i n t e r e s t i n g names

Rowena

Welsh

"white spear; famous friend; fame and joy"

A fabled storybook name via the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819), which featured a heroine called Rowena of Hargottstanstede, and also a Harry Potter name, as Rowena Ravenclaw,…

Sigrid

Norse

"fair victory"

Sigrid is a distinctly Scandinavian name that is starting to edge out into the wider world, a la cousin Ingrid. Unfortunately, short form Siri is now off the table, but Sigrid is still a possibility.

Elva

Feminine form of Alf or anglicized form of Ailbhe, Danish, Icelandic, Irish

"elf; bright, light, white"

Elva is a multicultural choice, being both an anglicization of the Irish Ailbhe and an feminine form of the name Alf, meaning "elf". Popular in the US at the beginning of the 20th century, it…

Rhona

Scottish

"Scottish island name"

Possibly started life as a short form of Rhonwen, but most likely derives from the name of the Hebridean island Rona, which means "rough island".

Annika

Swedish diminutive of Anna

"grace"

Annika is a surprise hit of recent years, inspired by golfer Sorenstam; for Trekkies, it was also the name of a 'Star Trek:Voyager' character. Some people's first memory of it might be as Pippi…

Alaska

Native American

"great land"

State name Alaska stems from an Aleutian word for the land mass itself. The number of baby girls named Alaska has doubled in the past five years, and is sure to continue increasing as more place…

Aurelie

French variation of Aurelia, Latin

"the golden one"

Aurelie is the delicate French variation of Aurelia, one of the most improbable popular names of recent years. Both versions of the name are lovely, but it might be difficult to insist that Americans…

Auriel

Latin

"gold"

Auriel is a Roman name that was revived during the nineteenth-century craze for unique names . Could make an interesting substitution for the popular Aurora or Ariel.

Demelza

Cornish

"eel house or Maeldaf's fort"

A punchy modern Cornish name derived from a place name, which is of disputed origin. It is sometimes said to derive from a rare Welsh name, Maeldaf, plus dinas , the Cornish for "fort". Another…

Elestren

Cornish

"Iris"

Less known than other Cornish beauties like Elowen, Demelza, and Kerensa, Elestren is a pretty botanical name ripe for wider usage. While it may have a starry, celestial feel, likely owning to…

Majorie

Majorie appears to be a variant spelling of Marjorie, a feminine name derived from Margaret, which comes from Greek 'margarites' meaning 'pearl.' This medieval variation developed in Scotland and…

Sian

Welsh variation of Jane

"God is gracious"

Simple and pretty and user-friendly, the Welsh Sian was used by U2's Dave "the Edge" Evans for his daughter. In Welsh, it is also spelled Siân.

Liesel

German diminutive of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Sweet but sleek, and distinctive, Liesel is an old German nickname-name for Elisabeth. It might have once seemed inextricably tied to to its country of origin, but now, like Elsa, Enzo, Saoirse,…

Tigerlily

English flower name

This name of the bright orange flower found in Asia has been used occasionally in English-speaking countries. A notable namesake is Tiger Lily, the Native American princess from Peter Pan . Read more…

Eyla

Eyla is a short, melodic feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variant of Isla (Scottish for 'island'), Ayla (Turkish for 'moonlight' or Hebrew for 'oak tree'), or Ella (Germanic…