Favorites

Ariel

Hebrew

"lion of God"

Ariel is a male Biblical name, seen there as the messenger of Ezra, and also used as a symbolic name for the city of Jerusalem, while Shakespeare used it for a (male) sprite in The Tempest . For…

Opal

Sanskrit

"gem"

Opal is on the verge of a repolishing, following other jewel names like Ruby and Pearl. A Top 100 name during the first two decades of the twentieth century, the opalescent Opal has a good chance of…

Vienna

Place-name: the capital of Austria

"forest stream; white foundation"

Vienna is one of the more popular of the European place-names, with a particularly pleasant sound, evoking elegant images of the Blue Danube, of castles and cafes, sweets and sausages and Strauss…

Eve

Hebrew

"life"

Eve, the oldest name in the Book, is now coming back into style, having the virtues of simplicity and purity, yet with more strength and resonance than other single-syllable names like Ann. British…

Marina

Latin

"from the sea"

This pretty sea-born name was used to dramatic effect by Shakespeare in his play Pericles for the virtuous princess who says she is "Call'd Marina, for I was born at sea." Marina was an epithet of…

Flora

Latin

"flower"

Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names that's making a big comeback. Short and sweet, it joins…

Sierra

Spanish

"saw"

Sierra is a name borrowed from the western mountain range, with Latin rhythm and cowboy charm, that has led to many offshoots: Cierra, Cyara, and so on. It is now probably past its peak but retains…

Michaela

Feminine variation of Michael, Hebrew

"who is like God?"

This most proper form of the name shot up the charts in the nineties, only to sink just as precipitously, supplanted by upstarts Makayla and McKayla ad infinitum. The Michaela version retains some…

Nala

African, meaning unknown

A Disney name—Nala was the friend who became the wife of Simba, hero of The Lion King . It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2015. Keenen Ivory Wayans used it for his daughter.

Soraya

Persian

"Pleiades constellation"

Soraya is a Persian name made famous in the Western world by the one-time empress of Iran, who settled in Europe, primarily in France. Soraya is derived from Thurayya, the Arabic name of the…

Adrianna

Feminine variation of Adrian

"man of Adria"

A popular spelling variation of Adriana.

Emmalina

English variation of Emmeline or a compound of Emma + Lina

"brave and courageous; universal tenderness; universal free man"

Princess-y but not overly fussy, thanks to the classic simplicity of Emma, Emmalina is a sweet, bright alternative to Emilia. The meaning can vary depending on if you see it as an elaboration of…

Isis

Egyptian

"throne"

Isis has gone from magical, feminist name on the rise to the forbidden list because of the extremist terror group called ISIS, an acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Unsurprisingly, Isis was…

Daria

Feminine variation of Darius, Persian or Latin from Greek

"kingly or possess well"

An early Christian martyr, a bespectacled MTV cartoon heroine, and Canadian supermodel Daria Werbowy: Daria is a name that manages to feel contemporary and usable without being exactly stylish. Which…

Alaska

Native American

"great land"

State name Alaska stems from an Aleutian word for the land mass itself. The number of baby girls named Alaska has doubled in the past five years, and is sure to continue increasing as more place…

Romilly

English

"citizen of Rome"

Originally a surname deriving from the Roman twin Romulus, this attractive name was introduced to the English-speaking world as a first name by painter Augustus John who used it for his son. Romilly…

Alexandrea

Alexandrea is a feminine name representing an elaborate variant of Alexandra, which derives from the Greek name Alexandros, meaning 'defender of mankind' or 'protector of people.' This particular…