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Names in the Attic
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Enid
Welsh
"life, spirit"
This Celtic goddess and Arthurian name may sound terminally old-ladyish to many ears--but so did names like Ella and Etta not so long ago. So Enid is yet another forgotten four-letter E-possibility:…
Ethelbert
English
"highborn, shining"
A Middle English form of Adalbert (and therefore of Albert), which was the name of several Saxon kings. Nowadays, Ethel plus Bert is not a fashionable sound, but Albert is feeling fresh again.
Eustace
English from Greek
"stable"
Eustace was originally popularized by St. Eustace, who was born a Norman nobleman and is said to have been converted to Christianity by seeing a crucifix between the antlers of the deer he was…
Fergus
Scottish and Irish
"man of force"
In Celtic lore, Fergus was the ideal of manly courage, making it a charming, slightly quirky Scottish and Irish favorite. As a name, Fergus forms a link between Ireland and Scotland, as Gaelic…
Gable
French
"triangular feature in architecture"
The iconic Gone With the Wind star Clark's surname was brought into the first-name mix when Weeds ' Kevin Nealon picked it for his son. Gable makes a strong and unusual possibility, a rhyming cousin…
Gay
French
"joyful"
The meaning of this word flipped from "cheerful" to "homosexual" during the twentieth century, and it's now almost certainly too loaded to sit comfortably as a baby name. Which is a shame as…
Hamish
Scottish variation of James
"supplanter"
Just as Seamus/Seumus is Irish for James, Hamish is the Scottish form — one that's not often used here, but still redolent of Olde Scotland. If you're ready to go further than Duncan and Malcolm, out…
Harriet
English variation of French Henriette
"estate ruler"
Harriet has long been considered a stylish, upscale name in England, but it's still waiting to be revived in the US—though some parents seeking a solid, serious semi-classic are beginning to consider…
Henrietta
Feminine variation of Henry, German
"estate ruler"
Despite a return to such feminizations of male names as Josephine, Clementine, and Theodora, starchy Henrietta has not made it into that group. Still, if you look hard enough, you'll see that…
Honorine
French from Latin
"honor"
The pure, simple HONOR--as chosen by Jessica Alba, is perfect as it is. It does have some literary cred though--Henry James created a character called Honorine for his novel The Tragic Muse.
Ichabod
Hebrew
"the glory is gone"
Ichabod, an eccentric Old Testament name, is forever tied to the character of Ichabod Crane -- and worse, the teasing possibilities of "icky bod." Even its original meaning is a negative. Skip…
Ingram
German
"angel-raven"
An undiscovered surname possibility with upscale overtones, could be enlivened with nickname Ingo.
Lavinia
Latin, from ancient place name Lavinium
Lavinia is a charmingly prim and proper Victorian-sounding name which actually dates back to classical mythology, where it was the name of the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was considered the…
Lazarus
Latinized Greek variation of Hebrew Eleazar
"God is my helper"
Lazarus is a name that looks as if it could possibly be raised from the dead, just like its biblical bearer. Look for it in the next wave of Old Testament revivals that transcend their long-bearded…
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…
Leopold
German
"brave people"
An aristocratic and stately Germanic route to the popular Leo, Leopold is a royal name: Queen Victoria used it to honor a favorite uncle, King Leopold I of Belgium. These days, this royal tie may be…
Linus
Greek
"flax"
Can Linus lose its metaphorical security blanket and move from the Peanuts page onto the birth certificate? We think it has enough charm and other positive elements going for it for the answer to be…
Mathilde
French; Norwegian; Danish; Dutch; German, variation of Matilda
"battle-mighty"
Mathilde is even more popular in France than Matilda, a hipster favorite thanks to Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger, is here. And the French pronunciation, while confusing to English speakers,…
Maynard
German
"hardy, brave, strong"
Sometimes pronounced MAY-nerd, which is death to a name. However, the name Maynard was given to 25 boys in 2022.
Millicent
German
"strong in work"
Combining the mild and the innocent, this sweet and feminine name is worthy of a comeback, in the mode of Madeline and Cecilia. Its original, also attractive form is Melisende, which came from…