Alexandrina is the most elaborate and unusual of the Alex- girls's names.The real first name of Queen Victoria, who was given it in honor of her godfather, Alexander I of Russia (her childhood nickname was Drina), it would make a distinctive pick, even though some might find five syllables a bit much. It was particularly popular in Scotland in the 1930s.

Alexandrina

Alfie is a Top 20 name throughout the British Isles, where retro nickname names are mega-popular, but it hasn't really been picked up in the US yet. Both Alfie and rising star Archie are spunky nickname possibilities with a bit of an English accent.

 Thanks to some louche fictional characters, Alfie has long had a lovable rogue image. First there was the Michael Caine character in the 1966 eponymous film, followed by a 2004 remake starring Jude Law. In Britain, the name was given a big boost by the Alfie Moon character in the long-running soap, EastEnders. 

There have been several Alfie songs as well, most recently one by Lily Allen written for her little brother.

Alfie

With many British names invading the Yankee name pool, the sophisticated Alistair could and should be part of the next wave. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016. You have a triple choice with this name--the British spell it Alistair or Alastair, while the Scots prefer Alasdair--but they're all suave Gaelic versions of Alexander. Adopted by the lowland Scots by the seventeenth century, the name didn't become popular outside Scotland and Ireland until the twentieth century.
 Both Andrew Lloyd-Weber and Rod Stewart chose the Alastair spelling for their sons' names.

Alistair

Italian, Portuguese and Spanish variation of Arthur that makes the original feel more romantic and dashing.

Arturo

Rugged but gentle at the same time, Cassian is a saintly and stylish choice that was derived from the name Cassius. Before 2017, it was an obscure choice, given to a tiny handful of boys each year. As of 2023, however, it's become one of the top ten fastest-rising names in the US, more than doubling in usage since 2022 and edging closer towards the Top 500.
 There are a number of fourth and fifth century St. Cassians, one of whom is the patron saint of stenographers (though he must not get much work these days).John Cassian was a monk and ascetic writer who introduced Eastern monasticism into the West; Cassian Elwes is a British film producer, and Patrick Wilson used the alternate spelling Kassian for his son.
 It is unlikely however, that any of these can be credited for the rise of Cassian. Instead, we must turn to pop culture.
 In 2016, just before Cassian began to climb the charts, the Star Wars Franchise movie, Rogue One, was released and included a character called Cassian Andor, who then went on to feature as the lead in the television spinoff series, Andor. With the sounds of popular Julian, Jasper, and Adrian, like Casper but not too ghostly, Cassian caught people's attention, not just in the US, but in the UK, where it now ranks in the Top 600.
 
But what caused the even bigger leap up the charts in 2023? Again, we must look towards a fictional character. The popular romance-fantasy book series A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas features a Cassian, and the latest novel included a Cassian storyline that likely put the name on people's radar. "ACOTAR" as it gets called is popular on BookTok and BookTube so it's no wonder parents are taking inspiration from it. 
 Similar to Nameberry favorite Caspian with sounds that are both strong and soft, both ancient and right up to date, Cassian is a hot name right now, and was given to more than 550 babies in 2023.

Cassian

If your ancestry is Italian, you may want to consider this elegant twist on a classic. 

Caterina

Cosima, the kind of elegant and unusual name the British upper classes love to use for their daughters, is given to a handful of baby girls in the US after being chosen by two high-profile celebs in the same month; cool couple Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars as well as supermodel Claudia Schiffer. It was used earlier by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, while the male form, Cosimo, was given to the son of Marissa Ribisi and Beck.
 
The most famous Cosima in history had strong musical ties — Cosima Wagner was the daughter of composer Franz Liszt and the wife of composer Richard Wagner. Cosima is well used in Germany, Italy and Greece, but in the US, it was given to only ten baby girls in 2021, the same number who got the name in 2010.
 
A note on pronunciation: in Germany, Italy, and Spain, they say KO-zee-ma, like cozy ma. In the UK, they rhyme the first syllable with boss. In the US, you can do whatever you want.

Cosima

Darius is a historic name via Emperor Darius the Great, a key figure in ancient Persian history, and several other Persian kings. His name today has an appealingly artistic image, which might well be found on a concert program or gallery announcement. 
 Among its cultural inspirations is composer Darius Milhaud. Journalist Christiane Amanpour, who was raised in Tehran, named her son Darius.

