Hubby's Picks

The name Christian has fallen a bit from its 90's and 00's heights, but it's still quite popular. Once considered overly pious, Christian is now seen as making a bold statement of faith by some, while also having secular appeal for others. Christian's enduring popularity may be influenced by such celebrities as Christian Slater and Christian Bale, not to mention the fashion world's Dior, Lacroix, Louboutin and Audigier.

The unisex Blake, which indeed has two conflicting meanings, has a briskly efficient image when used for a girl.

Cute Gracie is one of the more recently revived nickname names by parents who chose it over the more formal Grace--or variations like Graziella or Grania. Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw cut straight to the nickname when they called one of their daughters Gracie, and actors Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt named their newborn daughter Gracie James. Gracie Gold is a popular young figure skater.

Indie actress Parker Posey put a female imprint on this sophisticated surname that's still about three times as common for boys but rising for both sexes. Parker has the advantage of its nature connection, relating it to such occupational names as Gardener and Forester.

Misha was a boys' name with a soft feminine sound and vowel ending until actress Mischa Barton turned it to the girls' side. Now Misha, like Sasha, works as well in either spelling for girls and boys. Misha might be a way to update Michelle or Micaela.

The second most popular spelling of this name is also the most straightforward.

Evy is a charming feminine name that serves as a diminutive form of names like Eva, Eve, or Evelyn. With Scandinavian and English roots, this sweet, concise name embodies a delicate balance between classic and contemporary styles. Its pronunciation (EH-vee) flows easily, giving it a light, melodic quality. Though relatively uncommon as a standalone name, Evy has gained modest popularity as parents increasingly seek short, distinctive names with traditional connections. The name conveys a sense of brightness and liveliness, with the 'Ev' element in many languages relating to concepts of life and vivacity. In recent years, Evy has enjoyed increased usage alongside similar streamlined feminine names.

A winning last-name-first Celtic choice, Flynn is still mostly used for boys, such as the son of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr. Though Flynn is definitely one of the Irish surname names, from Quinn to Flannery to Makenna, that makes one of the trendy boy names for girls".