A little bit of everything

From literature inspired to unusual takes on classics, this list has a bit of everything. Enjoy!
  1. Aria
    • Origin:

      Italian and Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "air; song or melody; lion"
    • Description:

      Aria is a multi-cultural name with two extremely popular versions: this more word-like one along with Arya, the spelling used for the feisty young heroine of Game of Thrones. There were about 6400 baby girls named Aria in the US last year alog with 2400 named Arya, which counted together places the name in the Top 10.
  2. Jasper
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "bringer of treasure"
    • Description:

      Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara, meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to that of the gemstone, which comes from a Semitic word meaning "speckled stone." Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition and appears in the Bible as a reference to the stone itself in Revelations 4:3.
  3. Jessa
    • Origin:

      Short form of Jessica
    • Description:

      Once rare, this streamlined form of Jessica has been boosted by two very different television figures: the Jemima Kirke character on HBO series Girls, and reality television daughter Jessa Duggar.
  4. Juliet
    • Origin:

      English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "youthful or sky father"
    • Description:

      One of the most romantic names, the lovely and stylish Juliet seems finally to have shaken off her limiting link to Romeo. In Shakespeare's play, it was Juliet who said "What's in a name?"
  5. Mason
    • Origin:

      English occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "worker in stone"
    • Description:

      Mason is an occupational surname that ranked among the Top 10 name for boys throughout the 2010s, after its choice as one of the first Kardashian baby names.
  6. Naida
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "water nymph,"
    • Description:

      Possibility for a girl born under one of the water signs -- Cancer, Pisces, or Scorpio.
  7. Phillip
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lover of horses"
    • Description:

      Spelling variation of Philip. Exactly as many baby boys were named with the single 'l' spelling in 2017.
  8. Rosalie
    • Origin:

      French variation of Latin Rosalia
    • Meaning:

      "rose"
    • Description:

      Rosalie hit its apex in 1938 and then slid straight downhill until it fell off the U.S. Top 1000 completely in the 1980s, only to spring back to life in 2009 as the name of a character in the Twilight series. The beautiful vampire Rosalie Hale has breathed fresh life back into this mid-century name, and the fact that the character is both sympathetic and relatively minor means Rosalie has the chance to thrive again as a baby name without feeling unduly tied to Twilight.
  9. Veda
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "knowledge"
    • Description:

      A name with religious resonance, as the Vedas are the most sacred texts of Hinduism. Outside of that religious context, Veda has the makings of a modern popular name, with its sharp V initial, two syllables, and feminine a ending. This is evidenced by it reentry into the US Top 1000 in 2015, after fifty-five years off the list. Similar names on the rise are Vera and Vada.
  10. Violet
    • Origin:

      English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "purple"
    • Description:

      Violet is soft and sweet, yet with a vivacious edge.

  11. Wyatt
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "brave in war"
    • Description:

      Wyatt has been hot, which is to say cool, for several years now. With its easy Wyatt Earpish cowboy charm, it's relaxed but still highly respectable.
  12. Zev
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "wolf"
    • Description:

      Zev is a short, simple, animal name that may relate to the Old Testament Ze'ev -- except he was a villainous character.