anaelle's list "unusual names that I love (1)" of 20 great name ideas: Cadence - Rosalind!

unusual names that I love (1)

names I came across on the internet while searching for names for my characters, that are original, old, from non-english cultures, have unusual spelling or are just plain weird, but that I love all the same. (bear in mind, I live in a french & dutch speaking country)

The musical word name Cadence, seemed to come out of nowhere to zoom up the charts; it rose over 700 spots between 2002 and 2004, and showed up in the Top 200 in 2007. It's gone down in the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular names</a> list since then, though. Some might see it as a feminine relative of the popular Caden. Kadence and Kaydence are also rising.
 An early Cadence sighting was in the 1992 Armistead Maupin novel Maybe the Moon, in which the narrator heroine was a small actress called Cadence Roth, nn Cady. January Jones played a Cadence in American Wedding.

Cadence

Sweet Lorraine might just be old enough to be ripe for reconsideration. This French place name has moved in and out of fashion in the few hundred years it's been used as a girls' first name, somewhat influenced by the alternative name of Joan of Arc--Saint Joan of Lorraine. It was quite popular from the 1920s to the fifties, but has pretty much been in limbo since then. 
 Some memorable Lorraines are A Raisin in the Sun playwright Hansberry, actress Bracco and original SNL cast member Laraine Newman--the alternate spelling Laraine was popularized by forties star Laraine Day. Lorraine is also the name of Jack Nicholson's now grown daughter.
 In the movie Uptown Girls, Dakota Fanning's Lorraine character was nicknamed Ray--more modern sounding than Lorrie.

Lorraine

Wren may not be as time-honored a bird name choice as Robin or even Lark, but it's more fashionable and fresh, with a gentle and earthy vibe. 
Given to just a handful of children a decade ago, in 2024 there were over 1400 girls and more than 200 boys given this fun and friendly name.
 This petite bird was regarded in Ireland as the "magician of the birds" and the Druids considered it a bird of prophecy. In the early fable The Election of the 'King of Birds', the Wren is bestowed the crown after it hides in the plumage of the Eagle, meaning it manages to fly further and higher than all other birds! Able to sing loud and complex songs, Wren makes a cool, nature, inspired choice.

 In 2023, Wren entered the Top 1000 names for boys in the US, where it fits right in with the gentle vibes of popular choices like Rowan, Ezra and August. Reminiscent of Lawrence, Lorenzo, and Warren, Wren feels at once unexpected and fun, but totally wearable too.

 While currently more popular for girls, it is on the rise as a unisex name - and the link to the great Sir Christopher Wren, the celebrated eighteenth century designer of London's St. Paul's Cathedral, gives it strength, substance and style.

Wren

Classic yet spritely, Tatiana has long been familiar and popular in Russia and Eastern Europe, though it wasn't until the 80s that it caught on in the English-speaking world. With short forms Tiana, Tati, and Tanya, it is a versatile choice that has nevertheless seen a decline in use in recent year. 
 
Tatiana was derived from Tatius, a Sabine-Latin family name of unknown origin, and notably borne by Titus Tatius, an ancient king who ruled over the ancient Italic tribe, the Sabines, who lived near Rome. The Romans used the name Tatius even after the Sabines died out and created the derivative forms Tatianus and Tatiana. The names were eventually disseminated throughout the Orthodox Christian world, including Russia.
 Saint Tatiana, a third-century martyr, is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church, while Grand Duchess Tatiana Romanova, was one of the ill-fated daughters of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II. Also translated as Tatyana, the name appears in Alexander Pushkin's verse novel Eugene Onegin and the opera based on it, and it was used by Chekhov as well.
 Tatiana Kennedy Schlossberg is the daughter of Caroline Kennedy, which helped make the name feel chic in France and the US in the 90s and early 2000s. Actress Tatiana Maslany (of Orphan Black), ice dancer Tatiana Navka, and comedian Tatiana Frank are other notable bearers of the name.
 
Tatiana peaked in 1999 in the US, when it ranked at Number 213, and while it had been on a slow decline since then anyway, it fell more rapidly in 2022 when the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out. It has since recovered slightly in the most recent stats, when it was given to 230 girls.

