My favorite names

Marisa

Italian and Spanish combination of Maria and Louisa

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"

A name made famous by Marisas Berenson and Tomei, never became as saturated as its cousin Melissa, so still a feasible choice. Marisa is one of those Spanish and Italian names for girls that sounds…

Katharina

German variation of Katherine, Greek

"pure"

Katharina is an attractive form of Katherine and a great way to update a classic. Popular in Austria and a classic in Germany, it is typically pronounced as ka-ta-REE-na, though kath-uh-REE-nuh or…

Zuleika

Arabic

"fair, brilliant beauty"

Zuleika is a high-wire act of a name that might appeal to the intrepid baby namer, Like most 'Z'-starting girls' names, it projects a cool, strong aura, as exemplified by the character in Max…

Araminta

Literature, compound of Arabella and Aminta, Greek

"loveable; unyielding + defender; unfading"

Araminta is a poetic and enchanting eighteenth-century invention with plenty of elegance and a touch of old-fashioned clunkiness. It first appeared in William Congreve's 17th century comedy The Old…

Honora

Latin

"woman of honor"

Honora and Honoria are two ways of softening the severity of Honor, while retaining its righteous meaning. They were predominant until the Reformation, when the Puritans adopted the abstract virtue…

Romilly

English

"citizen of Rome"

Originally a surname deriving from the Roman twin Romulus, this attractive name was introduced to the English-speaking world as a first name by painter Augustus John who used it for his son. Romilly…

Eleonore

Eleonore is a feminine name with Germanic origins, a variant of Eleanor, which derives from the Provençal name Aliénor, meaning 'other' or 'foreign.' This regal name has been carried by numerous…

Nicola

German; English, from Greek

"people of victory"

Nicola, an elegant Latinate feminization of Nicholas, has long been standard issue for English girls but for some reason has never voyaged across the Atlantic, which we consider a pity, especially as…

Xaviera

Feminine variation of Xavier, Basque

"new house"

Xaviera is one of the most intriguing and rarest female forms of a male name. Only a handful of baby girls are named Xaviera in the US each year, compared with nearly 3500 baby boys named Xavier.…

Lucilla

Latin

"light"

A delicate name with an ancient pedigree, more appealing to some than Lucille. It elaborates on Lucy and even Lucia and feels more distinctive than Lucinda.

Nerissa

Greek

"from the sea"

An offbeat possible replacement for the overused Melissa and Marisa, Nerissa was used by Shakespeare for Portia's witty confidante in The Merchant of Venice . Queen Elizabeth has a cousin named…

Margery

Medieval variation of Margaret, Greek

"pearl"

An old royal name in England and Scotland that's also spelled Marjorie. Popular in the Middle Ages and Tudor period, it was revived at the end of the 19th century, peaked in 1921 and dropped off the…

Naida

Greek

"water nymph,"

Possibility for a girl born under one of the water signs -- Cancer, Pisces, or Scorpio.

Aminta

Literature, Greek

"defender"

One of the romantic names favored by British pastoral poets, it was first used as a masculine name by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso for his 16th century play about a shepherd falling in love with a…

Charmian

Greek

"joy"

This name was used by Shakespeare (who got it from Plutarch) in Antony and Cleopatra for one of the attendants of the Egyptian queen. An interesting possibility, it is heard occasionally in the UK,…

Clarinda

Literary elaboration of Clara

"bright, clear"

A poetic name first used in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" in 1596, it had a literary vogue in the 18th century, especially favored by Robert Burns. "inda" names--Melinda, Belinda, Linda" are…