Names that end in y

The name of the famous British man of letters might just appeal to some English majors as a more interesting alternative to Zachary. An appropriate playmate for Russell Crowe's boy Tennyson.

And if it's triplets: Pembroke, Pendleton, and Penley.

Gry is becoming a popular name in Denmark where it is currently in the Top 50. Despite its beautiful meaning, the similarity of its sound to the English word gruel is unlikely to make this a winning choice for English-speakers.

This variation adds a second n to the more popular Finley, presumably to provide a more direct link to nickname Finn. Both spellings create a distinctly unisex name. However, while Finley is slightly more popular for girls, the Finnley spelling currently only ranks for boys.

With the fashion for all names Rom, this strong surname with ties to Old Master painter George has new possibilities. Obviously, it now has more political associations than artistic.

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.

A strong modern word name with both spiritual and secular significance.

A mystical new word name for parents in search of witchy baby names.

Zibby is the adorable, zippy nickname for Elizabeth used for the lead female character in the film "Liberal Arts." Zibby can make a Libby for the 21st century.

Borrowed or coined by J K Rowling for a vain and selfish teacher in the Harry Potter books, this dramatic name may also be a rare variant of the surname Gilroy, meaning "son of the king's servant".

Transferred use of the surname Vianney, in reference to French saint Jean-Marie Vianney. It is generally masculine in France, Belgium and French-speaking Africa, but in Latin America it is mainly feminine and sometimes spelt Vianey.

A rarely used play on Amber, making it more feminine and both more modern and old-fashioned at the same time.

A modern alternative to Shelby.

Rhythmic and energetic, Drury is of French origin, with the wonderful meaning of "dear one, sweetheart."

Kimberley is a town in South Africa associated with diamonds and with wealth and luxury in general. It was name for Lord Kimberley, whose surname derived from an English place name. Used for boys in the early twentieth century, it re-emerged as a girls' name in the 1940s, usually spelled Kimberly.

Brings to mind the romantic and elegant eighteenth century portraits of George Romney.

Zee-ifying Bailey.