Victorious V Names

For a girl, we'd say Val-en-teen, though many would insist on pronouncing it like the holiday.

Embroidered lace hankie of a name, used in a Thomas Hardy novel. That literary cred lends some gravitas.

Ventura started life as a shortening of Bonaventura, Spanish for good luck or good fortune, but now stands on its own. It has a pleasant sound and the stylish 'V' ending, but Angelenos would associate it with the Valley's main stem--Ventura Boulevard, and others might think of Ace or Jesse Ventura.

This striking name has a lot going for it: it's a self-confident Spanish surname, it identifies one of the most brilliant stars in the sky, and it has a musical reference to singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega.

Ten years ago we would have advised people to steer clear of this name (and maybe choose the similar sounding Walter instead); but with the rise of other Nordic and Eastern European names like Viggo and Casimir, maybe its time to re-thing Valdemar. It's a big name, but with enough penache, it could be pulled off. Valdemar was introduced to Scandinavia in the 12th Century by a Danish king named for his Ukrainian grandfather, and is currently in the Danish Top 20.

The most famous Vlad was nicknamed "the Impaler." Enough said.

Much more upscale and modern for a girl than a boy.

This vivid reddish orange color name is an undiscovered possibility -- kind of a female equivalent of Cerulean for boys.

Place-name waiting to be discovered.

Though this one would be sure to inspire confusion, Ven- names can be an intriguing alternative to the Ben- group.

The name of prize-winning American architect Robert Venturi would make a somewhat awkward first.

Substituting the V for the W sounds almost comedic to the American ear.

Volcano name for an active, bubbly child -- but be careful -- volcanoes do erupt.

Name with aristrocratic overtones.