Favourites

Though Abigail has long been a very popular girls' name in the US, modern Hebrew form Avigail is rare here but among the Top 10 girls' names in Israel.

Gabriel has become a biblical favorite, an angelic choice that's lighter and less patriarchal than some of his Old Testament brethren. Derived from the Hebrew name Gavri’el, Gabriel is taken from the elements gever, meaning "strong," and ’el, in reference to God.

Lucifer is the name of the archangel cast into hell and while theologians disagree on whether he and Satan are separate beings, it long been on the list of forbidden names for religious and non-religious parents alike. With connotations of hell and devilry so strongly attached to it, the name is officially banned in some places, including New Zealand.

Rhea is an old-style creative name of the Greek mythological earth mother of all the gods. A lot better than the Roman equivalent: Ops.