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Obscure Gems
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The names
Tilden
English place-name
"fertile valley"
Though it has some distinguished political and tennis world associations, most modern parents would go for the more contemporary sounding Holden. Tilden Park is a beautiful hillside wilderness in the…
Marietta
Italian diminutive of Maria
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Marietta would make for a classy and uncommon long form for cool nickname Etta. The meaning of Maria is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea");…
Sumner
English occupational name
"summoner"
Billionaire Sumner Redstone, the nonagenarian owner of CBS and Viacom, practically has a monopoly on his first name — for now. But Hunter, Asher, and Ryder have ushered in a major vogue "-er" names,…
Britta
Scandinavian, variation of Birgit or Britt
"strength or exalted one"
If you want a pan-Scandinavian name with energy and style that could have been a winner, if not for the sound-alike water filtration company Brita.
Guinevere
Welsh
"white shadow, white wave"
Guinevere was the name of the beautiful but ill-fated queen of Camelot, for so many years eclipsed by its modern Cornish form Jennifer. Today, Guinevere could be a cool possibility for adventurous…
Eben
Hebrew, diminutive of Ebenezer
"stone of help"
Though most parents would shy away from Ebenezer, short form Eben is affable and creative and perfectly able to stand alone; nothing Scroogish about it. This also makes a fresh new spin on the very…
Esta
Esta is a feminine name with diverse origins. It can be seen as a variant of Esther, which has Persian roots meaning 'star' or derives from the goddess Ishtar. In some contexts, Esta functions as a…
Ancel
Ancel is a distinguished masculine name with French origins, derived from 'Anselm', which comes from Germanic elements meaning 'god' (ans) and 'helmet' or 'protection' (helm). The name carries…
Tillman
Tillman is a strong masculine name with Germanic origins, derived from the occupational surname meaning 'farmer' or literally 'one who works the land' (from Middle High German 'til' meaning field and…
Adair
Scottish and Irish, Brazilian
"oak tree ford; wealthy spearman; wealth and fame"
A unisex name with lots of flair and a daring spirit, Adair was first noticed as a girl's name in the 1980's, thanks to the long-running daytime drama Search for Tomorrow , with the character Adair…
Carbry
Irish
"charioteer"
Male name from Irish mythology makes stylish-sounding choice for girls.
Ciel
French
"sky"
This simple yet evocative French word name was chosen for her daughter by model Niki Taylor. While Ciel may be pronounced in French with two syllables, many will pronounce it as "seal" and there may…
Eilish
Anglicized variation of Eilis, Irish form of Hebrew Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Eilish is one of those Irish names that, thanks to a celebrity, has suddenly become much more familiar outside of Ireland. Irish-American singer Billie Eilish (Eilish is actually one of her middle…
Gaelle
French
"from Gaul"
Genéve
Katalin
Hungarian variation of Katherine, English from Greek
"pure"
Hungarian form of Katherine.
Mabry
Variation of Mayberry, English and Irish
"mud hill"
Cute and eminently wearable surname name for girls.
Mabyn
Cornish, from English
"youth"
This rare sixth-century saint's name has a modern, merry feel.
Maelys
French or Breton
"chief or prince"
Another feminine form of the old saint's name Mael. Spelled Maëlys, it is a very popular name in France today.
Mazarine
French color name
Mazarine is a deep blue color also used as a first name in honor of Cardinal Mazarin, a leader of France in the 17th century. As a first name, Mazarine is as charming as it is unusual.
