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Interesting but NMS
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Tariq
Arabic
"the one who knocks at the door"
A strong and confident name growing in popularity, in numerous spellings.
Fate
Short form of Lafayette, French, English word name
"faith; predestined, destiny, chance"
Briefly in the US Top 1000 in the late 19th century, Fate likely emerged as a short form for the old French name, Lafayette. In the contemporary landscape however, it may well be perceived as a word…
Callaghan
Irish
"lover of churches"
A classic Irish "top-o'-the-mornin' surname with a lot of rhythm and pizzazz.
Buckley
English
"meadow of the deer"
Mama's boy.
Wilfred
English
"desires peace"
Wilfred is one of those Old Man Names that still sounds fusty in the US but is fashionable in the UK. It comes with readymade short forms Will, Wilf, or Fred and might make an adventurous alternative…
Zelenka
Czech
"green"
A Czech surname derived from the word for "green", which has a certain spark.
Maelie
Breton
"Princess"
The French Miley? This trendy choice from Brittany, which is pronounced either as Miley or May-lee, is related to the traditional (male) saint's name Mael, traditionally feminized as Maelle.
Cormac
Irish
"charioteer"
Both offbeat and upbeat, this evocative traditional Irish name that runs through Celtic mythology is known here via award-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy (born Charles). The author's adopted name is…
Leonora
Italian diminutive of Eleonora or Eleanor, meaning unknown
Its mellifluous sound makes Leonora--which has a rich history and a tie to the popular Leo names-- a keen possibility for revival. Though it's been hiding below the Top 1000 since the 1940s, Leonora…
Leith
Scottish river name
"wet"
This is an unusual surname and geographical name of medieval Scottish origin that might serve as a possible alternative to the aging Keith, though it's a bit tough on the tongue. More popularly spelt…
Donar
German
"ancient thunder god"
Futuristic, in a 1930s kind of way.
Maybeth
Hybrid name
There's Mary Elizabeth, there's Mary Beth, there's Marybeth, and then there's Maybeth, a smoosh of two vintage short forms of Mary and Elizabeth that has a country twang and not much modern appeal.
Hartigan
Irish
"descendant of Arthur"
In Cool Names, we cite this as an "Artist Name," for twentieth-century abstract painter Grace Hartigan, though for you it may just be an upbeat Irish surname.
Kensington
Place name
A posh area of London, as well as being a section of Brooklyn, Kensington would make an overly formal, butlerish boy's name. There are several preferable paths to the nickname Ken, including KENYON,…
Fflur
Welsh
"flower"
A rare Welsh form of Flora and Fleur, ultimately taken from the Latin flos , this floral choice is given to a handful of girls most years in Wales. To date, its peak was in 2018, when 15 babies…
Raziela
Hebrew
"the Lord's secret"
Most graceful of the Raz names, relates to Graziella.
Amoret
Literary name
This lovely name from Spenser's The Faerie Queene is borne by a character who represents married love. A related unusual-yet-usable choice: Amabel.
Larae
Larae is a feminine name that appears to be a modern variation or combination of names like Lara, Laree, or Loree. Its exact origins are not clearly defined, but it has a French-inspired sound and…
Keela
Irish
"slender"
Is Keela distinct enough from Kayla to sound fresh and new? Maybe, though its similarity to the trendy cluster of names that also includes Kaylie and Kylie and Kelly may be enough to turn you off.…
Halloran
Gaelic
"male descendant of a pirate or stranger from overseas"
Halloran could be your solution if you love the nickname Hal, but not Harold or Henry.