Darius

Frederick, and friendlier nickname Fred, seemed almost to have disappeared, leaving just the memory of Freds past such as Astaire, Mr. Rogers and Flintstone. But today's parents are beginning to recognize it as a strong classic and one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/341/royal-names-for-boys">royal baby boy names</a>.
 Previously, Frederick had taken on a rather forbidding, foreign, military air, reminiscent of Frederick the Great, the enlightened king of Prussia who laid the foundations of the powerful Prussian empire.
 For African-Americans, Frederick can be seen as a hero name, honoring Frederick Douglass, who rose from slavery to power as a political activist.
 Frederick appears as a character in Shakespeare's As You Like It and the novels of, among others, Jane Austen and Henry James.
The name is often streamlined to Frederic and even Fredric. And if you don't like Fred or Freddie (though we do), another nickname is Fritz.
 Federico is the appealing Italian and Spanish form, as in renowned poet Federico Garcia Lorca.

Frederick

Giorgia

Greta is an Old World name long tied to the iconic Garbo, but now synonymous with environmental activism.
 In the early 2000s, Greta was showing signs of a comeback, along with other Old Hollywood glamour names. It was even chosen by David Caruso and by Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline for their daughters. Then in 2018, Swedish teen Greta Thunberg became very famous, very fast, for her anti-climate-change protests. Since then, it seems that the name is too tied to one figure for most parents' tastes... which is a shame.
 Greta is currently popular in Germany, Hungary, and especially Italy. Dr. Greta Guttman was a character on Mad Men, Greta Van Susteren is a familiar face on TV, and Greta Gerwig is an up-and-coming young actress and director.
 Greta returned to the Top 1000 in 1999, and rose as high as the 500s, before swiftly plummeting in Thunberg's early years of public activism. The name's highest point ever was at Number 318 in 1932, at the peak of Garbo's career, the year she starred in Grand Hotel and one year after she was Oscar-nominated for Anna Christie. 
 Greta should be a sweet spot name — sophisticated with a touch of retro glamour — and a hero name, and we hope it will regain some of its former glory. On the other hand, variant Gretel is still out strewing crumbs in the forest with brother Hansel.

Greta

Despite a return to such feminizations of male names as Josephine, Clementine, and Theodora, starchy Henrietta has not made it into that group. Still, if you look hard enough, you'll see that Henrietta has the same vintage charm. 
 The name arrived in England in 1625 via King Charles I's wife, the French princess Henriette Marie, who became known as Henrietta Maria. Her daughter shared her name but was known as Minette.
 It has been prominent recently through the bestselling book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, the story of the poor black woman whose cells became one of the most important tools in medical research. Henrietta Szold was a U.S. Zionist leader and founder of the Hadassah Women's Organization. 
 Henrietta has a number of charming vintage nicknames, including Etta, Hetty and Hattie.

Henrietta

Euphonious and long stylish in England, India was one of the fastest-rising names on the 2013 list, after jumping 240 spots back into the Top 1000.
 
Gorgeous as it may be, the usage of India as a name has distinctly imperial roots, making it a loaded (and ill-advised) choice for someone without Indian heritage.
 
India was a character in Gone with the Wind, the sister of Ashley Wilkes, and more recently was picked for the daughters of singer Sarah McLachlan, actress Heather Thomas, and Avenger Chris Hemsworth.
 
India Hicks is a high-profile ex-model with ties to the royal family, and the mother of a girl called Domino. Singer India.Arie was born India Arie — without the period.

India

Though some might find it a bit heavy-booted, Ivan is one of the few Russian boys' names to become fully accepted into the American naming pool.
Ivan is, of course, ubiquitous in Russian culture. There is one of the brothers in The Brothers Karamazov, the protagonists of Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, and Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, and the title character in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. Real life Ivans include writer Turgnenev, biologist Pavlov, tennis player Lendl, and rulers Ivan the Great and --oops--Ivan the Terrible. Vanya is his warm and appealing nickname.

Ivan

Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara, meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to that of the gemstone, which comes from a Semitic word meaning "speckled stone." Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition and appears in the Bible as a reference to the stone itself in Revelations 4:3.
 
Jasper has a lot going for it—it's been rocketing up the ranks in the US, after long being considered a posh and charming name in England. Distinctly masculine, Jasper represents a variety of quartz—one of the few gem <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">names for boys</a>—and is the first name of the great modern artist Jasper Johns. Our only caveat: Jasper is a favorite of a lot of hip parents, and has gotten even more popular since its strong appearance in the Twilight books and movies.
 Jasper has considerable literary cred as well, appearing in works by Sir Walter Scott, James Fenimore Cooper, Thackeray, and Thomas Hardy--as well as Stephenie Meyer. 
 Casper/Caspar is the German version.

