Strangely alluring
- Annabeth
Origin:
Combination of Anna and BethDescription:
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.
- Finbar
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"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.
- Adela
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"noble"Description:
A vibrant variation of Adele, with a bit of extra flair from that "-a" ending. It could join the army of popular A girls' names, especially with its tie to the success of singer Adele.
- Jarvis
Origin:
English variation of Gervase, meaning unknownDescription:
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.
- Homer
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"security, pledge"Description:
Homer is a name that has traveled from the ancient Greek scribe of the great classical epics to Bart Simpson's doltish dad, and has also become the surprise hot celebrity pick of such parents as Richard Gere (his father's name), Bill Murray, and Anne Heche. Simpsons creator Matt Groening has both a father and a son named Homer.
- Clothilde
Origin:
French from GermanMeaning:
"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.
- Mayella
Origin:
Compound name, combining May, Mary, Margaret or Maya with EllaMeaning:
"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.
- Junius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"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.
- Thoreau
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"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".
- Gráinne
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"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.
- Erskine
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"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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