User-created list
Names I Could Never Use IRL
Across 7 pages
of 7
Tango
Spanish
"touch"
A South American dance style whose name derives from Latin tangere "touch". It's also a popular orange-flavored fizzy drink in the UK, as well as the word for the letter T in the NATO phonetic…
Wilbur
English, German
"wild boar"
Clunky yet cuddly, Wilbur is a stylish name in the UK where it currently sits in the Top 600, as cool as Rupert or Wilfred. Its merits are starting to be rediscovered in the US, where it was last…
Zephyr
Greek
"west wind"
If you're looking for a name that's light and breezy, this could be it. A name from mythology: Zephyrus/Zephyr was the Greek god of the west wind, and with its similarity in sound to the likes of…
Paris
French place-name
The first famous Paris was a mythological prince of incredible beauty. The most recent was media darling Paris Hilton, inspirer of a generation of baby-girl namesakes. But since Pierce Brosnan and…
Adalia
Hebrew, German, "God is my refuge; noble one"
"God is my refuge; noble one"
Distinctive, elegant, and luxurious, Adalia can be a variation of Adele, or a Hebrew name with a Biblical background. Although it is given exclusively to girls in the US, in the Bible it is…
Aderyn
Welsh
"bird"
Derived from the Welsh word for bird, this name might just be ready to have her moment: a nature-connected meaning, a fantastical air, a way to nickname Addie, and a similar style to Elowen, Arwen,…
Amethyst
Gem and Color name
As flower names become more unique, so can gem names move beyond Ruby and Pearl to names like Topaz, Sapphire, and Peridot. Amethyst, the purple birthstone for February, has never been in the Top…
Arcangela
Greek
"high-ranking angel"
Arcangela is a heavenly possibility if Angel or Angela isn't elevated enough for you.
Arista
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…
Arizona
Place-name from Papago Indian
"little springs"
We usually think of place-names as a modern invention, but in fact Arizona ranked on the US Top 1000 from its inception in 1880 until 1911, when it vanished below the surface. It peaked at Number 510…
Bernadette
German
"brave as a bear"
Although feminizations ending in "ette" are not particularly popular now, Bernadette is a pleasant, feminine, but strong name that doesn't feel prohibitively dated. And though strongly associated…
Briallen
Welsh
"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…
Bronya
Polish
"protection"
Short form of Bronisława, usually spelt Bronia in Poland.
Calista
Greek
"most beautiful"
Spelled with either one 'l' or two, Calista came to the fore in 1997 when Calista Flockhart hit it big as Ally McBeal. Flockhart, who bears her mother's middle name, didn't just introduce a name, she…
Casha
Casha is a distinctive feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variant spelling of Kasia (a Polish diminutive of Katherine), a creative spelling of Cacia (from Greek, meaning…
Chantilly
French place name
"white"
The name of a French city famous for its fine lace. Another association: Chantilly cream – a sweetened whipped cream apparently invented there in the 17th century by a chef at the Château de…
Charmian
Greek
"joy"
This name was used by Shakespeare (who got it from Plutarch) in Antony and Cleopatra for one of the attendants of the Egyptian queen. An interesting possibility, it is heard occasionally in the UK,…
Chrysanthemum
Greek
"gold flower"
One of the rarest of the flower names, that of the blossom celebrated in Japan as a symbol of the sun and a possible object of meditation. One of the rare flower names counted among names for autumn…
Circe
Greek
"bird, hawk"
In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea (or Aiaia) who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to…
Columbia
Latin
"land of Columbus"
Columbia is a rarely used name with many associations. From the eighteenth century it has been used as a female personification of the United States, often appearing as a flag-draped patriotic…