| AALIYAH This Arabic name means 'going higher.' It has many different spellings in the USA, including Aliyah (which is actually a separate Arabic name), Alia, Aleah etc. Aaliyah's most famous bearer is Aaliyah, the R&B singer who died tragically in a plane crash last year. |
| ABAGARUS: this was the name of one of seven eunuchs in the court of Ahasuerus in the Old Testament. |
| ABELLA: allegedly a Catalan surname meaning 'beekeeper,' this would make a pretty unusual alternative to Isabella. |
| ABILENE: more famous as a place in Texas, although this was named for a minor place in the Old Testament. On the name front, it sounds like a blend of Abigail and Kathleen, only with the modern place-name trend going for it. |
| ABIRAD: looking for a goth name? This Armenian boys' name means 'miserable.' |
| ACALAN- in Sanskrit, this means 'the immovable; a mountain.' This is a name of the Hindu Lord Vishnu. The feminine form, ACALA, is a name for mother earth. |
| ADELAIDE: Originally from a German name meaning 'noble and kind.' |
| ADRIC: Dr. Who fans will recognize this one! The character's name comes from an anagram of the physicist Dirac. |
| ADRIJA- meaning 'mountain-born' in Sanskrit, this lovely girls' name is also a name of the Hindu goddess Parvati. |
| AELWYN /ILE win/- an old Welsh name meaning 'fair-browed." This is the male form, the feminine version is AELWEN. |
| AFFERY: an English form of the biblical place name APHRAH meaning 'dust,' this name was used for a minor character in his novel 'Little Dorrit' by Charles Dickens. |
| AFINA:- according to one website, I found, this is a Romanian girls' name meaning 'blueberry.' |
| AGATHA: Sounds granny-ish now, but just wait--it will be the Hannah and Emma of tomorrow! |
| AGHAVNI: this pretty Armenian girls' name means 'pigeon; dove.' |
| AGLAIA: meaning 'splendor; beauty' in Greek, Aglaia was one of the three graces. |
| AGNI: meaning 'fire' in Sanskrit, this was the name of an ancient 7-armed fire deity with 2 faces and 3 legs. |
| AHTZIRI- in Nahuatl, this pretty girls' name means, possibly 'beloved; respected water droplet.' |
| AIKEN: an Anglo-Saxon name meaning 'made of oak.' Hey, it's got the long A sound that's so popular now (Jayden, Caden, etc.) plus it's got a K (Kaylee, Kaitlyn, Jacob) AND it ends in N! The Anglo-Saxons were millennia ahead of their time with the trendy baby names! |
| AILRIC: Sick of Eric and Derick? This medieval English name may be the ticket! |
| AIMADA /iy MAH da/:- a very unusual Occitan name (spoken in S. France & NE Spain). It means 'beloved' and corresponds to the name Aimée (Amy) |
| AISHA: This beautiful Arabic name means 'life.' Aisha was the name of Muhammed's 3rd and favorite wife, in the Islamic tradition. |
| AITUA- this is the name of the Maori god of misfortune. |
| AKASH: in Sanskrit, this boys' name means 'sky; open space.' |
| ALAIA: this beautiful girls' name means 'joy' in Basque. |
| ALANA (uh-LAH-na): Beautiful name that is not overused. Ali & Lana make cute nicknames. |
| ALASTAIR: somewhat trendy, this solid Scottish name sounds and looks noble and cool at the same time. |
| ALAWN: according to Welsh tradition, this is the name of one of the first three bards. |
| ALBERIC: coming from Germanic elements meaning 'elf' and 'power', Alberic is a nice unusual name. It is a French from of Aelfrich, from which we get the English name Aubrey. |
| ALBERT: Formerly considered an 'old guy' name, this regal name is ready for a comeback. |
| ALDONZA: A medieval Portuguese name-it's beautiful and unusual. |
| ALICE: Sick of Alison? Alice is a nice, old-fashioned alternative. |
| ALIENOR: a nifty medieval form of Eleanor. |
| ALIMAH: this beautiful Arabic girls' name means 'skilled in music' |
| ALIZAH: pronounced /ah LEE za/, this pretty Hebrew name means 'joy.' |
| ALLEGRA: forget the allergy medicine! This beautiful Italian name means 'happy.' |
| ALON: pronounced /ah LON/, this modern Hebrew name means 'oak tree.' |
| ALONDRA: This beautiful girls' name means 'lark' in Spanish. |
| ALTAN: this name reportedly means 'red dawn' in Turkish and is a boys' name. It is also the word for 'ravine' in Irish Gaelic (though used in several place names, it's not a person's name) |
| ALTANTSETSEG: Want a name no other kid on the block has? Try this one! In Mongolian it means 'golden flower.' |
| ALYS/ ALIS: /AH liss/- the Welsh form of Alice, this lovely name doesn't sound too different from the English form. |
| AMALA: in Sanskrit, this pretty girls' name means 'clean; pure.' |
| AMALIA: More exotic and daring than Amelia, this name has lots of potential. |
| AMANI: this lovely Arabic girls' name means 'desires; aspirations.' |
| AMARYLLIS: the name of a gem, and a flower, this is an unusual name with an old-fashioned flair. It is the name that shows up in many madrigals |
| AMETZA: in Basque, this name means 'oak tree.' |
| AMINAH: A beautiful Arabic name, meaning either 'truthful' or 'young.' It was the name of the Prophet Muhammed's mother. |
| AMITY: Virtue names like Grace and Hope are becoming popular these days. Why not use the less common Amity? This pretty name means 'peaceful relations; friendship' |
| AMOUR: means 'love' in French. It's also an Armenian man's name meaning 'solid, strong, firm' |
| AMYAS/AMIAS: meaning 'love' in Latin, this boys' name (pronounced ah MY is) has a dreamy, old-fashioned quality. |
