User-created list
Names I love
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Pieter
Dutch, German, and Afrikaans variation of Peter, Greek
"rock, stone"
Derived from the Greek name Petros, meaning 'rock' or 'stone,' it conveys qualities of strength, reliability, and steadfastness. The name has deep historical roots throughout Northern Europe,…
Thijs
Dutch short form of Matthijs
"gift of God"
Usually pronounced to rhyme with nice — though others may rhyme it with Jace — Thijs is a popular Dutch name short for that country's form of Matthew. Matt Lauer's half-Dutch son is called Thijs.
VALENTIJN
Yann
French/Breton variation of John
"God is gracious"
This might be a better choice than the similarly pronounced Jan, to avoid gender confusion.
Ane
Ane is a feminine name of Nordic origin, particularly common in Denmark and Norway. It is a variation of Anna, which derives from the Hebrew name Hannah, meaning 'grace' or 'favor.' In Scandinavian…
Bente
Danish feminine form of Benedict
"blessed"
Bente, pronounced ben-tah, is a popular girls' name in both The Netherlands and Denmark though largely unknown in the English-speaking world. It suffers by being a near-homonym of the English word…
Bess
English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
Although she declared her independence as far back as the reign of Elizabeth I — Good Queen Bess, Bess now sounds less passé than Beth or Betsy.
Fleur
French
"flower"
Fleur is a generic, delicate flower name that emigrated into the English-speaking world when John Galsworthy bestowed it on one of the Forsytes in his celebrated saga. More recently, there was Fleur…
HADEWYCH
Hester
Medieval variation of Esther, Persian
"star"
The disgraced heroine of The Scarlet Letter 's name, after long neglect, just might have a chance at revival, following in the wake of sister-name Esther. We've characterized her elsewhere as an…
Janne
Danish and Norwegian diminutive of Johanna
"God is gracious"
This common name for both boys and girls in Scandinavia would definitely work better as a feminine name in the U.S.
JONNE
Jytte
Jytte is a feminine Danish name with Norse roots, functioning as a Danish form of Judith. The original Hebrew name Judith means 'woman from Judea' or 'praised,' while Jytte has evolved its own…
Juno
Latin
"queen of the heavens; young"
Juno is an ancient name that feels as fresh as if it had been minted, well, not yesterday, but in 2007. Since the release of the popular indie film Juno , this lively but strong Roman goddess name…
Lucie
French, English
"light"
The French spelling of Lucy feels particularly light and shimmery.
Lykke
Swedish and Danish
"happiness, good fortune"
Sweet Lykke, virtually unknown in English-speaking countries, is one of the top girl names in Sweden.
MARYE
Maude
English and French diminutive of Matilda, German
"battle-mighty"
Maude, also spelled Maud, is a lacy, mauve-tinted name that was wildly popular a hundred years ago, but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose it again,…
MAXE
Merel
Dutch
"blackbird"
Merel is a soundalike of Meryl and may be thought of as a variation of that name, but it's also the Dutch word for blackbird and so you can make it more stylish as one of the flock of cool new bird…