Kaitlindtalley's list "Personal favorites during teenage years." of 20 great name ideas: Karson - Llewellyn!

Personal favorites during teenage years.

Potential character names? Maybe a kid in, y'know, 10 years.

Karson is a respelling of the classic surname-turned-first name Carson, which some feel makes it more modern.

As a gender neutral name, this name leans heavily toward the male side, though slightly less heavily via the K spelling. Last year, there were 3300 baby boys named Carson and 168 girls, while Karson was used for 977 baby boys and 57 baby girls. 

Southern writer Carson McCullers was a famous female bearer of this name.

Karson

Ellisyn is a contemporary feminine name that appears to be a modern creation combining elements of Ellis and popular feminine suffixes like '-syn' or '-lyn.' It emerged in the early 21st century amid trends favoring innovative names with traditional roots but distinctive sounds. The name Ellis itself derives from the Welsh name Elisedd, meaning 'kind' or 'benevolent,' giving Ellisyn a subtle connection to these positive qualities. The name exemplifies the modern preference for reimagining familiar names with creative spellings and endings. Though relatively uncommon, Ellisyn has gained modest recognition among parents seeking names that sound contemporary yet have a connection to established naming traditions. Its melodic three-syllable structure and fashionable 'syn' ending give it a thoroughly modern appeal.

Ellisyn

An Irish last-name-first-name that could make a child feel distinctive, while still having the regular guy nickname of Quinn. Christine Taylor and Ben Stiller spelled their son's name Quinlin. 

 Quinlan would make a fitting choice for a fifth baby, since quin in Latin signifies five.

Quinlan

In music, the term allegro means "quickly, lively tempo," which makes this quintessential Bohemian ballet dancer's name all the more appealing. Allegra is one of the most distinctive yet accessible <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/a">girl names starting with A</a>.
 One of the most creative sounding of names, Allegra has been associated with the American prima ballerina Allegra Kent, and has been chosen as a first or middle name for their daughters by poets George Gordon, Lord Byron and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, as well as by R. Buckminster Fuller and Donatella Versace.
Caveat: There is that current connection to the allergy medication.

Allegra

Chase is starting to be seen on a handful of girls each year, and has been heard as a nickname to Chelsea. Reminiscent of Casey and Charlie, around 40 girls were given the name in a recent count. 

Chase

Also spelled Anael, this offers a new spin on an old standard. Or even a couple of old standards, if you count Annabelle.

Anaelle

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 charming old-fashioned nickname name currently on the rise again.
 
Originally short for Ellen, Eleanor, or Helen via the affectionate term "mine Ell-", it has since been used as both a stand-alone option and as a nickname for Penelope, Antonella, and Noelle among others too. In fact, this spelling may appeal to those who are honoring names such as Janelle, Nicole, and Danielle. 
 
Variations of the name are popular in Finland, Poland and notably, England and Wales, where Nellie has ranked in the UK Top 100 in recent years and Nell, Nella, Nel, and Nelly also sit within the Top 1000. Nelle, however, was given to just 16 girls in the latest count. 
 
In the US, Nellie is in Top 600, and though Nell has yet to catch up, it has doubled in popularity since 2020. Nelle however is well outside the charts, given to 26 girls in the latest count.
 
Thought NEHL is the go to pronunciation, NEHL-ee and even NEHL-uh are plausible, based on other names like Emme and Lotte. 
 
TV personality and influencer Lo Bosworth recently chose Nelle for her daughter, born in 2026.

Nelle

Ever since singer Michelle Branch gave it to her daughter in 2005, Owen has started to be used for a small number of girls each year as well. Just 39 baby girls received the name in 2021, compared with over 8700 boys.

Owen

An appealing name almost unknown in our culture but with roots in several others; worldlier than cousins Celia and Delia. 

Zelia

A fabled storybook name via the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819), which featured a heroine called Rowena of Hargottstanstede, and also a Harry Potter name, as Rowena Ravenclaw, founder of one of the Hogwarts houses, Rowena is a retro feeling choice with literary charm.
 
While the exact origin of the name is unknown, it is mentioned by the 12th-century chronicler, Geoffrey of Monmouth, who suggests it was the name of a Saxon chief. As such, it may combine the Old English elements hroð meaning "fame", with either wynn or wine meaning "joy" and "friend" respectively. An alternative possibility is that is blends the Welsh gwen ("white, fair, blessed") with ron ("spear"). 

