Latin Names

If you're looking for a presidential first name, keep looking.

Fantine is a rarely heard French name except as a character in the Victor Hugo novel Les Misérables.

Martia, more distinctive than cousins Marta, Marcia and Marsha, also has a strong image and slightly unexpected feel.

Rather imperious as a baby name, but has an interesting history. Imperia is the name of an obscure French saint, also known as Impère and Impérie, also borne by the famous Italian courtesan Imperia Cognati. Honoré de Balzac later used it in his short story La belle Impéria (1832), where it belongs to a fictional courtesan. A similar name, Bel-imperia, was used by Elizabethan dramatist Thomas Kyd for a character in his play The Spanish Tragedy.

Neo, indeed--though it was a male character in "The Matrix."

Dashing and highly unusual variation does the feminine original one better by sounding both more modern and more usable. Or you can spell it Monaco and call it a place name.

This name of the major Maltese city takes on an air of attractiveness via model Amber Valletta, making it an appealing alternative to the overexposed Valerie and Vanessa.

Rising boys' name could cross the gender line.

Projects the calm and pristine image of the picturesque Swiss lake and mountain town.

The perfect name-accessory for a little princess, though its popularity is waning.

Never as well known as that other Roman numeral name, Octavius, Tertius just might hold some appeal for the parent seeking a really obscure name with the patina of antiquity for her third son.

A character name that makes an appearance in Shakespeare's King Lear, Nerilla has hardly been heard in modern times. But with the resurrection of many names from ancient Greece and Roman, Nerilla is one of the Latin names for girls we may be hearing again.

While patriot Thomas Paine is a worthy honoree, the mere association with the word 'pain' knocks this name out of bounds.

An ancient Roman name rarely heard in modern times, though the related VARINA appears in Slavic families.

Fabia is one of several pleasant international-accented female versions of Fabian.

A pleasantly unfamiliar addition to the ella family of names.

Saint Germain, the intellectual center of Paris, lends the name a creative aura. But most Americans would say jer-mayn. The Latin Germanus may mean sprout or bud, or brother.

Common French and German alternative to Renata.

An uncommon Latin and Italian name which would make a fitting choice for a final baby – but be aware that many would associate it with the cosmetics brand or the Ultimo brand of lingerie.

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