| AMYNTAS: a boys' name used in many English madrigals. It's pronounced /uh MIN tus/ |
| ANAHERA: this lovely, flowing Maori name means 'angel.' |
| ANANDA: a beautiful Sanskrit name meaning 'happiness.' Pronounced /ah NAHN da/ |
| ANATA: this was the name of the ancient Babylonian goddess of the earth. It sounds lovely today, and works well as an environmentally-conscious name. |
| ANELISA- in Zulu, this pretty name means 'to satisfy.' |
| ANGELISE: another form of Angel/Angela etc., this pretty feminine name sounds a bit exotic without going overboard. |
| ANGELUS: A Latin name derived from 'angel,' this name, barely used since Roman times, would make a nifty unusual classical choice. |
| ANGIOLINA: my book says, 'derived from a physiological term relating to circulation.' That just cracked me up. It's kind of pretty, if you say it to yourself (in the way that Rubella and Scarletina are pretty words) |
| ANGUS: A nice, underused Scottish name. |
| ANIBAL: The Spanish form of Hannibal, this names makes a classical yet funkily exotic name. |
| ANJALI: This beautiful Indian name means 'offering.' |
| ANTOINE: a classic name with a Euopean feel. |
| ANTON: a nice, classic, underused name. |
| ANURA: meaning 'tail-less,' this is the order that frogs belong to. Hey, I think it sounds pretty! |
| ANXELLI: (ahn SHEL lee)- I don't think this is used as a name, but it's the Nahuatl word for 'angel.' Start a trend! |
| AOIBHGRÉINE /eev uh GRAIN yeh/: If your daughter can spell this ancient Irish name by the time she is 10, she can achieve anything. It means 'radiance of the sun,' And is the name of the daughter of Deirdre and Naoise in Irish legend. It's sometimes anglicized Evgren or Avgren. |
| AQUINNAH: Michael J. Fox has a daughter named Aquinnah. I always thought that it sounds pretty and you could call her Quinn. Aquinna is another spelling. Michael J. Fox said it means 'beautiful colors of the sea' but I don´t know if this is true or not. It is the name of a town in Massachusetts formerly known as Gay Head. |
| ARABELLA: sick of the super-popular name Isabella? Arabella has the same feel, but is more unusual. Abby was used as a pet form in the 1800s. |
| ARAM: pronounced /AHR um/, this name is very popular amongst Armenians, but few others. The most famous Aram is probably the composer Khatchaturian, who wrote the classic 'Sabre Dance.' |
| ARANTXA or ARANCHA: this is an unusual Basque girls' name meaning 'thorn bush.' |
| ARAXIA: an uncommon Armenian girls' name; the name of a river. |
| ARCHER: with names like Gunner, Hunter, etc. climbing the charts, why not Archer? |
| ARCHIE: this spunky nickname could be used for Archer, following in the surname-as-first name trend. |
| ARDAL/ARDGHAL- this unusual man's name comes from Irish and may mean 'high; height.' |
| ARDETH- I can't find anything about this name anywhere, but I've always liked it. I don't think I made it up-- there has to be an origin somewhere! |
| ARI: Meaning 'lion,' this Hebrew name sounds cute on a little boy, but distinguished on a grown man. |
| ARIA: Italian, means 'song or melody.' Refers to a vocal solo in an opera. |
| ARKADY: /ar KAH dee/ This boys' name is a bit old fashioned in Russian, but it still stands the test of time. |
| ARLO: this is apparently the new hip funky name of the 2000-teens. I keep hearing this on both boys and girls! |
| ARMEN: Used extensively in Armenia, where it is connected to the country name, this name is also used in German speaking countries, where it is a form of Herman. |
| AROD or ARODI: an unusual biblical name that means 'hunchbacked.' |
| ARSHILE- coined by Armenian author Arshile Gorky (born Vostanik Manuk Adoyan), he based his name on a form of the name Achilles. |
| ARZI: this Hebrew boys' name is derived from the word for 'cedar tree.' |
| ASA /AY sa/: an often-overlooked biblical name. It means 'doctor' in Hebrew and has the extra added bonus of being a palindrome! |
| ASAHEL: an unusual name of several minor biblical characters. This name means 'God has made' or 'God acted.' |
| ASENATH: The name of a Joseph's Egyptian wife in the Old Testament, this name was very common among the Puritans in the 16th and 17th centuries. |
| ASHLEY (for a boy): it was used for boys first, why not reclaim it for them? |
| ASPIRADORA: ok, it's not acually a name, it means 'vaccuum' in Spanish. Doesn't it sound pretty, though? No, you probably think it sucks. (HAR HAR) |
| ASTER: with all the flower names in use as girls' names, I'm surprised this one never got more popular. Coming from the Latin word for 'star', this pretty purple flower would make a lovely name. |
| ASTREA: a goddess of justice who became the constellation virgo. A beautiful name /ah STRAY a/. Also a genus of sea snails. |
| ASTRID: a lovely Scandinavian name meaning 'divine beauty,' it walks that fine line of being unusual, but not weird. |
| ASYA /AH s'ya/ This beautiful Swahili name means 'grief.' |
| ATALANTA: in Greek Mythology, Atalanta was the swiftest runner in Greece, and would have to marry whoever beat her in a race. |
| AUGUST: A nice, old-fashioned name. A more unusual choice than June, May, or April. |
| AVELINE: a medieval French name possibly meaning 'hazelnut.' This would make a nice alternative to Ava. |
| AVI: Starting out as a pet form of Avrahom/Avram, this nice Hebrew name is now used independently. |
| AVIVA: Palindromic names (the same backwards and forwards) are cool! This one means 'spring' in Hebrew. |
