ORIGINAL Baby Names

  1. Valencia
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "brave, strong"
    • Description:

      This lovely orange-scented Spanish place-name would make an inventive namesake for an Aunt Valerie.
  2. Callista
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "most beautiful"
    • Description:

      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.
  3. Coralie
    • Origin:

      French from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "coral"
    • Description:

      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: Coralie is the stage name of an actress in Balzac's Lost Illusions, and a French girl in an 1850 Thackeray novel.

      Coralie is currently very popular in French-speaking Quebec, and there is a contemporary French singer named Coralie Clement.

  4. Lorna
    • Origin:

      English literary name
    • Description:

      One of those names like Pamela, Vanessa and Wendy, Lorna was invented for a particular literary character--the protagonist of the 1869 novel Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore--and then perpetuated as the name of a shortbread cookie. The author claimed to have based it on the Scottish place-name, Lorn. In baby name limbo for quite some time, it was chosen by Judy Garland for her younger daughter, Lorna Luft. Lorna Simpson is an important contemporary American artist.
  5. Grover
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "one who lives near a grove of trees"
    • Description:

      Forget the furry blue Muppet, forget corpulent President Cleveland (not too difficult), and consider this name anew. We think it's spunky, a little funky, and well worth a second look, similar in style to the likes of Wilder and Ranger, to Sullivan, Chester, and Stanley.
  6. Barnabas
    • Origin:

      Aramaic
    • Meaning:

      "son of consolation"
    • Description:

      Barnabas, whose birth name was Joseph, was one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem, who undertook missionary journeys with Paul the Apostle, His name is a bit Old World compared to the update Barnaby, but could gain some attention as boys' names ending in 's' are enjoying a comeback.
  7. Maud
    • Origin:

      English and French diminutive of Matilda, German
    • Meaning:

      "battle-mighty"
    • Description:

      Maud, lacy and mauve-tinted, was wildly popular a hundred years ago but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose Maud again, especially as a middle. Maude is another spelling, associated with actress Maude Apatow.
  8. Wanda
    • Origin:

      Slavic or German
    • Meaning:

      "shepherdess; wanderer"
    • Description:

      Rarely heard, and when it is, usually attached to a witch. Historically, though, Wanda was a legendary eighth century queen of Poland, and in literature it is the central character of Ouida's eponymous novel Wanda. A musical namesake is the great Polish harpsichordist Wanda Landowska.
  9. Sapphira
    • Origin:

      Greek variation of Sapphire, Hebrew jewel name
    • Meaning:

      "sapphire"
    • Description:

      Sapphira is a lovely name which unfortunately has an unsavory Biblical history. The New Testament Sapphira was killed by God for lying about a tax payment.
  10. 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.
  11. Emer
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "swift"
    • Description:

      Popular in Ireland, though not as popular as its spelling variant Eimear, Emer is a mythological name, associated with the legendary wife of the warrior hero Cuchulainn. She was said to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, wisdom, chastity, and needlework.
  12. Lucine
    • Origin:

      Armenian, English, French
    • Meaning:

      "moon; light; grove, light"
    • Description:

      Sweet and stylish, Lucine is a versatile choice that can be used as a spelling variation of the celestial Armenian name Lusine. It is equally considered an elaboration of the classic Lucy and as a French form of Lucina, a name that means "grove", but can also be associated with light.
  13. Arbor
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Description:

      Arbor is an original unisex tree-related choice we're sure to hear more of. Highly unusual now, Arbor takes its place alongside other new arborial names ranging from the mighty Oak (or Oakley) to the more delicate Birch to the more flowery Juniper, Acacia, and Hazel.
  14. Forsythia
    • Origin:

      Flower name, from English surname
    • Meaning:

      "Forsyth's flower"
    • Description:

      This yellow harbinger spring bloom was named for Scottish botanist William Forsyth, and is even more unusual than such species as Acacia and Azalea.
  15. Henley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "high meadow"
    • Description:

      The name of a British town on the Thames that hosts a famous regatta, so it could be an appropriate middle name for the son of boat-lovers.
  16. Sorrel
    • Origin:

      Botanical name and French
    • Meaning:

      "reddish brown"
    • Description:

      A fragrant herbal and color name that could make a sensitive, distinctive choice.
  17. Lumina
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "light"
    • Description:

      Lumina is a radiant feminine name derived from the Latin word 'lumen,' meaning 'light.' This elegant name carries connotations of brightness, illumination, and enlightenment across various cultures.
  18. Arla
    • Origin:

      Swedish
    • Meaning:

      "early"
    • Description:

      While Arla has a literal meaning in Swedish, its roots as a name are probably more closely related to such names as Arlene or Orla. Arla is among the girls' Top 1000 names in the UK.
  19. Nello
    • Origin:

      Short form of Antonello or Brunello, Italian
    • Meaning:

      "protection; from Antium"
    • Description:

      Energetic and sparky but warm and gentle in sound, Nello is an Italian short form of Antonello, Brunello, or similar.
  20. Livana
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "the moon, white"
    • Description:

      Pretty and unusual, Livana may find a lot more fans as parents look for alternatives to Number 1 Olivia. Livana was used for only seven baby girls in the US last year.

The Nameberry App Is Live

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Find your perfect baby name together in our iPhone app, now available on the App Store.
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