Names That Mean My

A rare example of an a-ending boy's name that sounds masculine, Ilya has a large measure of creative Slavic charm. >p>Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is the central character in Goncharov's novel "Oblomov." Unfortunately, he spends most of his life in his bathrobe and slippers.

The Hebrew Eliana has been rising quickly in recent years, as have a collection of other "El-" names such as Eleanor, Eliza, Ella, Eloise, and Elena. The Elliana spelling has been following suit, possibly attracting parents with its more direct route to the ultra-popular nickname Ellie through the double Ls. Elliana entered the charts in 2005, and is now in the Top 200.

One of the currently trendy Kaia-Maya-Mia family, deriving either from an elaboration of Kay or an alternative spelling of Kaia, a Scandinavian diminutive of Katarina.

Friendly but substantial.

Thanks to Mariah Carey, everyone now knows this name – and is aware that Mariah's pronounced with a long i – just as Maria was in the Jane Austen era. And though Mariah now sounds modern, it was heard as far back as 1550 in Great Britain.

Malakai puts a South Sea Island spin on the Biblical Malachi, which may be just what It needs to fit in with contemporary trends.

Azaiah was one of the Biblical companions of Daniel. While not as widely used as sound-alike Isaiah, his name is being quietly revived.

This short but strong name, commonly heard in Israel, has a lot of crossover potential, and is among the most usable on the minuscule menu of U names.

An adorable name with an adorable meaning.

While Daniel is the usual male form of this usually male Biblical name, it's a Top 100 name for girls in Israel. In most cultures, Daniel is feminized to Denielle or Daniela when used as a girls' name. There were 11 baby girls named Daniel in the US last year, so it's use is not unheard of beyond Israel.

Biblical name from the Old Testament.

Adlai is an Old Testament name long associated with 1950's liberal presidential candidate Stevenson, who was named after his grandfather, who was Grover Cleveland's vice president in the nineteenth century. Now it's an unusual Biblical choice ripe for rediscovery.

Gail was a mid-twentieth century favorite, which has been far surpassed by its original form, Abigail and nickname Abby. Spelling variations include Gale and Gayle, the latter represented by TV journalist and Oprah bestie Gayle King. Gail was most popular in the 1950s, when it was in the Top 40, and could rise again, possibly as a middle.

So much more worldly than Danny.

It's the name of an Old Testament archangel that's symbolically given to boys born during Chanukah, but the possibility of unsavory nicknames (urinal?) make the short form Uri a better bet.

A perfectly respectable Old Testament name ruined forever through its association with the odious Uriah Heep in David Copperfield. Some people also find this name just too close to the word urine. These negative connotations may be wearing off, however. (Perhaps because people don't read as much Dickens as they used to.)

Gently old-fashioned stand-alone nickname that owes its popularity to mega popular Abigail.

If you feel, as many parents do, that Gabby or Gabi is too harsh a short form for the mellifluous name Gabriella, try Brie, Brielle, or Briella.

Old Testament name of a king of Israel, related to the harvest.