Names I dig '

  1. Ottoline
    • Origin:

      French and English, diminutive of Ottolie
    • Meaning:

      "prospers in battle"
    • Description:

      Curiously appealing, in a hoop-skirted, wasp-waisted way, Ottoline has recently entered the realm of modern possibility, especially since Sienna Miller chose it as the middle name of her daughter Marlowe.
  2. Prue
    • Origin:

      Short form of Prudence, English virtue name
    • Meaning:

      "caution"
    • Description:

      After a long time in limbo, Prudence is now so clunky it'a cool, and it's starting to make a comeback, along with other Puritan virtue names like Mercy, Patience, and Constance.
  3. Sosie
    • Origin:

      Variation of Sosi, Armenian, or diminutive of Susan or Sophie, Hebrew, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "palm tree; lily; wisdom"
    • Description:

      Sweet and cosy but with substance too, Sosie is a rare, multicultural name. Used as a short form of Susan, Sosan, Sophie and Sophia, it could make a fresh alternative to Suzy, Izzy, or Josie; alternatively, it's an Armenian name in its own right, derived from Sosi meaning "palm tree".
  4. Minty
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Aminta and Araminta, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      Minty isn't a fresh word name — it's an old-fashioned nickname for Araminta, the romantic smoosh name coined by playwright William Congreve in 1693.
  5. Holiday
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "holy day"
    • Description:

      Free and fun name if you don't want to be pinned down to Noelle, Pasqua, or Valentine.
  6. Rochelle
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "little rock"
    • Description:

      Long-standing French name that retains a feminine, fragile, and shell-like image.
  7. Stormy
    • Origin:

      Word name; variation of Storm
    • Description:

      Stormy is on the rise following the birth of Kylie Jenner's daughter Stormi, although the starbaby's spelling has taken over the lead.
  8. Lida
    • Origin:

      Russian diminutive of Lidia; Scandinavian diminutive of Alida; variation of Leda, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "woman from Lydia; noble; happy"
    • Description:

      Multicultural mini name with an intuitive pronunciation — it's a recipe for success, yet Lida remains under the radar.
  9. Zuzu
    • Origin:

      Czech diminutive of Susan
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      This sizzling nickname Zuzu is heard every Christmas as the name of Jimmy Stewart's little girl in "It's a Wonderful Life," but we love it all year round as a lively alternative to double names like Gigi and Bibi.

  10. Thandie
    • Origin:

      South African, Xhosa
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      A captivating and sprightly name brought into the limelight by actress Thandiwe Newton.
  11. Spring
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Spring doesn't sound half as contemporary as Winter, which has become the cool season name.
  12. Zanna
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Susanna; Polish variation of Jane, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "lily or pledged to God"
    • Description:

      A feminine multicultural nickname name perfectly able to stand on its own, Zanna might technically relate to either Susanna or Jane, making it a flexible honor name for an ancestral Susan or Jane or even John.
  13. January
    • Origin:

      English month name from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "doorway"
    • Description:

      Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name.
  14. Musetta
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "little muse"
    • Description:

      A musette is both a dance and an antique instrument, but the name is most associated with the classic opera La Bohème.
  15. Hedda
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian, diminutive of Hedvig
    • Description:

      Hedda is a card-carrying member of the league of older, slightly bohemian urban names like Nedda, Andra, and Petra; also linked to Ibsen heroine Hedda Gabler, as well as being the basis of cruel joke names like Hedda Hare.
  16. Sweden
    • Origin:

      Place-name
    • Meaning:

      "Swede, one's own tribe"
    • Description:

      You may be surprised to learn 73 girls have been named Sweden since the 2000s. Appearing sporadically in the US name stats over the last twenty years, the name derives from the Old Norse Svíar which may come from an even older word meaning "one's own tribe".