User-created list
By maggiethurstons · Updated May 2023
Across 43 pages
of 43
English
"ash tree farm"
This Ashley-like surname name actually made the US Top 1000 around the turn of the 20th century. Used very quietly today in equal numbers -- about a dozen each -- for boys and girls. Ashby is a major…
Scottish
"place of the cannon"
A lesser-used presidential choice, with a charming, buccaneering sound. Fictional bearers include the Marvel Comics character James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, as well as the heroine of F. Scott…
French
"desired, beloved"
Didier is kind of a Desiree for boy--a lively, confident name that's widely used in France and has definite possibilities here. It's the name of an early French saint.
Diminutive of Bambina, Italian
"child; baby girl"
Although Disney's cute deer was a male, Bambi has always been used for girls. It first appeared on the charts in 1943, the year after the Disney movie was released. Bambi featured in the Top 1000…
Nature name
Gale for boys is more a storm name than a short form of Abigail. Since Gale has resurfaced as the name of Liam Hemsworth's daring character in The Hunger Games , it has new force for boys.
Short form of Cecelia, Latin
"blind"
Cece, all by itself, gained notice as the nickname of Jim and Pam's baby on television's The Office . On the show as in real life, Cece is often short for Cecelia or even Cecilia, but it can also be…
French, diminutive of Esther or Estelle, Hebrew
"star"
Estée, with or without an accent, is most famously associated with cosmetics entrepreneur Estée Lauder, whose birth name was actually Josephine Esther Mentzer. The name is believed to be a stylized…
German
"strength of a spear"
Could cute nickname Gertie, remembered as cute five-year-old Drew Barrymore in E.T. , revive the long shunned Gertrude? It's tempting to dismiss Gertrude as a name on its way through the door marked…
"new town"
More often used in Britain than here, where most names ending in ville fall into the unthinkable class, this might make an exception via fans of the musical Neville Brothers. Charles Dickens used the…
Latin
"lion"
Leola is a feminine name of Latin and German origins. It can be a variant of Leola, meaning 'lioness,' derived from 'leo' (lion), or an elaboration of Leah or Lee. It was most popular in the United…
Marcelle is the feminine form of Marcel, a name with Latin origins derived from 'Marcellus,' a diminutive of Marcus meaning 'dedicated to Mars,' the Roman god of war. Popular in France and other…
Diminutive of Margery
Prime pert-teenager name in midcentury TV shows, replaced by Maggie.
Bird and color name
This name of both a grayish-greenish-blue color and a kind of wild duck can be used for both boys and girls.
Spice name
"orange-yellow color; a type of crocus"
Spice names are increasingly appealing to the senses of prospective parents; this one, belonging to a precious spice derived from the crocus has a vaguely orange-scented-incense sixties feel. English…
English from Italian
"little song"
Could there be a more poetic name than Sonnet? Actor Forest Whitaker was inspired to choose it for his daughter. The word sonnet derives from the Italian sonetto , meaning 'little song.' And although…
Estonian and Spanish diminutive of Matilda, German
"battle mighty"
Actress Tilda Swinton injected this dated nickname name with some modern charm.
Variation of Leona
In baby name limbo along with Ronni, Connie, and Bonnie.
"servant"
In Arthurian legend, Lancelot was one of the most dashing of the Knights of the Round Table who eventually had an affair with Queen Guinevere: it makes for a romantic story-- but perhaps overly…
"dweller near a pear tree"
Perrie, a soft and playful twist on Perry, gained attention through Perrie Edwards, singer of the British girl group Little Mix. With its sleek -ie ending, Perrie fits right in with rising unisex…
Gweneth is a feminine name of Welsh origin, considered a variant spelling of Gwyneth. The name derives from the Welsh word 'gwen' meaning 'white', 'blessed', or 'fair'. This beautiful Celtic name…
