.

Other kids might see a teasible connection to mortician or mortuary. Mortimer is an English family name used a few generations ago as an Anglicization of Moses; it was Walt Disney's original choice for the name of his mouse, until his wife talked him out of it.

One of the best known early Nemos was the captain in Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, while the more familiar modern one is the animated little orange fish in the Disney movie. Unusual name well worth considering. By the way, there is also a Shakespearean Nemo and one in Dickens's Bleak House. An enchanting early comic strip by Winsor McCay was called Little Nemo.

The classic strong-yet-friendly nickname name, much used for charming movie characters.

The most popular flower name in Israel, though that popularity does not extend to the US.

Well used in Russia, this is a distinctive and undiscovered choice here. Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov is the fictional protagonist of Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoyevsky.

It wasn't so long ago that Romeo was considered as outre for an American baby as Casanova or Cupid. But that really changed when David and Victoria Beckham chose it for their second son in 2002, a path followed by Jon Bon Jovi.

A cool, windswept, surfer babe-magnet in 1965, a nice dad -- or even granddad -- today.

A strong, meaningful name, associated with a famous Cherokee linguistic scholar; also suggests the magnificent California sequoia redwood trees.

This ephemeral name of the loving angels surrounding the throne of God is all but unheard of in the US, although its feminine forms Seraphine and Seraphina are catching on. In Russia, it's long been in use, spelled Серафим (Serafim).

Better for a dog.

Name of the Phoenician deity who was the patron of Carthage, goddess of the moon, and a fertility figure. Variations include Tanit, Tanis, and Tanitha. The name is frequently misinterpreted to be an Irish name meaning "estate." Despite this august heritage, the original form of the name is a bit lispy for use in modern English-speaking lands.

The gorgeous and romantic name Xiomara popped into the Top 1000 from 2004-2011 after a contestant on America's Next Top Model increased interest in her rare name.

If there are too many Jareds in your neighborhood, you might want to consider this Hebrew alternative.

An Old Testament name with a Puritan feel and post-Zachary possibilities--one of several routes to the cool nickname Zeb.

Classified as an early beauty, Zelda has long and often been used as such for characters in books and films. Since 1986, Zelda has been a prime Nintendo name, as in the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

A Czech surname derived from the word for "green", which has a certain spark.