User-created list
By laurellovescoffee · Updated March 2023
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Combination of Anna and Belle or French form of Amabel
"loving"
This is a charming name that rose steeply along with other-belle names, such as Isabelle, until the horror film Annabelle and its sequels knocked it out of favor. Made famous by the Edgar Allen Poe…
Irish
"little black-haired one"
Long popular in Ireland and England, Kieran, the name of Ireland's first-born saint and twenty-five other saints, has been building its U.S. fan base thanks to its strong and attractive sound, and…
English diminutive of Alana
"rock or handsome"
Popularized in the 1940s by Lana (born Judy) Turner, today Lana is synonymous with American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. Although it has been rising steadily since the early 2000s, Lana still sits…
Danish, Norwegian
"stern"
This gentle Scandinavian name, soft and sensitive, is being discovered in a major way by parents in the US. It's most closely identified with the nineteenth century philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, but…
Place name
"white"
One of the most romantic of appellations, Caspian is a geographical name referring to the large salty sea between Asia and Europe. It's also the name of the hero of C.S. Lewis's beloved Chronicles of…
French occupational name
"woodsman or woods"
The Forest variation of Forrest, used by actor Whitaker, nudges the meaning more toward the woods and away from the woodsman.
"leader"
Fallon is one of several boyish surname names introduced in the over-the-top 1980s nighttime soap Dynasty . Despite being a "mom" name, Fallon is making a surprise comeback. It returned to the US Top…
"descendant of the red-haired one"
Flynn, a charming Irish surname, is still used only quietly, despite its easygoing, casual cowboy charm, unlike Finn which is a star of this genre. Flynn was the choice of Orlando Bloom and Miranda…
Irish, French
"dark one; from Arcy; from the fortress"
A favorite in England and Wales, Darcy is a unisex option with delicacy, grace, and strength. Associated with classic literary and courtesy thanks to Jane Austen's hero, Mr. Darcy, and Bridget…
Spelling variation of Gemma
Jenna is overheated, but Jemma is still cool. Jemma and Gemma are most heard in Australia but are increasingly used in other countries.
Diminutive of Olivia, English, Norse
"olive tree; life, protection"
Liv combines the succinct charm of a nickname—people might assume it's short for Olivia—with the solidity of being a classic stand-alone Scandinavian name with a life-force meaning. It was brought…
Russian form of Odesa, Ukrainian place-name
"voyage"
Odessa, (transcribed as Odesa in Ukrainian) is a Ukrainian port city and was given its name by Catherine the Great, who was inspired by Homer's Odyssey . It would make an original and intriguing…
German, Dutch
"grace + oath"
Anneliese is a German and Dutch combination of Anna and Liese (a form of Elizabeth) with an Old World feel but modern appeal. The Anglicized Annalise spelling in in the US Top 500, but this authentic…
French variation of Christina
"Christian"
Christine was the dominant feminine variation of Christopher forty or fifty years ago, when French E -endings were preferred over A s; it was a Top 20 name for several years, from 1966 to 1974. But…
Celtic
"from Brittany"
Football great Brett Favre single-handedly kept this name in the limelight, though it continues to sink in popularity. Brett originated in the Middle Ages as an ethnic name for one of the Bretons who…
Latin, French
"I have spoken; tenth"
A sassy, spunky, punchy kind of name, Dixie can also be considered a place name, one that has become problematic because of its association with the antebellum South. The Dixie Chicks recently…
Welsh
"blessed, happy"
Because of Gwyneth Paltrow, this has almost become a one-person name, but not in the prohibitive there's-only-one-Oprah sense. Also seen as Gwenyth and Gweneth, this mellifluous appellation is…
Greek
"of the stars"
Astraea —also found as Astraia — is the Greek goddess of justice and innocence who left earth to become the constellation Virgo after she grew unhappy with the state of humanity. She was prophesised…
"lotus flower"
A flower name containing both beauty and power, Lotus has significance in both Buddhism and Hinduism, symbolizing purity, grace and spiritual growth — not to mention a familiar yoga position. In…
Male variation of Calixta or Latin
"chalice"
Calix is once-obscure name that is starting to see some use in the US, where 62 baby boys were named Calix in 2024. An indirect influence is the actress Calista Flockhart, who introduced Americans to…