| AWEN: pronounced /AH wen/, this Welsh boys' name means 'muse.' |
| AXEL: this spunky German name is fairly common in many Eurpoean countries, but is virtually unknown in the USA. |
| AYAME- /ah yah meh/ this pretty, unusual name is the word for 'iris' in Japanese. |
| AYLWIN: the name of a Welsh saint; means 'noble friend.' |
| AYSU: according to one book I have, this girls' name means 'moon water' in Turkish. |
| AZALIA: flower names like Lily and Rose are popular and even old-fashioned ones like Violet and Poppy are coming back. Azalia is a lovely sounding name that would fit right in! |
| AZANIAH: The name of a minor Old Testament character, this biblical name was uaed by the Puritans. |
| AZARIA: meaning 'god will help' in Hebrew, this name has the zippy Z sound in the middle. |
| AZIZA: Palindromic names (the same backwards and forwards) are cool! This one means 'powerful' in Arabic. |
| AZUBA/ AZUBAH: I found this name in my family tree of a girl born in Massachusetts in 1728. It's an Old Testament name coming from the Hebrew word for 'forsaken.' |
| AZURE: a deep blue color-- a bit exotic, and rigt at home with all the little Scarletts, Ambers and Rubys out there. |
| BADEN: with Jaden, Aidan, Braydon, Caden etc. being popular, how about Baden? It's the name of an English mathematician, as well as by the founder of the Boy Scouts. |
| BALTHASAR: Serious-sounding and unusual, it means 'Ba'al, protect the king,' in Phoenician. How many kids can claim they have a Phoenician name? |
| BARAK: means 'blessing' in Arabic and 'lightning' in Hebrew-- an all around auspicious name. |
| BARNABAS: a funky, underused old-fashioned name. |
| BARRON: sick of Aaron, Darren, Karen, and Sharon? How about Baron? |
| BASTIAN: From 'The Neverending Story', this is a short form of Sebastian. |
| BAXTER: in medieval England, this was a term for a female baker. However, as a surname today, it might make a nice first name for those who like using surnames as first names. |
| B'BIYA/BIBIYA: this beautiful, exotic feminine name comes to us from the Berber region of Algeria. |
| BEATRIX: spunkier and more unusual than Beatrice, this old-fashioned name has the cute nickname Trixie. |
| BEBEZA- in the Xhosa language of southeast Africa, this name means 'to tell fairy tales.' |
| BECK: This is a nice, short name (in fact, it can mean 'short' in Scottish) that would make a hip choice for a child of today. |
| BEDE: a strong historical boy's name for those who'd prefer not to shorten their child's name |
| BELIAL (also BELIAR, BELIEL)- found in the bible, this name means 'worthless' in Hebrew. It was later associated with an evil fallen angel in early Christian traditions. |
| BELINDA: this seemingly-fluffy name possibly comes from an old German word for 'snake' and was used in medieval times all over Europe. |
| BENEDICT: Long shunned in the USA because of the Revolutionary traitor Benedict Arnold, Benedict is a rare name coming from the Latin meaning 'blessed.' It may be a good alternative to Benjamin for those looking for a less common long form of Ben. |
| BENEVOLENCE: a virtue name used by the Puritans in the 1600-1700s. Unlike other Puritan names like Fear or Flee-Fornication, this name might work well in the modern world! |
| BENONI: means 'son of sorrow' in Hebrew. A dramatic choice. |
| BERED- This old Testament mans' name means 'cool.' What's cooler than that? |
| BERYL: unlike Pearl and Ruby, this gemstone name was never wildly popular. Not so different from Carol and Meryl, this pretty name wouldn't be out of place today. |
| BESS: This makes a nice, old-fashioned nickname for Elizabeth. Fresher sounding than Lizzie or Beth. |
| BET, BETJE, BETKEN, LISKEN: /BET ya/ these are all Flemish diminutives of Elizabeth, that would make unusual nicknames, or would be nice on their own. |
| BETHARI: Like the name Beth but are sick of Elizabeth and Bethany? This lovely Indonesian girls' name means 'goddess.' |
| BETHIA: a hebrew name meaning 'daughter of god.' this name was used in medieval Scotland to translate BEATHA.. |
| BETHIA: it's less common than Bethany, but retains that familiar Beth- sound whilst having a feminine ending |
| BETONY: Another Victorian botanical name, betony never really caught on in popularity. The betony plant was one of the most important in Anglo-Saxon England, also known as 'woundwort.' Today this offbeat name would make an eccentric alternative to Bethany. |
| BINTA: /BEEN ta/- this lovely name is used for girls in West Africa. It reportedly means 'with God.' The Binta I knew was from Nigeria, but I think this name is used in other countries as well. |
| BJARKI: This Icelandic boys' name may stem from the word for 'birch tree.' |
| BLAISE: Most commonly associated with the brilliant French mathemitician Blaise Pascal, this name has elements of the traditional and unusual. |
| BLWCHFARDD This Welsh man's name is pronounced something like /BLOOKH varth/ and was the name of a 6th century poet. Your child will definitely be the only kid on the block with this name! |
| BLYTHE: a virtue name meaning 'happy'-- good for a child born on the sabbath day (blithe and bonny, good and gay!) |
| BOAZ: Short and sweet, this Old Testament name means 'strength and swiftness' in Hebrew. Bo makes a cute occasional nickname, and who wouldn't want a name ending in -z? |
| BORIS: this name has had a long history in Russia. Why not import it to other shores? |
