Cat Names That Mean Curious

French form of Hildegard

Mysterious.

Its jaunty o-ending makes this name more appealing than most of its Germanic brothers, and we hope we're beyond the constant response to his name being "Where's Waldo?" The weighty reputation of writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson adds a measure of backbone to the name.

Sweet and bright international form of Josephine, used in many European countries with various pronunciations of the initial J. A notable bearer is Josefina "Joey" Guerrero, a Filipina spy during World War II.

How often do you see a name from Madagascar that is so wearable in English? Kendry has a great meaning to boot and is possibly a great name for a Christmas baby. What's not to love?

Charming French endearment, first used as a name by Goethe, that now makes an appealing choice -- though the proper feminine form is Mignonne. Note, though, that this is not actually used as a name in France, where Manon would be the closest choice.

Raz, like many similar names, is used for both girls and boys in modern Israel. Simple, sleek, memorable.

Kids would be more likely to associate this name with the hyperactive meercat in "The Lion King" than with the ancient Greek philosopher or Shakespearean character, which could cause playground problems.

Interesting Native-American choice that could be taken for Greek.

In the US, Emmanuel has held steady around the Top 200 for a quarter century now, but this variation has dropped off the Top 1000 for three of the past seven years. It was Number 974 in 2016.

Move over Maia, Mia and Mara - there's a new melodious M name on the block! Maiara has a great meaning and a soft flowing sound which fits in with current trends.

Taina is a feminine Tupi name meaning "star." A nice choice for those looking for something celestial but less common than Stella or Astrid. Taina also means "secret" in Russian and is a Finnish form of Tatiana.

One of a number of Hebrew girls' namestarting with Raz. Others include Razel, Raziela,Razili and Raziya.

A popular Japanese name used for the young heroine of the animated film, "Spirited Away."

The name of several legendary Danish kings, including one who declared universal peace.

This name of famed philosopher, mathematician and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell becomes slightly more plausible with the French pronunciation, bare-TRAHN. Another noted bearer is French director and screenwriter Bertrand Tavernier.

A rare Welsh name with a wonderful meaning, Cadfael is the name of the detective monk character in Ellis Peters' medieval murder mysteries. It's usually pronounced CAD-vyle in Welsh, although Peters intended the character's name to be pronounced CAD-vel.

Hip new middle-name choice, conjuring up the gothic tales of Edgar Allan, and current single-named pop singer Poe.

Trivia is considered the first epithet of Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting, fertility, and the moon. The name is derived from the Latin word trivium, meaning "triple way," which refers to the goddess's protection of crossroads. Today, of course, Trivia would likely be interpreted as an English word name referencing obscure facts.

This name of an early Greek Christian philosopher comes with a wizened, ancient air about it. Still, perhaps the nickname Ari might help it work for a baby to grow into.