Drifter

Calla is a lily name that is much more distinctive and delicate than Lily. Rarely heard today, it did appear in the popularity lists in the last decades of the nineteenth century.

Stronger and more contemporary twist on Carla or Carly, Carlin was used just about equally for girls and boys in the US last year.

Cassiane, also spelled Kassiani or Kasiani, is an ancient Greek name best known as the name of a saint famous as a hymnographer. The Hymn of Cassiane, traditionally sung on Tuesday of Easter Week in the Greek Orthodox Church, is associated with fallen women. The 9th century saint Cassiane was supposed to be in love with the Emperor Theophilos, who rejected her when she proved to be more intelligent than he.

Common Asian surname also works as a first, as with the singer Chan Marshall, also known as Cat Power (and born Charlyn).

Clara is a strong, lovely girls' name that's always ranked among the US Top 1000 girl names but has been climbing since the turn of this century. It now ranks right around Number 100, making it a modern classic that's neither too popular nor unfamiliar.

Ella is a sweet, simple name that owes much of its current popularity to the popularity of other names, from Emma to Bella to Emily to Ellie.

Evian might sound elegant, if you could forget the water. But no one will.

Adds some thorns to the smooth texture of Lily.

A name that has many close, more familiar relatives, like Mira and Myra.

Is Merrin a real name or a melodic invention? Singer Bo Bice brought this merry name to the public's attention when he chose it for his daughter, but most reliable baby name sources don't list it. But there is a Cornish saint's name Merryn, thought to be a variation of the Irish names for girls Mirin and Mirren, and so we're going to call Merrin another twist on that ancient group of names.

Sweet and endearing, à la Mignon and Manon.

A very popular girls' name in Japan whose sound is consistent with its meaning. Another possibility is Ren.

Sasha in all its forms -- which include Sacha and Sascha -- is rising in popularity for both boys and girls, especially with the Sasha spelling attached to one of the First Daughters.