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Abyssinia
African place-name
Abyssinia is the ancient name of the Ethiopian Empire, no longer found on any map but with a possible future as a melodic girls' name in the ever-expanding place-name category. Among African names…
Abraxas
Persian mythology name
Abraxas is a sci-fi-sounding name with earthly possibilities, but some playground challenges. Abraxas has a long and convoluted history, dating back to ancient Egyptian mythology and the Gnostics who…
Altair
Arabic
"falcon"
The eleventh brightest star in the sky has a celestial feel, but also could be the name of a commercial airline.
Roisin
Irish
"little rose"
No, the pronunciation--ro-SHEEN--isn't immediately obvious to the non-Gaelic viewer, but the sound of this shiny Irish version of Rose is pretty enough to make it worth considering. Very popular in…
Amity
Latin
"friendship"
Amity--what nicer gift to give your little girl than a name that signifies friendship and harmony? This virtue name is also more rhythmic and feminine than the single-syllable Hope, Faith, and Grace.…
Azure
English color name, Persian
"sky blue; lapis lazuli"
Azure is a colorful gender-neutral choice, currently used equally for baby girls and boys in the US. It refers to a specific shade of blue seen in a cloudless sky. Elon Musk revealed Azure to be the…
Svetlana
Russian
"star"
Popular Russian name, familiar here via author Svetlana Stalin, the dictator's daughter.
Melora
Greek
"golden apple"
Euphonic hybrid of the sounds of Melissa and Laura. Melora Hardin is an actress who was featured on The Office.
Casimir
English; French, from Polish
"destroyer of peace"
Casimir, a traditional name of Polish kings, could do quite well these days as we see the rise of Caspian, Cassius, Castiel, et. al. Like Leopold and Laszlo, Casimir is strong and worth considering…
Primavera
Italian
"spring"
A bit syllable-heavy, but a pretty name for a springtime baby.
Prescott
English
"priest's cottage"
Prescott is one of several distinguished, upper-crusty surnames beginning with P. There are several historical surnamed Prescotts, including William, a Massachusetts Minuteman and commander at the…
Rynn
Rynn is a concise, gender-neutral name that has been more commonly used for boys. With its crisp sound and simple spelling, it carries a modern, streamlined quality. Rynn may have evolved as a…
Kateri
Mohawk variation of Katherine
"pure"
St. Kateri Teckakwitha is the first Native American saint, canonized in 2012. St. Kateri was the daughter of a Mohawk warrior, born in 1656 in upstate New York. She converted to Christianity at age…
Embeth
English combination of Emma + Beth
"universal + pledged to God"
South African-raised actress Embeth Davidtz added this unique smooth name to the mix. Perfect if you can't decide between Emma and Elizabeth and more unusual than Annabeth.
Indigo
Greek
"Indian dye"
Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from…
Indio
Spanish
"Indian"
This name of a California desert town, used by Deborah Falconer and Robert Downey, Jr. for their son, makes a much livelier and more individual – not to mention more masculine – improvisation on the…
Roald
Norwegian
"famous ruler"
This intriguing Scandinavian name is associated with Roald Dahl, author of the juvenile classics James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . You can honor an ancestral Ronald…
Alcyone
Greek mythology name
"kingfisher"
Alcyone was the wife of Ceyx, but the happy pair angered the gods by calling each other Zeus and Hera. Ceyx's ship was sunk, Alcyone hurled herself into the sea, but then in sympathy for their grief…
Janae
American, modern elaboration of Jane or Jan
Adds a soupcon of French flair to some old classics with the currently trendy ae ending.
Baudouin
French variation of Baldwin, German
"brave friend"
Essentially the French equivalent of Baldwin, this name carries strong historical significance, particularly in Belgium where multiple kings have borne the name. The most notable was King Baudouin I…