Tatiana

Strong and outdoorsy, yet pretty and queenly, Rhiannon was a once obscure Welsh name, brought into the mainstream in 1976, following Fleetwood Mac's flash hit song of the same title. It stormed into the US charts, climbing straight to #593 — and to give a better sense of just how influential the song was on the name, Rhiannon had only started appearing in the US stats in 1974, when it was given to 5 girls. By 1976, it was used 50 times more often: chosen for 272 babies.
 
Possibly derived from the Celtic name Rīgantonā, Rhiannon could mean "great queen" or "divine queen". In Welsh mythology, she is a strong, forthright leader, possessed of magic, intelligence, beauty, political strategy, and generosity. She faces trials and challenges after choosing her own consort, including an uncatchable horse, being accused of infanticide, and vengeance from a friend of her spurned lover. 
 
The Welsh Rhiannon may be related to earlier Celtic goddesses, potentially Epona, a goddess of horses. Additionally, in she is considered a moon goddess in Celtic mythology, associated with rebirth, poetry, and beauty, and the owner of singing birds, who supposed wake spirits or grant sleep. 
 
Popular in the UK and Australia in the 90s and 2000s, Rhiannon is currently more quietly used, making it a distinctive but familiar choice, similar in feel or style to Rhys, Arwen, and Ffion. Director Robert Rodriguez bestowed this sweet name on his first daughter while Jenna Dewan also hose it for her baby girl.
 
The Arabic Rihanna looks similar but is unrelated, deriving from Rayhana to mean "basil".

Rhiannon

Hollis is a surname-name used quietly for both genders. At last count, it was given to over 200 baby boys and 160 baby girls in the US. Now a Top 1000 name for boys, it could well break into the charts for girls too in the coming years. 
 
It has notable connections for both genders: Hollis Thompson is a professional (male) basketball player, while Hollis is an outsized favorite for girls in South Carolina, where Pete Hollis was a community folk hero. On the girls' side, it feels like an updated, more buttoned-up and distinctive spin on Holly.

Hollis

An Italian version of an English classic beginning to be adopted by cutting-edge American parents, including Entourage's Debi Mazar.

Giulia

Biblical name Cain was, until recently, seldom heard outside of the Old Testament and soap operas. Although Cain's murderous actions will always make this name difficult for some, Cain, Eve and Adam's firstborn, was a farmer - making this a good choice for those with farming connections. Long outshone by Abel, Cain is starting to find a broader audience, helped along by homophones Kane or Caine.

Cain

If you're looking for a name that's light and breezy, this could be it. A name from mythology: Zephyrus/Zephyr was the Greek god of the west wind, and with its similarity in sound to the likes of Stefan or Seth, its zippy Z initial and cool Y, it is primed to rise up the US charts.
 
Frequently seen in computer and video games thanks to its mystical quality, it is also a character in the children's book Silverwing, and in the Babar books--as a monkey. It features in the TV series My Little Pony, the short animated film How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, and in the manga series, One Piece.
 Robby Benson and Karla De Vito named their son Zephyr in 1992, and Zephyr Benson is now an actor himself. More recently it was chosen by tech entrepreneur Sean Parker for his baby boy.
 
Thanks to these cultural references, and the more general interest in myhtological names, Zephyr has doubled in popularity over the last decade and was given to nearly 190 boys in the US in a recent year.

Zephyr

Among a small shower of rain-related names, this pure version can have a cool, refreshing image. 
 Richard Pryor named his now-grown daughter Rain, and Rain is also one of the nature-named Phoenix family siblings. More recently, 24 actress Marisol Nichols named her daughter Rain India.
 Rain also makes a nice nature middle name--Brooke Burke called her daughter Heaven Rain.
 If you want to embellish this simply spelling (and alter the meaning), you might also consider Raine, Raina, Rainn, Rayne, Reine or Reign, the middle name of Willow Smith. Or you could take the Holly Madison route all the way to Rainbow.

Rain

West is the most fashionable of what you might call the direction names, with North and East (or Easton and Easter) coming up behind, and South not yet on the map.
 Country singer Randy Houser named his baby boy West Yantz, but West is definitely shaping up to be a unisex name: West Flynn is the daughter of Marley Shelton, Tea Lioni and David Ducovney named their girl Madelaine West, and Maura West put her surname into middle place for her daughter Birdie.
 West has an obvious western cowboy feel, very much in tune with others like Zane, Wylie and Wyatt. And it's the perfect nickname for the more buttoned-up Weston or Wesley.

