Girl

Callista

Greek

"most beautiful"

Calista Flockhart spotlighted this lovely Greek name that has a long future in the English-speaking world. Kallista is another spelling; Calixta and Calixto are related.

Coralie

French from Latin

"coral"

Coralie is a French name not often heard here, though she's gaining some recognition via Neil Gaiman's similar sounding spooky and lovely children's book, Coraline . Other literary appearances:…

Allegra

Italian

"joyous"

In music, the term allegro means "quickly, lively tempo," which makes this quintessential Bohemian ballet dancer's name all the more appealing. Allegra is one of the most distinctive yet accessible…

Caitlin

Irish variation of Catherine

"pure"

An Irish and Welsh form of Catherine, Caitlin was a boom name of the eighties, rocketing from obscurity (Americans first heard it via the wife of doomed poet Dylan Thomas) to the height of popularity…

Cosette

French literary nickname

"little thing"

Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables . In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some…

Iona

Scottish place-name

This name of a small island off the coast of Scotland is trending upwards along with other I names.

Ione

Greek

"violet flower"

This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan. Ione was one of the fifty sea nymphs —…

Monet

French artist name, from diminutive of Simon

A new favorite of the bohemian set, brought to light by actress Monet Mazur, daughter of the artist who designed the Rolling Stones' mouth logo.

Maelys

French or Breton

"chief or prince"

Another feminine form of the old saint's name Mael. Spelled Maëlys, it is a very popular name in France today.

Kerr

Scottish

"living near wet ground"

Kerr, a simple, unusual unisex middle-name choice, can be pronounced either car or kehr.