New Year's Names 2010

The goddess name Aurora has consistently been on the US popularity list since the nineteenth century, but has really taken off in the past 30 years. Aurora also enjoys remarkable international popularity, ranking in the Top 100 throughout the English-speaking world as well as in Italy, Spain, Norway, Switzerland, and several other European and Latin American countries.

Nova has the feel of both newness, from its meaning, and great energy as an astronomical term for a star that increases suddenly in brightness before fading.

The jazzy, ultra-cool Dexter, like most names with an "x," has a lot of energy and dynamism.

Chic in the fifties, now kept in the public eye mainly by actress Zellweger. Variations include Rene, Renae, and Renny.

In an epic poem, the personification of truth, beauty, and unity; this ancient name is popular in several European countries but less common in the US. The Oona spelling is slightly more popular but Una sleeker.

Widely used across Europe as a common baptismal name symbolizing spiritual rebirth, Renata, in this country it has an operatic image via Italian-born divas Renata Tebadi and Renata Scotti.

Dawn's heyday in the US, Canada and the UK came in the 1960s and 70s. It peaked at #14 in the US in 1971, but has since sunk from sight to be eclipsed by other names with the same meaning, such as Aurora, Roxana or Zariah.

One of the first luxury brand names and the quintessential Booming Eighties status-conscious moniker; used by Donald Trump for his daughter, Tiffany has plummeted far from its high in the Top 25.

Best known as the beautiful heroine to whom Cyrano de Bergerac says, "Your name is like a golden bell".

When playwright Thomas Lanier Williams adopted the pen name of Tennessee, he created a new possibility among American place-names, although it's admittedly a bit bulky in size.

The great African-American Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes put this one on the map, while actor Laurence Fishburne adopted it for his now grown son, born in 1987. Despite these popular associations, the name didn't make it into the US Top 1000 until 2013, and while it has remained in the charts, it has stayed towards the latter end.

Few people would have considered the surname of this famous Victorian poet as a first name until Russell Crowe chose it for his son in 2006. But, as a rhythmic three-syllable patronymic, Tennyson has a lot going for it, not least of all the appealing nickname Tenny; it would make a novel choice for the son of a Dennis.

Has a lively and swaggering sound, and also some unfortunate associations with Reno, city of gambling and failed marriages.

In the days of huge families, this name of the Roman goddess of prophecy and childbirth, and one of the Fates, would be saved for bambina number ten. Now it might be used for a girl born in October, the tenth month.

Epiphany is based on the ancient Greek word for a feeling or realization that comes upon you suddenly. It often relates to the divine, as in the realization that Christ is the son of God. The Feast of the Epiphany, which commemorates the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus, takes place on January 6, ranking Epiphany among the unique January baby names. As word names and spiritual names become more popular, the attractive Epiphany becomes a more viable choice.

Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name.

A bright and optimistic middle name choice.

Spelled with one 'n', this was the name of the wife of Alexander the Great, and is more attractive than the better-known Roxanne.

Will assure your daughter she's numero uno.

Audacious offshoot of Roxanne, the wayward heroine of the musical Chicago.