Names that end in y

All baby names can be made more "creative" by putting a Z at the beginning instead of what's conventionally there: B or C or H, for instance. Zaley is an adorable entry in this group, also spelled Zailey or Zayley or Zalee. The Zaley spelling attains a measure of authenticity when seen as a feminine form of Zale, a Greek name with an ocean-related meaning.

If January, April and August are useable and fashionable, why not February? February as a word derives from the Latin februa, which was the name of a purification feast coming at the end of winter, to prepare for the coming spring.

Has the energetic-Irish-slightly-boyish image that many modern parents love.

Signy — also spelled Signe — would make another distinctively offbeat alternative to Sydney. Signy appears in Norse mythology as the twin sister of Sigmund.

Similar to Brielle and Riley, this name lags quite far behind these more common variations. It peaked at Number 622 in 2009 in the US, but it is now descending the ranks.

Bromley is an English surname-name that's more possible as a first name now than ever before. The -ley suffix has been adopted for many names, and surnames such as Bromley are fashionable.

Even if you'd like your daughter to attend the venerable women's college, don't saddle her with this pretentious British surname.

Better for an Air Force base than a baby.

This Corey lookalike actually has quite a different sound – the final syllable rhyming with Kai rather than Lee or Ray. Its evocative meaning is a definite bonus.

Connelly is a rollicking and rare example of the popular surname genre that may work even better for girls. A huge update on Colleen.

We can't account for the popularity of this name, for either a boy or a girl, given the first syllable, the tacky connotations with a luxury car, and the range of other options which are more harmonious to the ear. Nonetheless, nearly 200 girls were names Bentley in the US in 2015.

Before there was esteemed actress Anne Hathaway, there was Anne Hathaway, wife of Shakespeare — the former being named after the latter.

Much stronger than Dale for a boy.

With the sprightly "Ren" and "Wren" currently in fashion, and "ley" a productive suffix to create new names, this combination was inevitable, and is chirpy and appealing. Renley has been on the US charts for girls since 2012, and for boys since 2013. It probably got a boost from the Game of Thrones character Renly Baratheon, albeit with a slightly different spelling.

One of the cool new surname-names for girls, likely influenced by the stardom of Patrick Dempsey (aka McDreamy).

This sweet little acronym, popularized in the age of texting, has established itself as a baby name. The similarity to Ivy, Isla and Riley/Miley has undoubtedly played a role.

Many African tribes have a tradition of naming children for the day or time they were born -- Friday, Afternoon -- a practice finding new life in the Western world as word names become more popular.

A rising surname name for girls — it's overwhelmingly feminine, despite the association with Kenny Chesney.

Similar to Kinsley, this modern choice has become much more popular in recent years; it first entered the Top 1000 in 2011. Part of its appeal might be that it sounds reminiscent of the overly-popular McKenzie.