Jasper

Killian – aka Cillian – is a spirited yet resonant Gaelic name that was borne by several Irish saints and could make a distinctive replacement for the dated Kelly. Kylian is another spelling that's gaining traction, thanks to French soccer star Kylian Mbappé. Possible downsides: an unsavory first syllable and a connection to the trendy brew. 

Killian

Konstantin

Currently overshadowed by the bright and lively Leo, Leon feels a slightly more serious, more quietly confident than its short and trending counterpart. 
 
Just as leonine as Leo and Leonardo, Leon is popular across Europe, ranking in the Top 40 in Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Poland, Germany and Finland. It has dipped in and out of the UK Top 100, but as of 2022, it is back. 
 
Leon peaked in the US in the 1920s, but it is on the rise again as parents turn to familiar-but-less-used alternatives to the most popular names. In 2023, it was in the US Top 200, and given to nearly 2500 boys. 
 A name with history, Russian Marxist revolutionary Lev Davidovich Bronstein is better known to history as Leon Trotsky. Leon (LAY-on) has been the name of three French prime ministers, while Leon Russell (born Claude) is a respected singer-songwriter.

Leon

Lucian is a sleeker, more sophisticated version of Lucius that is climbing in tandem with other Lu-starting names.
 Historically, the name was made famous by the ancient Greek satirist Lucian of Samosata--sometimes considered the father of science fiction-- and by the third century St. Lucian.
 A modern bearer was Berlin-born British painter Lucian Freud, grandson of Sigmund. In pop culture, Lucian the Lycan is a werewolf in the Underworld movies. 
 Lucian was picked by Indie actor Steve Buscemi. Lucien is the French version. The attractive Italian form is Luciano, as in Pavarotti.

Lucian

Simple and universal, Marco is a Latin classic that would make a much livelier namesake for an Uncle Mark. It was used for her son by actress Jill Hennessy and goes well with surnames of any nationality.
 Marco, related to the Roman god Mars, has long been associated with Marco Polo, the thirteenth century Venetian merchant-traveler who was instrumental in introducing Europeans to Asian culture. Eugene O'Neill wrote a play called Marco Millions, based on the life of Marco Polo.
 More recent noteworthy Marcos are Marco Andretti, Indy race car driver grandson of the legendary Mario, and Marco Rubio, Florida senator. The name can also be found in two early Dr. Seuss books.

Marco

This name once seemed a bit grand and pompous for an American baby boy, but a significant number of parents are now preferring it as a substantial platform for the nickname Max, among them Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, who chose it for their twin son.
 Maximilian was a traditional royal name among the Hapsburgs in Austro-Hungary and also in Bavaria. In literature, it appears as the husband of Rebecca in the eponymous novel and also in The Count of Monte Cristo. Maximilian Schell was a highly respected Austrian actor who won a Best Actor Academy Award in 1961.

Maximilian

Miles, which has a permanent veneer of cool thanks to jazz great Miles Davis, is a confident and polished boys' name that's an American classic. Always ranking in the US Top 1000, it's been drifting up the charts for the past half century but has never been TOO popular.
 
Miles is a favorite of celebrity baby namers, given to their sons by Elisabeth Shue, Mayim Bialik, Larenz Tate, Joan Cusack and Lionel Ritchie. It also makes a great honor name for all the Grandpa Michaels out there.
 Miles was the name of the first translator of the Bible into English--the English monk Miles Coverdale, which is also the name of a character in Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance. Miles Hendon figures in Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper, and Miles was one of the young children in Henry James's The Turn of the Screw. Miles--or Myles--Standish was the leader of the Pilgrim fathers.
 Miles has also been a favorite movie and TV character name from the days of Murphy Brown to 24 and Avatar.

Miles

Natalia was derived from the Latin word natalis, meaning "birthday." It refers to the birthday of Jesus Christ, and thus originated as a name for girls born on Christmas Day. Related forms include the French Natalie, Portuguese Natalina, and Russian diminutive Natasha.
 
More romantic that Natalie, more unusual than Natasha and heard frequently in Spain, Portugal, and the Slavic countries, this is a distinctive, strong but feminine member of the Natalie/Natasha family, with the appealing short form Talia. 
 
Like her cousins, Natalia is a name often given to girls born around Christmas.
 
Natalie Wood was born Natalia. Other namesakes include renowned Russian-born prima ballerina Natalia Makarova and supermodel Natalia Vodianova.