| BOSTON: Austin is becoming way too popular, how about giving place names a Northeast spin? |
| BRAN: From a Celtic word meaning 'raven,' this monosyllabic treasure sounds modern and bright. |
| BRANNON: originally an Irish surname meaning 'son of Bran [raven]', Brannon might make a good alternative to the overused Brandon today. |
| BRIA: Cute & sweet. Can be used as a nickname for the popular Brianna, or as a name on it's own. |
| BRIALLEN: A welsh name meaning 'primrose.' |
| BRIAR: a lovely dramatic, fairy-tale type name. |
| BRIGHTON/BRYTON: it's a place name, a surname, ends in that trendy -ton...a perfect alternative to Brian/Ryan! |
| BRITTA: Originally a Swedish short form of Brigitte, this lovely name stands on its own. It could be a nice alternative to (or even nickname for) Brittany |
| BRIX- I came across this name in a list somewhere and it stuck out. Short and sweet, with the funky -x ending, Brix would make a nifty modern choice. |
| BROCK: an English surname-name, coming from the word 'badger.' Just don't give him the middle name Lee! |
| BRONMAI: /BRON mye/ an offbeat Welsh name. People wanting to use Welsh names in the USA almost always name their daughters Bronwen (though most spell it a masculine way, Bronwyn), Bronmai might make a more unusual choice. It has the same first element bron, meaning 'breast,' but adds 'mai,' the month of May. |
| BRYANT/BRIANT: perhaps this is a good alternative to Brian? |
| BRYONY: a serene victorian name, taken from the name of a plant. |
| CADENZA: the name CADENCE is becoming fairly popular for girls these days. Why not use the Italian form? |
| CAERSINA: an 11th century Occitan (spoken in southern France) name coming from a place name. |
| CAI- /KYE/ the name of King Arthur's foster brother according to tradition. It was said he could hold his breath under water for 9 days and nights. |
| CAL: It's a nice, all-around user friendly nickname. Use it for Calvin, Caleb, Calpurnius...whatever. |
| CALANTHA: an ususual Greek name meaning 'beautiful flower.' |
| CALEA: /kah LAY a/- called 'the dream herb,' this is a plant used to induce dreams by Central American native peoples. |
| CALLIOPE: pronounced /ca LY oh pee/, this was the name of the ancient Greek muse of music. She could always use Callie as a nickname. |
| CALLUNA: the genus of the heather plant, this would make a lovely, uncommon botanical name. |
| CALPURNIA: The last wife of Julius Caesar, most famous for her role in Shakespeare's play of the same name. As a name it's soft, yet exotic and lends itself to nicknames like Callie and Nia. |
| CAMI: this cute girls' name means 'temple' in Romanian. |
| CAMILA: A nice classic ripe for comeback. |
| CAMILLE: with images of fragrant flowes, this name is ready for a comeback. |
| CAMOMILE: a soothing herb, and one not commonly found in the name stock, with plenty of nickname options! |
| CAMPBELL: a little more unusual than Cameron, but with a similar flavor. The one drawback: soup references. |
| CANAAN - unlike popular names like Kaydin and Kaylin, this 'kay'-sounding name has roots in the Old Testament. |
| CANICE: an old-fashioned Irish boys' name, this was used by 4 saints. It is pronounced /CON is/, and means 'pleasant person.' |
| CAPARINA: a type of butterfly, this makes a beautiful, unusual girls' name. |
| CARINA: the name of a constellation in the southern hemisphere, this pretty Latin name is fairly unusual. |
| CARMEL/CARMELA: Popular among Spanish-speakers, this lovely names comes from a Hebrew word meaning 'garden.' |
| CARMO: according to one book I have, this means 'vine-dresser' in Hebrew, this is a creative choice. |
| CAROLA: a pretty alternative to the now-popular Caroline. |
| CARRICK: tired of Eric & Derek? Here's a nice Irish surname and place name meaning 'stone.' |
| CASHLIN: an Irish place name meaning 'little castle.' Would make an offbeat choice |
| CASPIAN: Both a sea, and a character in the Chronicles of Narnia, this unusual name is ready for discovery. |
| CASSIA: the scientific name for cinnamon, this is used as a name in various forms (like KEZIAH) around the world. |
| CATHAL/CAHIL: Pretty common in Ireland, this name (pronounced /KAH hul/ would make a nice alternative to Conor. |
| CATO: a Roman name meaning 'wise' in Latin. |
| CEDRIC: A nice, serious-sounding English name. |
| CELESTE: a nice, old-fashioned name that's ready for a comeback. |
| CERYS/ CARYS: /CA ris/ coming from the Welsh word for 'love', this name is popular in Wales, but fairly unknown in the USA.Spelled CHARIS, it's Greek, meaning 'kindness.' |
| CÉZANNE: the surname of a famous painter would make a culturally-minded, artistic alternative to Suzanne. |
| CHAC: this was the name of the Mayan god of rain, who was also associated with creation and life. |
| CHANDRA: this beautiful name means 'moon' in Sanskrit. |
| CHANNARY: /cha NAHR ee/ in Khmer, this pretty girls' name means 'moon-faced girl.' |
| CHANNING: This unusual surname name could be used for either sex, although it is more popular among boys. |
| CHASKA: a lovely Quechua name (spoken in Peru) |
| CHERNOBOG: meaning 'black god' in Slavic, Chernobog was the god of evil, darkenss and grief in Slavic mythology. |
| CHIBIBI: /chee BEE bee/ this name means 'beautiful fat girl' in Runyankore (Uganda). |
| CHLORIS: Sick of Chloe? How about Chloris? derived from the Greek meaning 'green,' Chloris was a minor Greek plant goddess. The name sounds a little outmoded now, but it will be cutting edge in a decade or so! |
