Strangely alluring

  1. Annabeth
    • Origin:

      Combination of Anna and Beth
    • Description:

      This is a long-recognized smoosh name merging Anna with the short form of Elizabeth, and is one of the prettiest combo names, a possible alternative to Annabel.
  2. Deveraux
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "of Evreux; riverbank"
    • Description:

      Swashbuckling name worthy of a hero in a romance novel. Deveraux or Devereaux is drawn from the town of Evreux in France and combined with the prefix de- denoting it likely referred to a noble of that area.
  3. Mariska
    • Origin:

      Hungarian and Dutch diminutive of Maria
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
    • Description:

      Robust and energetic with an even blend of spikiness and elegance, Mariska is a diminutive of Maria, notably used in Hungary and The Netherlands. Internationally, it was brought into the spotlight by Law & Order actress, Mariska Hargitay.
  4. Thoreau
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "strength of a bull"
    • Description:

      A dashing French surname name most famously borne by Henry David Thoreau, an American naturalist, writer and philosopher who influenced such notable figures as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. The most common modern American pronunciation is "thor-OH", with emphasis on the final syllable, although Thoreau himself pronounced it "THOR-oh".
  5. Mayella
    • Origin:

      Compound name, combining May, Mary, Margaret or Maya with Ella
    • Meaning:

      "Maytime fairy; beloved fairy; pearl-like fairy; fairy mother"
    • Description:

      A sunny sounding name, Mayella is a smoosh name with various meanings, depending on which etymological root you follow for May. The name is perhaps most associated with Mayella Ewell in Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a character whose loneliness and desperation spark the main plot of the book. This may well put parents off using the name and it is only ever given to a handful of girls every year.
  6. Clothilde
    • Origin:

      French from German
    • Meaning:

      "famous in battle"
    • Description:

      Pronounced klo-TEELD, this name is well used in France, but rarely heard here; it has a chic and sophisticated air.
  7. Finbar
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "fair-haired"
    • Description:

      This is an ancient saints' name well used in Ireland but a rarity here and unlikely to ever reach the popularity of other Finn-ish names. St. Finbarr (the more common spelling) is the patron saint of Cork and in Irish folklore, Finbarr was king of the fairies.
  8. Jarvis
    • Origin:

      English variation of Gervase, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      Jarvis, one of the original two-syllable nouveau boys' choices, is a saint's name with a certain retro charm and a nice quirky feel. Though Jarvis peaked in the late 1880s, he is beginning to sound fresh again.
  9. Junius
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "born in June"
    • Description:

      Junius is one of those names that's growing on us, along with many of its Roman countrymen such as Julius and Atticus. We once thought it was a combination of the least attractive elements of Junior and Julius but now we think...well, we think it's okay. Not great, but okay.
  10. Gráinne
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "grain of corn"
    • Description:

      Name of both a goddess and a heroine in Irish mythology, it's popular in Ireland and possible here, especially in its Anglicized spelling, Grania.
  11. Erskine
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "from the high cliffs"
    • Description:

      Rarely used un-Gaelic-sounding Scottish name with literary associations to Erskine Caldwell, author of Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre.

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