Bengal Cat Names

The meaning of this rare Irish name is not fully known. It may mean "man of god", or else derive from an element meaning "smoke". In Irish mythology, this was the name of a warrior who was killed by his friend Cúchulainn. Vikings actor Ferdia Walsh-Peelo is a famous bearer.

Most will see this as a refreshing middle name possibility, but Bristol Palin baby daddy Levi Johnston used it as a first name for his new daughter, Breeze Beretta.

Too tightly tied to the acronym for the activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Out-of-the-ordinary gemstone name derived from lapis lazuli, which is said to enhance awareness and intellect, impart ancient wisdom and cure many ailments, making it an interesting possibility for a blue-eyed girl. Lazuli — or Azure or Blue — are other options.

Randolph is a timeworn classic that had its last hurrah in the 1940s, when Randolph (born George) Scott was starring in westerns, but then was probably done in by its tricky nickname Randy (which, strangely enough, was itself a Top 50 name in the fifties and sixties).

Ash is a gender-neutral choice that calls to mind the '80s favorite: Ashley. But view it as a nature name -- as in the tree, not the charred bit of soot in the fireplace -- and it makes a cool choice that fits with today's trends.

Cashmere is soft, luxurious -- and way out of the ordinary. One of the unique names found in The Hunger Games series.

Sunshine was seen as a quintessential hippie name of the 70s, reaching as high as Number 536 in 1975. Now such names are making a bit of a retro comeback, seen, for example, as a character on Glee.

Popular girls' name in Syria. In Yiddish, pronounced ZAE-dah, this is a term for grandfather.

Taron and its twin Taran may both be variations of Taranis, the name of the Celtic thunder god. Taranis is thought to be a counterpart to the better-known Norse god Thor. There was also a 7th century King of the Picts named Taran mac Ainftech. Both Taron and Taran were used for about 30 baby boys in the US last year. Two notable modern bearers: Welsh actor Taron Egerton and South African-born filmmaker Taron Lexton.

Strongly feminine variation of Colby with two prime associations: singer Colbie Caillat and actress Colbie Smulders (born Jacoba).

Hot star Ashton Kutcher is pushing this unisex choice toward the boys' camp, but its variation Ashtyn is on the rise.

Gilda, although related to the words gold and gilded, has definitely tarnished. It once shimmered with the seductive image of Rita Hayworth in the film Gilda, then was associated with the beloved early Saturday Night Live star Gilda Radner. In opera, Gilda lives on as the name of the daughter of Rigoletto.

An attractive Scandinavian take on Helga, or a potential Helen nickname.

Refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India.

Omaira is an intriguing Middle Eastern possibility.

Kiaria is pretty but sure to prove confusing given all the more familiar Kiara and Keira variations out there.

Protagonist of the manga and anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. The kanji used to spell his name give it the meaning of "coal + calm son," which describe his former profession as a coal worker.

Ylva may look like it belongs with the Eva family of names, but it actually derives from Ulf, a name meaning "wolf." It's not a very intuitive name to English-speakers, and likely won't get picked up in the US anytime soon. At last count, it was only given to five American baby girls.

Dynamic and creative; common in Africa, challenging here. Pronunciation isn't as difficult as you'd guess, but everyone will have to ask. Many favor n-GO-zee, but a native speaker tells us that it is closer to n-GAW-zee, and we've found at least one n-GAH-zee, too.