| CHRISTABEL: for the suffragettes amongst us, a strong name for a strong woman! |
| CHRISTIANA: A flowery, feminine alternative to Christa/Christina. |
| CIAN or KIAN: pronounced /KEE un/ (rhymes with Ian), this ancient Irish name makes a nice name for those tired with Brian and Aidan. |
| CIANA: pronounced /KEE uh na/, this is a modern Irish name; a feminine form of the legendary name Cian, which means 'ancient.' |
| CITLALI: this lovely girls' name means 'star' in Nahuatl. It's moderately popular in Spanish:speaking communities, but farely unknown outside. |
| CLARA: This soft, classic name is ripe for a comeback, replacing the more tired Claire. |
| CLARIANDRA: this name sounds like it was made-up for a cheesy fantasy novel, but it was apparently in use in medieval England. |
| CLEMENT: This old-fashioned gem is ready for a comeback. |
| CLEMENTINE: With images of oranges, this name is ripe for a comeback. A plus is the 'Oh My Darling' song. |
| CLIO: the ancient Greek muse of history and epic poetry. |
| CLIVE: short, yet unusual and masculine. Clive Barker & Clive Owen are good namesakes |
| CLOVIS: an eccentric, noble-sounding name. |
| COLINE: /koe LEEN/ French word for 'hill.' |
| CONLAN: a nice, unusual Irish name that can mean either 'strong as a wolf', or 'fair; comely shape.' |
| CONRAD: a classic, underused germanic name. |
| CONSTANT: a Puritan virtue name used for boys, it wouldn't sound too out of place today. Con is a cool nickname. |
| CORA: a nice, old-fashioned alternative to Laura. |
| CORAL: A beautiful, underused 'gem' name. |
| CORALIE: a demure Victorian name, this name derived from 'coral' is ready for a comeback. |
| CORDELIA: a serious, old-fashioned Shakespearian name, possibly based on the Welsh name Creuddylad meaning possibly, 'engenderer of water'. This aside, it's still a lovely name which has the nicknames Delia, Cora, or Cori. |
| CORDELL: has two cool nicknames: Cory and Del. |
| CORFRAN: /COR vran/ - this is the Welsh word for the bird the jackdaw. It's not used as a name in Wales, but it would make an interesting, offbeat nature-leaning one. |
| CORIN (KOREN/CORRIN etc.): This is a nice, unusual masculine name. It could be used as an alternative to Corey. I've also met girls with this name. |
| CORMAC: This nice Irish name is extremely rare in the USA. It might be a nice alternative to Con(n)or. |
| COSMO/COSIMO: popular with Greek communities, this name is ready to branch out. Coz is a nifty nickname. |
| COSTAS: More common as a surname, Costas was originally a name for someone who lived near a river bank or slope. |
| COZBI- this unusual biblical girls' name means 'my falsehood.' |
| CROSBY: with so many surnames being used as first names these days, why not? |
| CYBÈLE: French version of the Roman Mother Earth goddess, pronounced /sih BELL/. |
| CYNTHIA Not in its tired nickname, Cindy, but on its own, Cynthia is a beautiful classical name. Another name for the Greek goddess Artemis, 'Thia' might make a better, more modern-sounding nickname |
| CYRIACUS- meaning 'of the lord' in Greek, St. Cyriacus is the patron saint of demonic possession. Possibly not the most auspicious name to start a kid off with, but may help later on in the Terrible Twos! |
| DAFNA: a Hebrew form of Daphne, this name is popular in Israel. |
| DAISUKE: in Japanese, this boys' name can mean 'great help.' |
| DAMARIO: I'm not sure where this name comes from; I saw it on a list someplace. I think it's nifty sounding. |
| DAMARIS: this New Testament name was used frequently by the Pilgrims. It means 'heifer.' |
| DAMASUS- Latin form of the Greek Damasos meaning 'to tame;' St. Damasus is the patron saint of archaeologists. |
| DAMON: From Greek mythology, this legendary name is perfect for a modern child. |
| DANBY: a surname name that would be cute on a boy or a girl. |
| DANIA: /DAIN ya/ a city in Florida, I always thought this made a lovely name. |
| DANIELA: the Spanish and Portuguese form of Danielle, Daniela is a beautiful modern alternative. |
| DANTE: a nod to a famous writer, Dante has an exotic, timeless yet classic quality, like its meaning, 'enduring.' |
| DANYA: a more unusual feminine form of Daniel than Danielle. |
| DARA: Dara is one of those names that means many things in many languages. In Khmer, it means 'star' and is used for both boys and girls. In Irish, it's mainly a boys' name and means 'oak tree.' In Hebrew, it's used for girls and means 'compassion' or 'wisdom' and in Persian it means 'wealthy' and is a boys' name. |
| DARIUS: means 'one who upholds goodness' in Greek. |
| DARKO: used in Slovene, Macedonian, Croatian and Serbian, this spunky, unusual name comes from a Slavic word meaning 'gift. |
| DARLA- sounds hopelessly outdated to some, but I think Darla has a lot of spunky retro-chic in a similar vein as Talullah and Fritzi. |
| DAVROS: Armenian name for 'taurus,' the name of a mountain. May not be appropriate for Dr. Who fans! |
| DAYA: 'mercy; compassion' in Sanskrit. A lovely name. |
| DAYO: in Yoruba, this girls' name means 'joy arrives.' |
| DEAN: short, sweet, and fairly uncommon these days. |
| DECLAN: this classic Irish name is very unusual in the USA.' |
| DEIO /DYE o/: This is one of the many short forms of the Welsh name Dafydd, a form of David. |
| DEL: for a girl, this means 'pretty' in Welsh. For a boy, it's just a cool name. |
