User-created list
The Names on This Site I Like
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Vanna
Italian
"god is gracious"
Diminutive of the Italian Giovanna, or sometimes Vanessa or Ivanna. Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White — who pronounces her name like the end of Savannah — got her name from her grandmother's next-door…
Yeva
Russian and Armenian variation of Eve, Hebrew
"life"
A Top 10 name in Moscow. In Russian, the emphasis is put on the first syllable.
Aisling
Irish
"dream, vision"
Aisling is currently a very popular Irish name for girls . Pronounced variously as ASH-ling, ASH-lin or ash-LEEN, it was part of the revival of authentic Irish names in the twentieth century, and is…
Bernard
German
"strong, brave as a bear"
Bernard is obviously a saint's name, but how did it get to the big, benevolent dog? The eleventh century monk, patron saint of mountain climbers, who lived in the Alps, was famed for setting up safe…
Constance
English version of Latin Constantia
"steadfastness"
Constance is one of the more subtle of the virtue baby names , but still has quite a prim and proper image. One impediment to its revival has been the decidedly dated nickname Connie, though modern…
Doris
Greek
"gift of the ocean"
Doris had long been on our so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out-for-babies list, and seemed to be written there in indelible ink. But there are signs of a sea change, that Doris could profit from the…
Emil
Latin
"rival"
Derived from the Latin word aemulus , Emil is a name with international appeal. Concise and sturdy but with the gentle Em sound, Emil is popular across Europe, from Azerbaijan to Finland, from…
Freja
Swedish and Danish
"lady, noblewoman"
One of the most popular names in Scandinavia, Freja--or Freyja--was a major deity of Norse paganism. Beautiful, blonde and blue-eyed, she was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. In the US, the…
Hagar
Hebrew
"flight, forsaken"
Hagar is an Old Testament name with an unfortunate association with comic strip character "Hagar the Horrible."
Ignatius
Latin
"fiery"
The striking Ignatius is making a truly surprising comeback, sparked by its selection by not one but two celebrities — Cate Blanchett and Julianne Nicholson. With its fiery qualities and magical…
Jehanne
Jehanne is a feminine name that represents the Medieval French form of Joan or Jeanne, ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan meaning 'God is gracious.' This historically rich variation…
Kelila
Hebrew
"laurel, crown"
Kelila, which can also be spelled Kelilah, is a more distinctive and attractive Kayla relative.
Margie
Diminutive of Margery
Prime pert-teenager name in midcentury TV shows, replaced by Maggie.
Nadezhda
Slavic
"hope"
Nadezhda is more familiar in the English-speaking world by its short forms, Nadia or Nadya. Well-used through the Slavic countries and Russia, Nadezhda was the name of Lenin's wife. Viewers of The…
Oisin
Irish
"little deer"
Oisin is one of the most popular Irish baby names in its native land, though largely unknown in the US. The original Oisin was the mythological son of Finn McCool and Sadb, the goddess who was…
Rosamond
German
"horse protection"
The kind of serious old-school name that sounds appealing again; perfect for the intrepid baby namer. More commonly spelled Rosamund but highly unusual these days in either version, with fewer than…
Suzanne
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.
Vena
Vena is a concise feminine name with multiple potential origins. It may derive from the Latin word 'vena' meaning 'vein,' symbolizing life's vital essence, or possibly from a shortened form of names…
Zipporah
Variation of Tziporah, Hebrew
"bird"
There are many variations of this name, with or without the initial T and the final h, with one p or two. In the Bible she was the wife of Moses.
Amit
Hebrew; Sanskrit
"friend; infinite"
Simple and worldly, popular and carrying two positive meanings in two diverse cultures. A winner prime for wider use.