User-created list
Personal favorites during teenage years.
Across 15 pages
of 15
Reeve
English occupational name
"bailiff, sheriff, local official"
Chosen by aviators Charles and Anne Lindbergh for their daughter, Reeve could work as a distinctive alternative to Reese. While it is currently more popular for boys, nine girls received the name in…
Perrin
Variation of Perry or Peter, English or Greek
"dweller near the pear tree or rock, stone"
Perrin has been in long use as a surname, derived from Peter, and is now used quietly as a first name. It was given to 26 boys and six girls in the US in 2023, a decrease over the year before. It has…
Perrin
Variation of Perry or Peter, English or Greek
"dweller near the pear tree or rock, stone"
Perrin has been in long use as a surname, derived from Peter, and is now used quietly as a first name. It may rise higher now that it's a character name in the popular TV adaptation of Robert…
Cassiane
Greek
"cinnamon"
Cassiane, also spelled Kassiani or Kasiani, is an ancient Greek name best known as the name of a saint famous as a hymnographer. The Hymn of Cassiane, traditionally sung on Tuesday of Easter Week in…
Torin
Irish, Spanish, French
"little chief, little hill, mound; holding fast; bull"
Though it has a Scandinavian ring (a la Thorfinn), Torin is in fact a multicultural choice, an occasional feature in the UK Top 1000, and given to around 150 boys in the US each year. Connected to…
Masen
Masen is a modern variant spelling of Mason, which originated as an English occupational surname meaning 'stoneworker' or 'builder.' This contemporary spelling has gained popularity in recent decades…
Riann
Riann is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variant of Ryan (an Irish surname meaning 'little king'), Rhiannon (a Welsh name from mythology meaning 'great queen'), or a…
Olwen
Welsh
"white footprint"
Olwen is a Welsh favorite, the name of a legendary princess in what is believed to have been the earliest Arthurian romance, and in fact one of the first recorded examples of Welsh prose. In this…
Penrose
Cornish and Welsh place name and surname
"top of the heath"
Penrose – an ancient place-name and surname derived from several villages in Cornwall, Wales, and the Welsh border country of England – would make for an even more unexpected alternative to quirky…
Nelle
Variation of Nell, English
"bright, shining one"
Nelle, typically pronounced like the one-syllable Nell, is an elegant form of the name used by author Nelle Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill A Mockingbird . With whatever spelling, Nell/Nelle is a…
Madigan
Irish
"little dog"
An unusual, energetic surname choice that would make a good Madison alternative. Madigan was a typical police detective series of the 1970s, starring Richard Widmark.
Winton
English
"friend's farm"
See WYNTON.
Mavin
Mavin is a gender-neutral name that leans feminine in modern usage, though it originated as a masculine name. It derives from the English word 'maven,' meaning an expert or connoisseur, which itself…
Raleigh
English
"meadow of deer"
An attractive North Carolina unisex place name, Raleigh's soft sound is particularly appropriate for a girl.
Alienor
French, meaning unknown
Also seen as Alyenor and Eleonore, this is an old French name dating back to the Arthurian romances and still heard today.
Oran
Hebrew, Irish, Scottish
"light, song, little green one"
A calm and gentle multicultural choice. Oran is popular in Ireland, where its Gaelic form is Odhrán, meaning "little green one". In Scottish Gaelic, the name means "song", and in Hebrew, it's a…
Anaelle
Breton form of Anna
"grace"
Also spelled Anael, this offers a new spin on an old standard. Or even a couple of old standards, if you count Annabelle.
Auberon
English, French, German
"elf ruler, bright elf; noble bear"
Rarely heard in the US, Auberon has a gentle autumnal feel rare in a male name. A Shakespeare-adjacent choice, Auberon started out as as a pet form of Auberi, the French form of German Alberich.…
Maelle
French or Breton
"chief or prince"
This feminine form of Mael has the distinctive "aelle" ending found in Brittany. In the French spelling Maëlle, it is a Top 100 girls' name in France.
Llewellyn
Welsh, variation of Llywelyn
"leader's image"
Llewellyn/Llywelyn is a common patriotic first name in Wales, with its distinctive Welsh double LL's; in the U.S. Llewellyn would make a daring choice, though with the chance that some might find the…