| DELANCEY: a surname-name with both an urban edge (think Delancey St. in Manhattan) and a soft sound. |
| DELFINA: Meaning 'from Delphi,' this pretty name has a classical flair. |
| DELLA: classic, simple |
| DELPHINE: meaning 'from Delphi,' this pretty name is the French feminine form of the Roman name Delphina. It may also be connected to the word 'dolphin.' |
| DEMBE: /DEM bay/ this unusual name means 'peace' in Luganda (spoken in Uganda). It is given to both boys and girls. |
| DEMETRIA: with roots in Classical mythology, this is a beautiful name. An interesting side-note: it's also Demi Moore's real name.) |
| DENALI: The Native American name for Mt. McKinley in Alaska. It would fit right in with other popular US place names like Dakota, Sierra and Cheyenne. |
| DENARIUS- not actually a name, but the smallest unit of coin in the Roman empire. Still, sounds like it would make a nifty name, no? |
| DEONCÉ: I'm not sure how he spells it, but I met an adorable little boy named this. It's kind of like Beyoncé crossed with Dion. |
| DERMOT: popular in Ireland, this name is fairly uncommon in the USA |
| DERVILA/ DERVLA: Pronounced /DER vah la/ , these are anglicizations of the Irish name Deirbhile. This lovely girls' name means 'daughter of a poet' and was also the name of a 6th-century saint. Its most famous modern bearer is perhaps Dervla Murphy, the Irish author whose name was also allagedly inspired by her godfather, Eamon deValera, former president of Ireland. |
| DESPINA-coming from a name meaning 'mistress; lady' in Greek, this lovely name is almost unheard of in the English-speaking world. |
| DESTA: a lovely Ethiopian girls' name. It means 'happiness' |
| DEVLIN: An Irish surname that would fit in with all the little Kennedys and Ryans out there. |
| DEVORAH: the Hebrew form of Deborah, meaning 'bee.' A beautiful name, and doesn't have the overused nickname, Debby. |
| DEWEY: popular at the turn of the 20th century, who wouldn't want to be named for a library system still used in elementary schools all over? |
| DEYANIRA: This was the name of Hercules' wife in Greek mythology. Meaning 'forceful killer,' this pretty name is most popular among Spanish-speaking populations in the USA. |
| DEZIRINDA: who knew they actually had names in Esperanto? Apparently this girls' name means 'desirable'! |
| DIBRI: this unusual biblical name means 'talkative' or 'gossip.' |
| DIMA: in Arabic, this beautiful girls' name means 'torrential rain,' which is a blessing in a dry climate. |
| DINAH: meaning 'judged' or 'vindicated' in Hebrew, Dinah was the daughter of Jacob and Leah in the bible. She also is the main character of Anita Diamant's novel, The Red Tent. |
| DOLI: according to one book I have, this is the Lakota word for 'bluebird.' I'm not sure how accurate that is, but it still sounds lovely. |
| DOR: an Aramaic name used for both girls and boys. It means 'generation' or 'era.' |
| DORA: this pretty old-fashioned name is ripe for resurrection. |
| DORCAS: popular with the Puritans, this biblical name means 'gazelle.' I've known a few Dorcases in my life, and they don't take crud from anybody! Naming a daughter Dorcas is kind of like having a 'Boy Named Sue'... |
| DORETHA: the one I knew pronounced it /dar ATE a/, which I always thought was really pretty. |
| DORIAN: A literary name invented by Oscar Wilde. |
| DORIS: Think Doris Day. This classy Greek mythological name will be all the rage again in 10 years. |
| DORIT- this unusual Hebrew girls' name means 'generation.' Dorit can also be a short form of Dorothea in Danish. |
| DOUGAL: This unusual name, meaning 'dark foreigner' in Gaelic, would make a good alteranive to Douglas. |
| DRAGO: a Croatian, Slovenian and Serbian name meaning 'precious.' a dramatic choice, invoking images of dragons in English. |
| DREDA: the name of the first African-American woman elected to a state legislature |
| DROGO: The Normans introduced this name to England in the middle ages. It has never been terribly common and its meaning is disputed. However, it has that funky final -o, and sounds somehow modern! Bonus: it was also the name of Frodo's deceased father in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. |
| DRUMLIN: people are named Cliff, Brooke, Glen and River, why not Drumlin? A drumlin is an elongated hill formed from receding glaciers. |
| DRUSA: a Roman girls' name that possibly means 'strong.' |
| DRUSILLA: it may remind you of Cinderella's evil stepsister, but say it. It has a lovely sound. Remember, her other stepsister was Anastasia, which sounds fine! |
| DRYSI: /DROO see/ in Welsh, this word means 'briars.' It's not used as a name, but there are many other Welsh nature words out there used as names; this one would fit right in. |
| DUFF/ DUFFY: a pair of Irish surnames meaning 'black', these would make a modern-sounding choice. |
| DULCIE: meaning 'sweet' in Latin, this cute girls' name was used in the Victorian era and might be ready for a comeback. |
| DURAND/DURANT: a surname which was also used as a man's name in the medieval Occitan region of France. |
| DURAND: used as a first name after the Norman Conquest, this handsome boys' name means 'enduring; lasting.' |
| DUŠAN: /DOO shon/ this lovely boys' name means 'soul; spirit' in Croatian, Czech, and several other Slavic languages. |
| DYMPHNA: the patron saint of crazy people and epileptics, this Irish name is almost unheard of in the USA. |
