Guilty Pleasures

A paramour of Alexander the Great and the heroine of a Jules Massenet opera based on the life of a fourth century Egyptian saint, this name is nothing if not dramatic. Often spelled with a diaeresis or umlaut -- aka two dots -- over the letter i, Thais is a Top 100 girls' name in France and is also popular in Spain. 

Though the Greek meaning sounds ominous, the mythological god Thanatos was actually a jolly winged creature living in the underworld, so it shouldn't deter you.

Theia is the Titan of sight and the shining light of the clear blue sky. She is the consort of Hyperion, and mother of Helios, Selene, and Eos. The name is more familiar in its Anglicized version, Thea.

One of the coolest of names, thanks to legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Sphere Monk, who inherited it from his father. It has been used very sparingly since the 1960s--just a sprinkling of baby boys receive the name each year. Monk's middle name Sphere is pretty unique too--a cousin of Cosmos and Cosmo. Some other jazz names to consider: Bix, Ellington, Ella, Etta, Mingus, Dexter and Calloway. :

This ancient name, belonging to a Byzantine empress, may be difficult to wear. The English variation Tiffany may be more wearable.

Thessaly is the name of an area of Greece, known for being near Mount Olympus. This variation lends itself to the nickname Sally. You may also wish to consider the name Larissa, which is the capital of the Thessaly region.

This name of the mythological mother of Achilles might suffer from English speakers making the rhyming association to the word fetus. The traditional Greek pronunciation might alleviate that problem.

Pronounced to rhyme with nice, Thijs is a popular Dutch name short for that country's form of Matthew. Matt Lauer's half-Dutch son is called Thijs.

Thora, related to Thor, is the ancient Norse thunder goddess name that's much softer and gentler than its meaning suggests. A noted bearer is actress Thora Birch.

An old Irish surname cousin of Tierney that makes an unusual and appealing Irish gender switch.

This obscure but simple name is related to a Latinized form of an ancient Greek appellation that receives a mention in both Plato's Dialogues and the New Testament. Timmea and Timmia have also been found.

Tristan -- known through medieval legend and Wagnerian opera -- has a slightly wistful, touching air. This, combined with the name's popular "an" ending, makes Tristan very appealing to parents seeking a more original alternative to Christian.

Original Gaelic form of Talulla, often connected with the Choctaw name Tallulah due to the similar sound and spelling.

The kind of nickname name you wouldn't want your own child to get stuck with.

Biblical wife of Moses whose name has many variations, with and without the initial T and final h, with one p or two. However you spell it, it's an original choice that also carries teasing potential; those zipper jokes will get old fast, though Zippy is a cute nickname.

Urraca was the name of many infantas and queens of several medieval Iberian kingdoms (most notably Leon). Despite its royal roots, Urraca is one of the names best left to the history books.

Mystical overtones.

Seventies comic-book-heroine-style name.