Nameberry's Favorite Names
- Diane
Origin:
French variation of DianaMeaning:
"divine"Description:
Like Joanne and Christine, middle-aged Diane has been overshadowed by the a-ending version of her name. Diane has a definite mid-century feel; it was a Top 20 name from 1946 to 1959. Though it has several distinguished bearers, including Dianes Sawyer, Keaton, von Furstenberg, Lane, Arbus, Kruger and Farr, it is rarely used for babies today.
- Cara
Origin:
Latin, Italian, Irish, Spanish, and PortugueseMeaning:
"dear; friend; face"Description:
Cara is a simple, sweet, Italian endearment that enjoyed its greatest popularity from the 1970s through the 1990s, reaching a high of Number 189 in 1977. Despite the rising celebrity of English model/actress Cara Delevingne, who played Enchantress in Suicide Squad, Cara dropped off the Top 1000 in the US in 2020, perhaps because it sounds too close to the dreaded Karen.
- Hiro
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"broad, widespread"Description:
Hiro is an apt name for a hero of the show Heroes -- and for our times. Widely used in Japan, sometimes also for girls. Hiroshi is a long form.
- Dara
Origin:
Hebrew, Slavic or IrishMeaning:
"pearl of wisdom; gift; or oak tree"Description:
Though Dara was an (extremely wise) male figure in the Bible, this name feels mostly feminine to modern Americans. The Irish Gaelic version, Darragh, is well-used in contemporary times for boys.
- Marion
Origin:
English and French diminutive of MarieMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
An underused classic that has proved surprisingly unisex over the last few decades, being given to roughly the same number of baby girls and boys in the US from the 1970s to the 2000s. For a girl, Marion has a sturdy old-fashioned charm.
- Cerise
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"cherry"Description:
Infinitely preferable to the tease-inspiring English version of the word.
- Orpheus
Origin:
Greek mythology nameMeaning:
"the darkness of the night"Description:
Name of the legendary ancient Greek poet and musician — whose music was so beautiful it made trees dance and rivers stop to listen — would provide a child with a challenging but indelible identity.
- Patricia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"noble, patrician"Description:
Patricia still sounds patrician, though its scores of nicknames definitely don't. Wildly popular from the forties (alternately Number 3 and 4 throughout the decade) to the sixties, Patricia has been fading ever since. But a comeback in its full form is definitely conceivable—just look at Penelope.
- Zebedee
Origin:
English variation of Hebrew ZebediahMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Zebedee is an adorable and unusual New Testament name--which may sound like but is not a contradiction in terms. Unlike some of the longer biblical Z-names, Zebedee has a more lighthearted usability, with its gleeful ee-ending. And Zeb makes a fabulous nickname.
- Shea
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"the stately, dauntless one"Description:
The short but solid Irish surname Shea works for both genders; Kevin James has a daughter named Shea. Shay is another possible spelling.
- Mordecai
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"follower of Marduk"Description:
Mordecai, although it has a noble heritage, has never caught on in this country, because of its rather weighty image.
- Laszlo
Origin:
HungarianMeaning:
"glorious ruler"Description:
The Hungarian classic Laszlo, with its zippy 'z' middle and energetic 'o' ending, has become something of a hipster option, beginning to be considered by cutting-edge parents.
- Kiera
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little dark one"Description:
Kiera entered the American popularity list in 1988, though it lags behind the alternate spelling Keira, largely due to the fame of actress Keira Knightley.
- Malachy
Origin:
Irish version of Malachi, HebrewMeaning:
"second"Description:
This spelling, which came to the attention of readers of the best-selling Angela's Ashes as the name of author Frank McCourt's father and brother, the latter of whom wrote a bestseller of his own, lends the biblical name a more expansive, almost boisterous image. Malachy is one of the Irish baby names that manages to strike the golden mean between familiarity and distinctiveness.
- Freddie
Origin:
Dininutive of Frederick, GermanMeaning:
"peaceful ruler"Description:
Just the kind of casual, flippant nickname that upscale Brits are putting on their sons' birth certificates, but few U.S. parents are.
- Philomena
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"lover of strength"Description:
Philomena is an earthy Greek name now used in various Latin countries. While it has felt simply clunky for many years, it's starting -- along with such sister names as Wilhelmina and Frederica -- to sound so clunky it's cool.
- Anton
Origin:
German, Russian, and Scandinavian variation of AnthonyDescription:
Cultured and cultivated in an old-style, Old World way. Sometimes associated with the classic writer Anton Chekhov. Al Pacino has a son with this name.
- Corin
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"spear"Description:
Corin was used by Shakespeare in As You Like It, an unusual name that could make a more distinctive alternative to Corey or Colin. It is a name used in the illustrious Redgrave family of actors.
- Naia
Origin:
Hawaiian, Greek, BasqueMeaning:
"dolphin; to flow; wave, sea foam"Description:
Multicultural option, equally intriguing as, but more unusual than, Maia.
- Sunny
Origin:
Nickname nameDescription:
Upbeat nickname-name that can't help but make you smile, along with its soundalike Sonny.