User-created list
By Fantastique · Updated May 2023
Across 25 pages
of 25
Welsh
"beautiful as a poem; crooked women"
A mythological Welsh name with an intriguing sound, Ceridwen appears in several Welsh legends, in which she is an an enchantress and the owner of the cauldron of poetic inspiration. She is also…
Scandinavian
"new victory"
Signy — also spelled Signe — would make another distinctively offbeat alternative to Sydney. Signy appears in Norse mythology as the twin sister of Sigmund.
English
"blind"
Sisley may look like a modern coinage, building on the fashionable -ley ending, but it's actually a medieval English variant of Cicely or Cecily, which in turn is a variation of Cecilia. Also found…
"primrose"
Unusual floral name which would be perfect for a spring baby girl, if you can pronounce the Welsh double L correctly. It's a tricky sound for non-native Welsh speakers, kind of halfway between an H…
Arabic
"tree and spice name"
A hardwood tree native to Africa, India and other tropical regions, which bears sweet pod-shaped fruits which are used as a flavoring in many world cuisines, including Indian and Filipino. A rare and…
Irish surname, related to the sea
A merry surname cousin of Kerrigan, could make a lively choice for a happy little girl.
Latin
"of the city"
This name of eight popes might appeal to confirmed city-dwellers, but Urbana would be more feminine.
"sublime"
Fashion designer surname that could make a dynamic first.
English, contracted form of Thomasina
"twin"
Tamsin is an offbeat name occasionally heard in Britain and just waiting to be discovered here. U.K. actress Tamsin Greig is a star of the show Episodes , Tamsin Olivier is the daughter of Joan…
Diminutive of Priscilla
"ancient"
Takes the priss out of Priscilla.
Place name, surname, and literary name
Trilby was used first for a character by French novelist Charles Nodier (1822) and made more famous by writer George du Maurier in an 1894 work. A Trilby hat, which Du Maurier's character wore, is a…
"fair, white, blessed, beautiful"
Tegwen is a Welsh name that balances between clunky and mystical, sweet and tough. Created back in the 19th century by blending the element teg "beautiful, pretty", with the element wen "fair, white,…
Greek
"pleasing one"
In Greek mythology, Evadne was the daughter of Poseidon. Evadne also appears in literature (Mary Shelley's "The Last Man") and has a pop culture reference as the cousin of Wonder Woman. A more…
Place name, English from Portuguese and Sanskrit
"lionlike"
Lovely, international, tea-scented possibility undiscovered by baby names. Ceylon may ultimately be derived from the Sanskrit siṃhala , meaning "island of lions" or "abundance of lions."
Greek or Latin
"the best; ear of corn"
From the root for aristocrat, an upwardly mobile choice -- or if you go by its other meaning, an earthy delicious choice. Arista is a rare name for girls that has the popular A beginning-and-ending…
Diminutive of Henrietta, English
"estate ruler"
It may take another generation or so, but this category of Hettie-Lettie-Lottie names could make a comeback.
Irish Gaelic
"fair lady, white lady"
The traditional Irish girl's name Bevin – an Anglicization of Bébhinn – is rarely heard outside the Emerald Isle, but could make an fresh and fashionable namesake for an Aunt Beverly.
Scottish
"lord of the land"
Laird is a Scottish title for the landed gentry – it ranks just below a Baron – with a pleasantly distinctive Scottish burr that must have appealed to Sharon Stone, who chose it for her son. Laird…
Dutch, meaning unknown
Dutch supermodel Doutzen (pronounced doubt-son) Kroes has introduced us to a name from the Netherlands that might have a hard time in an American classroom and is nowhere near as glamorous as its…
Scottish, Irish
"fervent"
The name of a character in the once scandalous novel Valley of the Dolls now sounds a little more dated than the similar Arden.