| EAMON: The Irish form of Edmund, this name would fit right in with all of the other long 'a' names out there (like Aidan, Braydon, Caden etc.) |
| EASCRACH- this is possibly my favorite Irish name, and not just because it is pronounced something like /ASS crack/. This girls' name means 'blossoming; blooming.' There was even an early Irish Saint Eascrach. |
| EBENEZER: well, why not? He definitely won't haveclassmates with the same name! It means 'stone of help' in Hebrew. |
| EBREL: Cornish for the month of April. This would make a lovely, unusula choice. |
| EDITH: Edie is an awesome nickname. Just watch, Edith will be the next old-lady-chic name! |
| EDMUND: a nod to the little brother in the 'Narnia' series-- plus, Ned is an awesome nickname. |
| EDMUND: not very popular now, but should make a comeback. Brings to mind the Narnia books. |
| EDNA: may sound stuffy now, but in 10 years, it will be the next Emma. Eddi is an adorable nickname. |
| EDWARD: This classic English name is kind of bland when you use the nickname Ed, but Ned is a sweet, unusual pet form. Edward is regal and serious when used in full.. |
| EIRA: in Welsh, this is the word for 'snow.' Pronounced /AY ra/, it is used as a girls' name. |
| ELAM: /EE lum/ an Old Testament name last frequently used by the Puritans. Ready for a comeback |
| ELECTRA: this Greek mythological name comes from a word meaning 'amber.' |
| ELI: more unusual than Elijah, this is a nice, simple name. |
| ELIAM: /eh LYE um/ - a very rare Old Testament name, Eliam would fit right in with the Elijahs and Isaiahs out there. |
| ELIAN: /el lee ON/ or /ELL ee un/- a lovely boys' name in a similar vein as Julian and Elliot. It is derived from Helios, the ancient Greek sun god. |
| ELIANE/ELIANA: feminine forms of Elian, this pair of beautiful feminine names is derived from Helios, the ancient Greek sun god. |
| ELIO: A Portuguese form of Elijah, this short name has a lot of energy. |
| ELISE: This French form of Elisabeth is a nice, underused classic. |
| ELISEO: An Italian and Spanish form of Elisha. |
| ELLERA- the Italian vocabulary word for 'ivy,' this isn't used as a name in Italy. However, it is melodious and would make a nice nature name in English. |
| ELLERY: A nice unisex surname-name; this would make a nice alternative to Emily. |
| ELLIL: the Babylonian god of wind and storms, his name means 'lord of wind.' |
| ELLIS: A nice unisex surname, name. Just be sure your last name isn't Dee! |
| ELLIS: simple, uncommon, nice |
| ELMER: forget the glue references and the stodgy old connotions. It means 'noble and famous'-- You'd definitely be the first one on your block to revive this one. |
| ELNATHAN- a rare biblical name that would fit in with all the Jonathans and Nathans of the world. |
| ÉLODIE a French form of a Spanish name meaning 'foreign riches,' Elodie is very popular in France. |
| ELSIE: this sweet, old-fashioned pet form of Elizabeth is sounding hip and fresh again, much more so than Lizzie or Beth. |
| ELSPETH: this Scottish form of Elizabeth is an unusual beauty. Elsie & Ellie are cute nicknames. |
| EMELINE: a nice old-fashioned alternative to Emma and Emily. |
| EMERALD: I think it´s pretty and a nice alternative to Emma and Emily and she could be called Emmie for short. |
| EMERY: for a girl or a boy, this name sounds modern enough, but with an old-fashioned flair. |
| EMILIO: The -o ending gives this name a lot of energy. |
| EMLYN: a Welsh boys' name that was very popular in the 1900s. It may be ready for a comeback. |
| EMRE: a Turkish boys' name meaning 'friend.' It is pronounced like something between /EM ray/ and /EM ree/ |
| EMRYS: a Welsh form of Ambrose, this name was popular in 20th-century Wales, but unheard of int he USA. |
| ENDZELA: this pretty name means 'snowdrop' in Georgian. |
| ENGELIETH: a medieval English name that is, according to one source, made up of elements meaning 'angel' and 'war.' This sounds kind of dubious, however, it's still a cool name! |
| EPHRAIM/EFRAIM- this underused biblical name means 'fruitful.' and was one of the founders of the 12 Tribes of Israel. |
| ESMERALDA: a lovely literary name-- unusual, flowing, and provides the nickname Ellie that everyone is into these days! |
| ESMIRA: this beautiful exotic girls' name comes from Azerbaijan. |
| ESTELLIE: Pronounced /ESS teh lee/, this was the name of a cool professor I had once. ' |
| ESTRELLA: a beautiful name, meaning 'star.' |
| ETAM: Sick of Ethan? How about this similar but more unusual biblical name! It means 'lair of wild beasts' in Hebrew, and was the name of a descendent of Judah. |
| ETERNIA: OK, this is the name of the universe where He-Man and Skeletor live, but I still think it sounds like a nice name for a person (provided they don't live around nerds)! |
| ETERNITY: I met a girl with this name once; she was named after a perfume. On the right person, this would make a cool name. |
| ETHNI: The Welsh form of the Irish name Eithne (EN yeh), this pretty name is pronounced exactly how it looks; ETH nee. It's also a biblical man's name meaning 'I will give.' |
| ETTA: with all the Ellas and Emmas out there, how about Etta? Nice, simple, old fashioned and in a similar vein, but not nearly as popular. |
| EUDOCIA/ EUDOXIA: from Ancient Greek, this name means 'good fame.' Eu- names are hopelessly out of fashion at the moment, but I think this one has a lot of old-lady chic. |
