Names I like but probably will never use

Ivy

Botanical name

The quirky, offbeat and energetic botanical name Ivy is enjoying a deserved revival, propelled even higher by its choice by high-profile parents Beyonce and Jay-Z for daughter Blue Ivy. Ivy is also…

Sadie

Diminutive of Sarah

"princess"

Sadie started as a nickname for Sarah, but their images couldn't be more disparate. Where Sarah is serious and sweet, Sadie is full of sass and fun. Sadie has been soaring in popularity recently and…

Stella

Latin

"star"

Stella is a name with star quality and sparkle, that manages to sound both ethereal and earthy. Celestial but not otherworldly, it lands somewhere between the popular Ella and bold Seraphina. The…

Clara

Latin

"bright, clear"

Clara is a strong, lovely girls' name that's always ranked among the US Top 1000 girl names but has been climbing since the turn of this century. It now ranks right at Number 78, making it a modern…

Alice

German

"noble"

Alice is a classic literary name that's both strong and sweet, ranking in the US Top 100 and popular throughout the Western world. Alice is derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of…

Juliette

French diminutive of Julia, Latin

"youthful or sky father"

Juliette, pronounced with the emphasis on the last syllable, adds a little something extra to Juliet. In the past years it has been rising up the chart. Juliet originated in the Middle Ages as a…

Aubrey

English from French version of German Alberic

"elf ruler"

Almost like a fusion between vintage Audrey, bubbly Ruby, and unisex Avery, Aubrey has been a popular choice for girls since the mid 2000’s. Once an exclusively masculine name, Aubrey tipped towards…

Rosie

English

"rose"

Rosy-cheeked and cheery, Rosie (also spelled Rosy) has been standing on her own for many decades, back to the days of 1943 musical Sweet Rosie O'Grady . She's one of the perky nickname-names that are…

Eliora

Hebrew

"the Lord is my light"

A pretty and melodic name of Hebrew origin that combines the elements el referring to God, li meaning "for me", and or meaning "light". The name entered the UK Top 1000 for the first time in 2023,…

Ireland

Place name

Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin put Ireland on the map when they chose it as a first for their daughter, saying that geographic names were a family tradition. And it seems they were a bit ahead of the…

Eilish

Anglicized variation of Eilis, Irish form of Hebrew Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Eilish is one of those Irish names that, thanks to a celebrity, has suddenly become much more familiar outside of Ireland. Irish-American singer Billie Eilish (Eilish is actually one of her middle…

Pippa

English, diminutive of Philippa

"lover of horses"

Pippa, a peppy condensation of Philippa that turns it from serious to sprightly, has come into the public eye in a big way via the former Kate Middleton's sister. Pippa can and is given as a name in…

Fern

English

"plant name"

Of all the botanicals, Fern has been one of the slowest to move back from the front parlor into the nursery, despite the appealing girl character in the children's classic Charlotte's Web . Fern was…

Fleur

French

"flower"

Fleur is a generic, delicate flower name that emigrated into the English-speaking world when John Galsworthy bestowed it on one of the Forsytes in his celebrated saga. More recently, there was Fleur…

Avalon

Celtic

"island of apples"

Avalon, an island paradise of Celtic myth and Arthurian legend--it was where King Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds-- and also the colorful capital of the California island of Catalina--…