Names I'd Use

Allegra

Italian

"joyous"

In music, the term allegro means "quickly, lively tempo," which makes this quintessential Bohemian ballet dancer's name all the more appealing. Allegra is one of the most distinctive yet accessible…

Amity

Latin

"friendship"

Amity--what nicer gift to give your little girl than a name that signifies friendship and harmony? This virtue name is also more rhythmic and feminine than the single-syllable Hope, Faith, and Grace.…

Annabell

Variation of Annabelle.

Mirren

Scottish

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

Mirren is a lively and attractive Scottish name, popular in its native country but best known outside Scotland as the surname of the English actor Dame Helen Mirren. It is thought to be a Scottish…

Mireille

French

"to admire"

A pretty name that may pose pronunciation problems for non-French speakers or those who've never encountered it, but it is worth the effort. Pronounced meer-AY (or closer to MEE-RAY in French), it…

Callia

Callia is a feminine name with Greek origins, derived from 'kallos' meaning 'beauty.' It can be considered a variation of Calliope (one of the Muses in Greek mythology) or related to Calla (as in the…

Bryony

Greek

"to sprout, to swell"

Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan…

Mireia

Catalan form of Mireille

"to admire"

Popular name in Spain drawn from the Provencal Mireio, coined by the poet Frederic Mistral. Very pretty and, though difficult to spell and pronounce, simpler than the French version.