While it might be perceived today as a spin-off of Rowan and Rowen, the pronunciation, however, is not like the popular nature name with an a at the end, but with a long e and an emphasis on the middle syllable. She was on the popularity list in the US until 1963 and spent several years in the Top 500 in the early 20th century, while in the UK, she ranked until the 2000s.
 
The Welsh variation Rhonwen is used in Welsh literature as a personification of the English people, while Rowina and Rowenna are spelling alternatives, the latter likely to give you the ro-WEHN-uh sound.

Rowena

Zoelle is a modern-sounding name combining the stylish Zoe, which means life, with the trendy Elle, French for "she". Could make for a zippier spin on sweet Noelle.

Zoelle

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 Jordan's fantasy novel series The Wheel of Time. 
Twenty-six baby boys were named Perrin in the US last year, along with six baby girls.

Other variations of Perry or Peter in occasional use include Perine and Perrine.

Perrin

After half a century, this otherwise feasible name has at last started to lose its link to the friendly ghost; it certainly didn't scare model Claudia Schiffer, who chose it for her son, as did Atomic Kitten Jenny Frost. Iconoclastic namer Jason Lee switched genders and called his daughter Casper. Also related to the revived Jasper, Caspar seems headed towards the path to a similar resurgence.

 Caspar is the name of one of the Three Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus&mdash;-Caspar of Tarsus was the one who brought the gift of gold.

 In the Casper spelling, the name was quite popular in the U.S. near the end of the nineteenth century, peaking in 1889 at Number 332, but it dropped off the list completely in 1933. It still retains its popularity in Scandinavia and Belgium.

 Actor Casper van Dien was the tenth generation in his family to bear the name of his Dutch ancestors, continuing the tradition with his son Casper Robert Mitchum.

Caspar

Also spelled Macsen, this ancient name manages to sound modern and cool.  An heroic namesake was Maxen Wledig, a fourth century Spanish-born general who led the Roman army out of Britain, and as Emperor was the most powerful occupant of the throne of the Caesars who had ever ruled Europe from the City of the Seven Hills. 

Maxen

Emilyn is a feminine name that combines elements of popular names Emily and Lynne, creating a melodic and graceful variation. With English origins, it carries the meaning "industrious" or "hardworking" from Emily (derived from the Latin Aemilia) while incorporating the Welsh element "lyn" suggesting "lake" or "waterfall." Gaining modest popularity in recent decades, Emilyn offers parents a familiar-sounding yet distinctive alternative to more common names. Its soft sounds and flowing quality give it an elegant, feminine appeal. The name balances tradition with uniqueness, making it contemporary while maintaining classic roots. Emilyn projects qualities of diligence and natural beauty, appealing to parents seeking a name with subtle uniqueness and pleasant phonetics.

Emilyn

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 combination of Or "light" + Ran "singing".

Oran

Aspyn is a modern masculine name with roots in nature, derived from the aspen tree known for its distinctive trembling leaves. The name gained recognition in the early 2000s, partly influenced by the rising trend of using place names and nature-inspired elements for children. The spelling with a 'y' gives it a contemporary feel, distinguishing it from the standard tree spelling. While originally used for both genders, Aspyn has recently seen increasing use for boys. The name evokes imagery of mountain landscapes where aspen trees flourish, suggesting strength and natural beauty. Aspyn carries associations with the outdoors, adventure, and environmental consciousness. Though still relatively uncommon, it appeals to parents seeking a distinctive, nature-connected name with a modern sensibility and strong, clear pronunciation.

Aspyn

If you love Dixie, Trixie and Pixie, this name of a mermaid-like sprite in German folklore may be for you.  It might also make an update for Nicki.

Nixie

Arbor is an original unisex tree-related choice we're sure to hear more of.  Highly unusual now, Arbor takes its place alongside other new arborial names ranging from the mighty Oak (or Oakley) to the more delicate Birch to the more flowery Juniper, Acacia, and Hazel.


Arbor

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 ellen sound slightly feminine. 
 Two princes who played a great role in the medieval Welsh quest for independence were Llewelyn Fawr (Llewelyn the Great) and Llywelyn yr Olaf (Llywelyn the Last).
 Llewelyn Moss is a major character in Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men, played on screen by Josh Brolin.
 Llewellyn, which can be spelled in a number of ways, has some appealing, if quirky, short forms as well--Llew, Lleu and Llelo.