West

Bright, lively, and multicultural, Alba has the vintage mellowness of Alma but spirited feel of Ebba, Phoebe, and Pippa too. Derived from multiple different sources, a recent year saw it appear as a Top 10 name in France and Sweden, and a Top 100 choice in Belgium, England and Wales, Italy. Spain, Scotland, and Switzerland, though it has yet to reappear in the US charts
 af meaning "elf", in turn making it a relative of Elva, Alfred, and Albert. Additionally, it is the Spanish, Italian, and Catalan word for "dawn", associating it with new beginning, and was is to refer to Scotland in Scottish Gaelic. 
 
Notably appearing in the novel, The Time Traveler's Wife by the character Alba DeTamble, it is also borne by actress Jessica Alba as a surname.

Alba

For a long time, Isadora has been overlooked in favor of Isabella, owing perhaps to its association with the tragic modern dancer, Isadora Duncan, or because parents would rather their daughter be a Bella than a Dora. Now, with Theodora back in the charts and vintage names in vogue, Isadora has been slowly gaining more attention over the last decade. 
 
Derived from Greek, Isadora is the feminine form of Isidore, comprised of the elements Isis, the Egyptian goddess of the sky and nature, and doron meaning "gift". Isidora is an alternative but equally well-established spelling, used by a fourth century saint.
 
Quirky couple singer Bjork and artist Matthew Barney were ahead of the trends when they named their daughter Isadora back in 2002, while fictional Isadoras include Isadora Wing, the liberated central character of Erica Jong's 1973 bestseller Fear of Flying, Isadora Quagmire in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and the half-fairy-half-vampire titular character of Harriet Muncaster's series, Isadora Moon.
 
Given to around 150 girls in the US in a recent year, an Isadora could have the popular nickname Izzy, though Dora, Rory, Sadie, and Isa might be alternatives.

Isadora

This spelling of Jillian is now much more popular than the original, maybe because the G version invites pronunciation problems. 

Jillian

When the Eddie Murphys named their fourth daughter Zola, it affirmed the up-and-coming status of the name, which has African roots, but also literary links to Emile Zola. 

Zola may also be recognizable to some as the adopted daughter of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd on the hit, long-running show Grey's Anatomy.

Zola

Also spelled Ines, this name of the prudish mother of Don Juan in the Byron poem has a touch of mystery, but has also been fully integrated into the American name pool. 
 Inez Milholland and Inez Hayes Irwin were both important figures in the American suffragist movement. And Inez was the name of the character played by Rachel McAdams in Midnight in Paris.
 Other spellings variations of Inez: Ines, Ynes and Ynez. A Russian version is Inessa.

Inez

If you love Puritan virtue names and want to move beyond Hope and Faith and Grace, this is a wonderful choice, both for its meaning and its sound. A rare find here, though occasionally heard in England. It was used in Winston Graham's Poldark novels, was Madonna's name as James Bond's fencing instructor in Die Another Day, and made a brief appearance in Harry Potter. Not to mention being a fixture on British and Australian soaps. Verity also appears in one of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple mysteries.
 We love the newer sounding three-syllable, 'y'-ending virtue names, and Verity is one of the best.

Verity

Never as popular as Florence; today's parents might prefer Venezia, Verona, or Romy. It is also a Hindu name meaning "one with shiny hair" and is another name for the goddess Lakshmi.
In Roman mythology, Roma was the personification and minor goddess of Rome.
Roma is also an ethnic term for the Romani people.

Roma

Just like Flora is for botanicals, Jewel is the generic gemstone name, not used much since the early twentieth century, when it was seen as a symbol of how precious a daughter could be. The French version, Bijou, feels more modern, as do Pearl and Ruby. 

Jewel

Rosalind has a distinguished literary history – used and popularized by Edmund Spenser and Shakespeare via one of his most charming heroines, in As You Like It. Along with a bouquet of other Rose names, Rosalind might be ready for a comeback.

 Despite appearances, Rosalind is not technically a true Rose name. It originally derives from the Germanic elements hros "horse" and lind "soft, flexible, tender", but the spelling was later influenced by the appealing Latin phrase rosa linda "beautiful rose".

 Rosalind was at its height in the 1940's, coinciding with the popularity of the acerbic movie star Rosalind Russell: it was Number 293 in 1943, but fell off the list in 1978.

 Uma Thurman gave her young daughter five names, the first of which is Rosalind – though she is called by her nickname Luna.