User-created list
Great For Book Charcters
Across 5 pages
of 5
Amoret
Literary name
This lovely name from Spenser's The Faerie Queene is borne by a character who represents married love. A related unusual-yet-usable choice: Amabel.
Arianwen
Welsh
"silver, white, fair, blessed"
Rarely heard outside of Wales, Arianwen combines the pretty Welsh element gwen with the silvery arian , giving it a metallic and shining meaning. The name is sometimes listed as one of the daughters…
Auster
German surname
"oyster"
Fans of writer Paul Auster might consider this a worthy alternative to the trendy Austin.
Baye
Baye is a feminine name with diverse origins. It has roots in Old French, possibly derived from 'baie' meaning 'berry' or as a place name referring to 'bay.' In some West African cultures,…
Benvenuto
Italian
"welcome"
In Italy, often refers to the joy at the birth of a long-awaited child.
Brae
Modern invented name, Scottish
"slope of a hill"
A newly hatched cousin of Bree and Brea, with a touch of Bailey and Brynn there too, Brae feels like a name that could catch on. However, a 'bray' is also the sound a donkey makes.
Bran
Diminutive of Brandon
"broom-covered hill"
A little heavy on the fiber content; we prefer Bram. But Bran is also the Celtic god of the underworld, whose symbol is the raven. It's probably not a coincidence that George R.R. Martin chose this…
Brandt
German
"dweller on burnt land"
Less commercial-sounding than Brand.
Brazier
Occupational name
"worker with brass"
Would be an obscure but winning entry in this category, except for its similarity to the word brassiere, which would certainly arouse unwanted attention in grade school.
Brinley
English
"burnt meadow"
Surname name with feminine final ley. The Welsh name Bryn, though also unisex and veering toward the girl world, is far more attractive.
Brockton
English surname
"badger settlement"
Brock plus.
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.
Canarsie
Place name
Has much too strong of a Brooklyn accent.
Cara
Latin, Italian, Irish, Spanish, and Portuguese
"dear; friend; face"
Cara is a simple, sweet, Italian endearment that enjoyed its greatest popularity from the 1970s through the 1990s, reaching a high of Number 189 in 1977. Despite the rising celebrity of English…
Cashel
Irish
"castle, stone fort"
Cashel is one of the many appealing Irish names that have not yet emigrated to the US. Cashel was chosen by actor Daniel Day-Lewis and his writer-director wife Rebecca Miller for their son. In…
Cavanaugh
Irish
"born handsome or son of Caomhan "
Pleasant Irish last name that could be a more masculine alternative to the overused Cassidy. Early kings of Leinster bore the name, which relates to the first name Caomhan or Kevin and can also be…
Deryn
Welsh
"bird"
This 1950s Welsh bird name sounds less dated than our fifties Robin.
Efa
Efa is a feminine name of Welsh origin, serving as the Welsh equivalent of Eve. The name derives from the Hebrew 'Chavah,' meaning 'life' or 'living one.' Simple yet distinctive, Efa carries the same…
Ilias
Greek, from Hebrew
"Yahweh is God"
The Greek form of Elijah.
Javon
Hebrew variation of Javan
"Greece"
While the biblical Javan, the son of Japheth, is spelled with two a's, the -on version is by far the favorite in contemporary America. Variant spellings and pronunciations abound. This name has…