| EULALIA: EU names aren't very stylish now, but they'll come around! This lovely name is worn by the patron saint of Barcelona. |
| EUNICE: it may sound stuffy to you now, but it will be the Hannah and Isabel of tomorrow! |
| EVANDER: Holyfield aside, this name is a masculine, unusual name. It has a lot of history-- it was a Roman hero, as well as being used in Scotland as a 'translation' of the native name Iomhar. It would make a good alternative to Alexander or Evan. |
| EVENY: This is an anglicization of Aibhne, a rare Irish name whose origins are so ancient, the meaning has been lost. |
| EVERINA: the middle name of the author Mary Shelley and poet Percy Bysshe Shelley's daughter, she lived to be 22 days old |
| EVGREN: /EV gren/- a completely obscure anglicization of an Irish girls' name meaning 'radiance of the sun.' |
| EXPERIENCE: A virtue name common among Puritans in the 1600-1700s. Is it too early for a revival? |
| FABIAN: this name means 'bean farmer.' A little Fabian would fit in with all the Damians and Darians out there. |
| FABIANA: this name is FAB! (and it means 'bean grower' to boot) |
| FALKNER/FAULKNER: With all the last-names-as-first-names these days (Taylor, Tyler and friends) why not go for this one with literary overtones? As a name, it means 'trainer of falcons.' |
| FAOILTIARNA: /fweel TEE uhr na/ This is a very old and fairly rare Irish girls' name meaning 'wolf lord.' |
| FARRELL: not far off from names like Daryl, Carol and Sheryl (sometimes rhymes with Carl)-- this is a nice, Irish last name that could be used for a boy or a girl. |
| FARUQ - how many names do you know that end in Q? This man's name means 'able to tell right from wrong' in Arabic. |
| FEAR: Believe it or not, this 'virtue' name was fairly common among the Puritans for girls in the 1600s. |
| FEAR: this may not be for everyone, but it was a fairly common name for girls among the Puritans and the Pilgrims. |
| FELIX: This spunky name is another moldy-oldy that's ready for a comeback. |
| FENELLA- /fen ELL a/ this is an anglicization of the Gaelic name Fionnghuala, which means 'white shoulders.' The form Fenella is used mainly in Scotland. |
| FERN: a lovely plant, also the name of the little girl in Charlotte's Web. |
| FESTUS: Once used as an English equivalent of the Irish name Fearghus (Fergus), this name is festive, if nothing else! |
| FFION: /FEE on/ This lovely girls' name is very popular in Wales. It's the word for the foxglove flower. |
| FIDANKA: a lovely Bulgarian girls' name meaning 'young tree; sapling.' |
| FIDELIA: this pretty name means 'faithful' in Latin. FIDELIO is the masculine version, though it is probably known mostly as the Spanish name FIDEL. |
| FIERA: means 'proud' in Esperanto. How many people can say they have an Esperanto name? |
| FINBAR: a good, solid Irish name meaning 'fair-haired' |
| FINIAN: if you like Finn but dislike Finlay/Finley, here's an alternative 'long' version to try |
| FINN: Short, sweet, to the point, and the name of an ancient Irish hero as well. |
| FINTAN: A nice, unusual Irish name. |
| FIONNUALA: /fin NOO uh la/ or /fyun YOO uh la/ a lovely old Gaelic name meaning 'white shoulders.' |
| FIORELLA: Italian for 'little flower.' A pretty, unusual name. |
| FIORENZA: Italian for Florence, this name has a lovely sound. |
| FISHL: in Yiddish, this is a dimiutive of the word for 'fish.' It is also found as FISHKE. |
| FITZWILLIAM: ok, this name is a bit over-the-top. It was the first name of the character Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen's 'Pride and Predudice.' He's a bit of an over-the-top character, so I guess it fits! |
| FLANNAN: a good Irish name meaning 'firery red'. |
| FLANNERY: an Irish surname meaning 'fiery red,' this name could be a nod to American author Flannery O'Connor. |
| FLAVIAN: meaning 'golden; yellow-haired', this is an unusual, literary-sounding name. |
| FLEUR: French for 'flower,' this makes a lovely name in English as well. |
| FLORA: Greek, means 'flower.' Wife of Zephyros and goddess of flowers and spring. |
| FLORENCE: a city in Italy, and a Medieval French form of a Latin name meaning 'blossoming', what's not to like about Florence? (oh, except maybe the nickname Flo) |
| FLORIAN: This old-fashioned Latin name is perfect for a boy, whether you are a big Kraftwerk fan or not. |
| FLORIS: This is a Dutch man's name, a form of the Latin Florentius meaning 'flourishing.' |
| FLUTURA: this unusual name means 'butterfly' in Albanian.' |
| FORTRAN: this is a computer language developed in the 1950s. Somewhere, someplace, there is a person who named their kid this in the 1970s. |
| FRANCA: an Italian pet form of FRANCESCA. beautiful, and Frankie is a cute nickname. |
| FRANKIE: for a girl or a boy, this is a cute nickname. A plus if you like the downbeat song 'Frankie Teardrop' by Suicide. |
| FREELOVE: This name was fairly common among the Puritans in the 1500s-1600s. Fairly unknown since then, surprisingly, it wasn't resurrected by hippies in the 1960s-1970s! |
| FRITZI: German pet form of Friederike; this name is so hopelessly cute how could you not love it? |
| FUCHSIA: a pink climbing flower named for Leonhard Fuchs, a 16th century German herbalist. This name has also come to mean a shade of hot pink. With all the flower names (Lily, Rose etc.) and color names (Indigo, Cerise) used as names, why not add Fuchsia to the mix? |
