Long and Lovely

Former Miss Universe and former Mrs. Marc Anthony, Dayanara Torres has made a more lasting success of her name.

Eleanor is back, Nora is back, and, as predicted, Eleanora is back too, as of 2023.

Eliora is a melodic name ripe with vowel sounds.

Elizabella is a much more obscure smoosh than sisters Isabella and Annabelle, but the megapopularity of Isabella may give this unusual combo name a boost.

Eloisa captures a lovely name back from the spoiled little girl at the Plaza. Historical romance writer Eloisa James has helped make this antique name sound fresh and sassy again.

Princess-y but not overly fussy, thanks to the classic simplicity of Emma, Emmalina is a sweet, bright alternative to Emilia. The meaning can vary depending on if you see it as an elaboration of Emmeline or a compound name of Emma and Carolina or Lina".

Erendira was the name of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez heroine and also a mythological princess. The name is best known in Mexico.

Why is Evangeline so popular -- close to Number 200 in the US -- while Evangelina hasn't charted in the Top 1000 since the early 1950s? The stardom of Evangeline Lilly has something to do with the relative popularity of that form, but Evangelina is just as pretty and romantic but given to only 10% as many baby girls.

Like Galilea and Livia, one of the Italian names that fashionable American parents—with or without Italian roots—have started to choose for their daughters. It has endured ups and downs since entering the popularity charts in 1991.

A pretty, if unusual choice for a summer baby, particularly a girl with an ancestor named Ida. An epithet of the goddess Aphrodite, Idalia is derived from the Greek place name Idalion.

Why is Isabella megapopular while Isadora goes virtually ignored? Too close a tie with tragic modern dancer Isadora Duncan (born Angela Isadora), who was done in by her long flowing scarf, perhaps, or with fusty male version Isidore. But we think Isadora is well worth reevaluating as an Isabella alternative. Quirky couple singer Bjork and artist Matthew Barney did just that and named their daughter Isadora. Isidora would be an alternative, just as proper but not quite as charming spelling--the one used as the spelling of a fourth century saint's name.

Jessenia and Yesenia are drawn from the Spanish name for a South American tree, making them new nature names.

Julietta feels newly fresh and friendly thanks to the growing familiarity of Juliet and French sister Juliette.

Katerina and its near-identical twin Katarina have a pleasingly lilting European sound, though for some Americans they may be uncomfortably close to Katrina, which will be linked for a long time to the hurricane that devastated New Orleans.