User-created list
By dannilynnalexis · Updated April 2023
Across 4 pages
of 4
Latin, feminine variation of Adrian
"man from Adria"
A long-integrated French feminine form of Adrian, now overshadowed by the a -ending version, but still a valid option, with considerable substance and dignity—though these days more parents would…
American, modern elaboration of Jane or Jan
Adds a soupcon of French flair to some old classics with the currently trendy ae ending.
English diminutive of Cynthia, Greek, or Lucinda, Spanish and Portuguese
"moon goddess, woman from Kynthos; "
Cindy as a name in its own right made it into the Top 20 in 1957 and remained a Top 200 girls' name until the end of the 20th century. Although it's fallen precipitously since then and left the Top…
French
"yew wood"
Peaking in the 1950s, Yvonne has now dropped out of the Top 1000 in 2003 and doesn't look set to return soon, although its rare Y initial might endear it to some. Yvaine, from Neil Gaiman's Stardust…
English variation of Molly, diminutive of Mary, Hebrew
"bitter"
An alternative to the no-longer-fresh Molly, the initial 'P' gives Polly a peppier sound, combining the cozy virtues of an old-timey name with the bounce of a barmaid. Associated with Tom Sawyer's…
French variation of Susan
"lily"
Suzanne became popular along with Susan but has just dropped out of the Top 1,000. Wait a generation (or two) in the US, though in France Suzanne is once again tres chic.
Diminutive of Alexandra or Alexis
"defending men"
One of the most evenly divided unisex names these days; strong and energetic, if overused, for both genders.
English combination of Lee and Anne
"meadow grace"
One of the quintessential midcentury combination names, Leanne was spelled any number of ways: Lianne, LeeAnn, Leigh-Anne, and so on. Like many similar combo names -- Joanne, Maryann -- they're all…
Diminutive of Carol, English, or Caroline, French"free man"
"free man"
Carrie lives on mainly on the screen, as the new/old antiheroine of Stephen King's classic Carrie , as turn-of-the-21st-century diva Carrie Bradshaw of Sex & The City , and as Claire Danes'…
English literary name
One of those names like Pamela, Vanessa and Wendy, Lorna was invented for a particular literary character--the protagonist of the 1869 novel Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore--and then perpetuated as…
English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
The sweetest and most sensitive of the pet names for Elizabeth, now also one of the most dated.
Variation of Tara or Tyrone, English, Irish
"rocky hill, elevated place; land of Eoghan"
Taryn is an offshoot of Tara that has a variety of meanings in a variety of cultures. In 1953, Taryn was presented to the public as an invention by actors Tyrone Power and Linda Christian for their…
Short form of Matthew
"gift of God"
Still one of the most appealing short forms, which goes a long way toward explaining the sustained popularity of Matthew. Matt is perennially the popular guy in high school, friendly, attractive, and…
Elaboration of Dayana, Spanish and Kazakh
"heavenly, faith"
Former Miss Universe and former Mrs. Marc Anthony, Dayanara Torres has made a more lasting success of her name.
Diminutive of Victoria
"victory"
This once vivacious midcentury nickname is rarely used for modern babies.
English nature name
"small stream"
Brooke variation – or is the other way around? – that makes it more a nature name, less an eighties-style androgynous name.
Alysia is a feminine name that represents a variation of Alicia, which itself derives from the Greek name Alice meaning 'noble' or 'of noble kind.' This elegant spelling variant emerged in the…
Slavic or German
"shepherdess; wanderer"
Rarely heard, and when it is, usually attached to a witch. Historically, though, Wanda was a legendary eighth century queen of Poland, and in literature it is the central character of Ouida's…
Kimiko is a feminine Japanese name composed of elements that can have various meanings depending on the kanji characters used. Common interpretations include 'noble child' (貴美子), 'empress child'…
Diminutive of Natasha
See NATASHA.
