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Some Fantastique Favorites
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Beacon
English word name
"signal light"
A word name with an appealing and illuminating meaning.
Liev
Yiddish variation of Lev
"heart"
Liev Schreiber's birth name is Isaac Liev, Liev after his mother's favorite Russia author, Leo Tolstoy. Though Liev is increasing in popularity in the secular world thanks to the actor, it originated…
Parthenope
Greek
"maiden's face"
A mythological name, Parthenope is a rare and distinctive choice that may nevertheless appeal to those looking for little known alternatives to Penelope or Persephone. While some sources suggest the…
Kismet
Word name
"fate"
The next Destiny? Kismet seems like it might be fated for increased use.
Anneau
French
"a ring"
Booker
English
"scribe"
Booker would make for a very cool name, for writers, reformers, R & B fans and those wanting to pay tribute to Booker T. Washington. Booker T. Washington, born into enslavement, became a dominant…
Annia
Latin, female variation of Antonius
"priceless one"
An ancient Roman name that has never made it into the modern world.
Leni
German or Spanish diminutive of Lena, Elena, or Helen, Greek
"shining torch"
An up-and-coming nickname-style name, hugely popular in Germany and on the rise in the UK, Leni is stylish but sweet. Chosen for her daughter by high-profile German supermodel Heidi Klum back in…
Libby
English, diminutive of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Through all the years when Betty, Betsy, Beth, Liz, and Lizzie were the Elizabethan nicknames of choice, the bubblier Libby was set aside, but today it may be the most modern of all—it has already…
Dillon
Irish
"loyal"
With both the Dillon and Dylan spellings, usage of this gender-neutral names runs about ten to one boys to girls. But Dylan is used about 20 times as often as Dillon for both genders. Which might be…
Brinsley
English
"from Brinsley"
The 'ley' ending makes this British surname name ripe for consideration as a feminine girls' name. Brinsley joins such sisters as Kinsley and Tinsley.
Chauncey
Latin
"chancellor"
A name halfway between its old milquetoast image and a more jovial Irish-sounding contemporary one. Sounds more feminine than masculine these days.
Sidda
Literary name
Sidda is a name made famous by the heroine of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood; it probably started life as a nickname.
Season
Latin
"time of sowing"
Winter, Summer, and Autumn are all mainstream names; this covers all bases.
Sabryn
Sabryn is a modern feminine name that appears to be a variant spelling of Sabrina. While Sabrina has Celtic origins and was the name of a river goddess in Welsh mythology, Sabryn represents a…
Embry
English surname
"flat-topped hill"
Though Embry became famous as the name of a boy werewolf in Twilight , we think its Em- beginning and -y ending make it perfectly appropriate for a girl. You might consider it as an alternative to…
Merryn
Cornish variation of Mirin, Irish and Scottish, meaning unknown
St. Merryn, the name of a Cornish town derived from Mirin, a 6th century Irish saint important in Scottish history often as Mirren, is sometimes used in modern times as a girl's name. Lovely, sleek,…
Kassiani
Greek
"cinnamon"
Kassiani, also spelled Kasiani or Cassiane, is an ancient Greek name best known as the name of a saint famous as a hymnographer. The Hymn of Kassiani, traditionally sung on Tuesday of Easter Week in…
Rhonwen
Welsh
"slender, fair"
The delicate and haunting Welsh Rhonwen is still a rarity in the U.S., where her English version Rowena is better known, but would be a lovely choice for any parent in search of a name that was both…
Edie
English, diminutive of Edith
"prosperous in war"
Edie is part of the Evie-Ellie et al family of cute and friendly short forms that sometimes stand on its own. Briefly popular in the 1960s, it could well be due for rediscovery. It's already a…