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Cressida
Greek
"gold"
Cressida is a golden, mythological, and Shakespearean name, much better known in Britain than it is in the US. Given to just 11 American girls in a recent year — though still the highest number on…
Araminta
Literature, compound of Arabella and Aminta, Greek
"loveable; unyielding + defender; unfading"
Araminta is a poetic and enchanting eighteenth-century invention with plenty of elegance and a touch of old-fashioned clunkiness. It first appeared in William Congreve's 17th century comedy The Old…
Siria
Spanish from Persian
"sun-bright, glowing"
Would undoubtedly be confused with the geographical Syria.
Sancia
Italian, from Latin
"sacred"
Rarely heard outside Italy, could make an interesting import.
Suria
Variation of Surya, Hindi
"sun god"
The graceful Indian Suria or Surya may remind Americans more of little Miss Suri Cruise than of the pantheon of Hindi gods and goddesses.
Sonata
Music name
Undiscovered musical form melodious enough to be a hit on the name charts.
Jari
Short form of Jalmari, Finnish
"helmet protector"
Sleek modern short form of a classic Scandinavian name .
Celestia
Variation of Celeste, Latin
"heavenly"
Celestia is a heavenly name that sounds more ethereal than Celeste, Celestia might make a distinctive, feminine choice if your taste runs toward names like Angelina and Seraphina. Celestia was more…
Silence
Word name
The Puritans used it as a virtue name -- but today it would just be considered weird: silence is no longer golden.
Prospero
Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese variation of Prosper
"succeed, prosper"
Shakespeare's Tempest has kept the name Prospero alive.
Comfort
English word name
"comfort"
This Puritan virtue name may be unstylish, but it is also sympathetic and appealing in these largely uncomfortable times.
Nastassja
Nastassja is a feminine name with Slavic origins, representing a variant of Anastasia, which means 'resurrection' in Greek. This spelling gained international recognition through Russian-German…
Brigitta
Brigitta is a feminine name with rich historical roots, derived from the ancient Celtic name Brighid, meaning 'exalted one' or 'high goddess.' It's the Central European form of Bridget, particularly…
Cassia
Feminine form of Cassius or Greek
"cinnamon"
Cassia is related to the cassia tree, which has yellow flowers and produces a spice that can be a substitute for cinnamon. Keziah, the name of Job’s daughter in the Old Testament, derives from the…
Kasia
Diminutive of Katarzyna, Polish, Greek
"pure; cassia, cinnamon"
An attractive and intriguing choice with an appealing blend of gentle and sharper sounds, Kasia is a diminutive of Katarzyna, the Polish form of Katherine. Ultimately from Greek, it is generally…
Hadria
Hadria is the feminine form of Hadrian, a name with ancient Roman roots. It derives from the Latin name Hadrianus, meaning 'from Hadria,' referring to the Adriatic Sea region. The name carries…
Pacifica
Spanish
"tranquil"
When properly pronounced, has an alluring sound and harmonious meaning.
Ishmael
Hebrew
"God will hear"
Ishmael is most familiar through "Call me Ishmael," the opening line spoken by the youthful narrator of Moby-Dick . Few American parents have followed that advice, though the Spanish and Arabic…
Mordecai
Hebrew
"follower of Marduk"
Mordecai, although it has a noble heritage, has never caught on in this country, because of its rather weighty image. Nevertheless, with parents searching for rarer Biblical names that work as…
Aleph
First letter of the Hebrew alphabet and Hebrew
"chief, number one"
Aleph came into the spotlight when chosen by Israel-born Natalie Portman for her son. Alef is a more common spelling of these related Hebrew baby names . In the Kabbalah, Aleph/Alef relates to the…