Latin Names

Common French and German alternative to Renata.

Senta is a lovely name, but if you name your daughter Senta, will the kids call her Santa? Maybe, but this obscure yet simple German name for girls.may appeal to parents searching the untraveled name routes.

Tastier than Alicia or Felicia.

Fresh choice, but with feminine lilt.

This Italian saint's name is one of the most unusual of the o-ending names.

Florence is back, and the adorable short form Florie (or Flory) is too. Or you could just name her Flora and be done with it.

Fortune is a middle name choice designed to generate good luck and prosperity.

The kind of hybrid name -- it sounds like a blend of the popular Caleb and Colton -- that could catch on despite its lack of pedigree.

Pryor is for those in search of an unusual occupational name...or in memory of comedian Richard.

This Latin word for love is not traditionally used as a name, but why not? It's got a pretty sound and some distinctive flair. Variants Amori or Amorie can also be thought of as different spellings of Amory, which has a very different meaning and roots. Only downside: Sounds almost exactly like "amorous," meaning in the mood for love, which could provoke some adolescent teasing.

Widely used in Italy, Spain, and Portugal, has an air of generosity and could easily be adopted here.

One of many Spanish elaborations of Rosa.

With Clementine on the rise and Clemence and Clemency considered chic in Europe, this unusual Latinate option could be a fresh alternative. Clementia is another, more common, spelling.

The name of an area of Peru, this could be a possibilty for a springtime baby born under the sign of Taurus.

Will assure your daughter she's numero uno.

Constantina is a pretty, feminissima, if lengthy, variation on the Constance theme. The fourth century Constantina, also known as Constantia and Constantiana, was the eldest daughter of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great and his second wife Fausta, daughter of Emperor Maximian. Constantina received the title of Augusta by her father, and is venerated as a saint; in English she is also known as Saint Constance.

Romola is a literary name most notably used by George Eliot for her eponymous 1862 novel set in fifteenth-century Florence. It just may appeal to the parent looking for a name that embodies the ideal blend of the feminine, unusual, and strong. A current bearer is British actress Romola Garai.

Most ella names are hot, but this is one that won't catch fire because of the disagreeable connotations of prunes.

One of the most attractive and unusual spins on the "Fran" franchise.

Grandparents are sure to link this to disgraced Nixon vice president Spiro Agnew.