Natalia

Persephone is the esoteric name of the Greek mythological daughter of Zeus by Demeter, the queen of the harvest. After she was kidnapped by Hades to be Queen of the Underworld, it was decreed by Zeus that she would spend six months of the year with her mother, allowing crops to grow, and six in mourning, thus accounting for the seasons.
 Despite the mixed message of her mythological past, Persephone has a light and lyrical aura, and pleasant associations with springtime and the harvest; she was also goddess of spring growth. Persephone was seen in the Matrix movies, played by Monica Bellucci, and could make an interesting replacement for the overused Stephanie.
 Persephone's meaning is in dispute: While some sources give it as the worrisome "bringing death," others indicate that's it's associated with dark blue and with speaking. Persephone was called Kore in childhood; in Roman mythology, she is Proserpina.
 Persephone is popular on Nameberry, ranking in the Top 100.

Persephone

Philip, the name of one of the 12 apostles, is still favored by parents in search of a solid boys' classic that is less neutral than Robert or John and more distinctive than Daniel or Matthew and has many historic, royal ties. 
 Famous bearers include Saint Philip and King Philip the Great, who was the father of Alexander the Great, plus there have been numerous other French and Spanish rulers named Philip.
 Thanks to the Duke of Edinburgh, though, Philip has a certain built-in reserve, somewhat straight and staid.
 When it comes to nicknames, you're not limited to the midcentury Phil -- more lively ones include Pip and Flip.
 The name can also be spelled Phillip; that spelling is consistently used almost exactly as much as this spelling, and in 2017 there were exactly as many baby Phillips as there were baby Philips.
 Some other modern Philip namesakes are writer Roth, late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, architect Johnson, and composer Glass. Model Eva Herzigova named her baby Philip.
 Philip comes via Latin from the Greek and was a Top 100 choice for a century, before fading in the late-1980s. In literature, Philip Pirrip is the full name of Pip from Great Expectations. Other Philips appear in the novels of Jane Austen, George Eliot, and William Thackeray -- not to mention Raymond Chandler's detective Philip Marlowe.

Philip

Rosaline, which can be pronounced to rhyme with mine or mean in its final syllable, has a deeper, richer pedigree than it might seem.  Rosaline was used twice by Shakespeare and was also used in the poetry of Edmund Spenser. While we prefer the stronger-sounding Rosalind or Rosamund, Rosaline deserves another contemporary look.

Rosaline

Spice names are increasingly appealing to the senses of prospective parents; this one, belonging to a precious spice derived from the crocus has a vaguely orange-scented-incense sixties feel. 
 English actress Saffron Burrows is an attractive current representative, and on the cult classic British TV series Absolutely Fabulous, Saffron "Saffy" Monsoon was the one sane member of her household. Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon has a grown daughter named Saffron.
 Saffron can also be considered a color name via its distinctive yellow hue.

Saffron

Santiago is a spirited Spanish name with great crossover potential. It's a place-name (a city in Chile), a surname, and the name of the patron saint of Spain. 
 
Santiago has been rising through the popularity charts in the US for more than 30 years now, and shows no signs of slowing down. It might make a creative honor name for an ancestral James.
 Santiago has been featured in several works of fiction: it was the main character's name in Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Paolo Coehlo's The Alchemist, and there was also a Santiago in Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire.

Santiago

An elegant, continental name for the post-Steve era. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1949 and has been on the list every year since except for a year off in 2008.

Stefan

Romantic name used throughout Europe, though sure to lead to pronunciation problems here. Though it's never been too widely used in the US, it's quite popular in Switzerland, France, Austria, and Romania.

Valentin

Victoria is the Latin word for "victory" and a feminine form of Victor. It is the name of the ancient Roman goddess of victory, the equivalent of the Greek Nike, and also a popular third century saint.
 
Victoria, the epitome of gentility and refinement, reflects the image of the long-reigning British queen. Queen Victoria, for whom the Victorian Era is named, ruled over England for over sixty-three years.
 
In the 1990s, Victoria managed to breach the Top 20, a surprisingly high standing for a name that is more of a classic than a fashion favorite these days. One enduring appeal of Victoria is that it's a traditional girls' name with a powerful meaning. 
 
One possible role model is proto-feminist Victoria Woodhull. Ex-Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and Victoria's Secret have given the name a more modern edge, and it also has been a Twilight name.
 
Vicky (and Vicki, Vickie, and Vikki) and Tory (along with Tori) have traditionally been used as nicknames for Victoria. Vittoria is the pretty Italian version.

Victoria

Now that Violet is becoming more popular, parents are starting to explore same-but-different options such as the French Violette, which would properly be pronounced with a long e sound in the first syllable and three syllables -- vee-oh-let -- as well as the Spanish Violeta — both of which were among the fastest-rising girl names of 2023.

Violette

stephaniecatherine's list "Boarding School" of 32 great name ideas: Alexandrina - Violette!

Boarding School

From the ivy covered walls of the east coast to chilly monogram embossed England, some over the top posh picks for tots.