Guilty Pleasures

Following a custom among scholars in Renaissance Germany, Neander is the classical form of the surname Newman. But the bullies at school are sure to call him Neanderthal.

Sounds like a name from an old science fiction movie -- but this god of letters invented writing, and so might interest parents who are writers or professors.

Could be the next Nova, now that celestial baby names are in the ascendent.

This Roman mythology (and planet) name would be very hard to handle. It derives from a root meaning cloud.

Evocative of the great Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda, real last name Basoalito, who took on the surname Neruda to honor a Czech poet of that name. One of the most poetic boy names starting with N, or with any letter, for that matter.

Named for its snowcapped mountains, Nevada is a state name which, unlike Carolina, Montana, and Dakota, has been relatively undiscovered. Warning: today's unvisited place-name could become tomorrow's trampled tourist attraction.

Western place-name that feels equally appropriate for both genders. Note: Natives say rhyme that second syllable with had, so it's not nehv-AH-da.

Nevaeh: an already bold word name with the unusual twist of being spelled backwards; a nightmare for those who love traditional, classic names; a divisive option on name forums across the internet; and a spelling and pronunciation that aren’t quite intuitive at first glance.

Rarely used on its own and irrevocably tied to former House Speaker Gingrich -- who was christened Newton.

New Zealand writer Ngaio (born Edith Ngaio) Marsh is the best-known bearer of this Maori nature name, properly pronounced ng (like the end of sing) -EYE-oh. It is the name of a tree indigenous to New Zealand, also called the Mousehole Tree.

An ubercool and mysterious name, brought to you by director M. Night Shyamalan.

Our kids laughed when they saw this name. Enough said.

Love the popular Noah but want to make it more distinctive? You can vary it to Noam, and going all the way to Noaz takes it from distinctive to unique.

For the seriously audacious biblical baby namer who wants to move beyond Elijah and Josiah, this name has considerable old-fangled charm. Obadiah, who gave his name to one of the shortest books in the Bible, was a rich man who had the gift of prophecy. There are several other men named Obadiah in the Bible, as well as a Saint Obadiah. There have been two prominent U.S. senators named Obadiah.

What is so rare as a month named June? October – and November and December – are a lot rarer. Brisk and substantial, they're so much more memorable and modern than April or May. October got its name via being the eighth month in the old Roman calendar. Some related, more feminine variations are Octavia and Ottavia.

If Story and Poet and Sonnet can be names that work as well for girls as for boys, why not Ode?

With its relation to Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods, and to the Olympic games, this name has an athletic, goddess-like aura, making it the perfect Olivia substitute.