V names

Effortlessly stylish, with plenty of sweetness and strength, Valentina feels like a fresh alternative to Valerie, Victoria, or Vanessa.

Valentine is an attractive Shakespearean name with romantic associations, but those very ties to the saint and the sentimental holiday have sent it into a decline, one which we think may be about to turn around.

This name of a Roman emperor and of a sedating plant doesn't have much of a baby name future, unless you just like its strong, rhythmic sound.

This diminutive of Valeria has a strong and striking sound to match its meaning. It has also been used in Brazil in recent decades.

This Italian word name, meaning (as you would suspect) valley, has a rolling soft sound to it. The "lay-a" sound also perfectly complements the current fashion for similar names such as Rhea, Layla and May/Mae.

Valletta is the capital city of Malta. It takes on an air of attractiveness via model Amber Valletta and could make an appealing alternative to the somewhat dated Valerie.

Intriguing way to signal Welsh ancestry; more unusual than Wallace.

A short but sophisticated, long-neglected name you might want to consider.

Vanessa was invented by writer Jonathan Swift for a lover named Esther Vanhomrigh—he combined the first syllable of her last name with the initial syllable of her first. Swift used it in the poem Cadenus and Vanessa in 1713. A century later, Johan Christian Fabricius used Vanessa as the name of a genus of butterfly.

While Vanilla might be too bland, the French version is more flavorful.

Vanina is a name that is, at first glance, miles apart from its origin. But once you say it aloud and look for it, you can see the direct line from Evangelina to Vanina. Vanina could also be a good alternative for people who like the sound of Vanille or Vanilla, but can't bring themselves to use a flavor as a name.

This short form of Ivan just could join the other Russian nickname names coming into fashion, and it does have the Chekhov connection.

Commonly heard in Israel, but here it could be an unusual way to honor Grandma Rose.

This name derives from the name Varuna, who in the Hindi faith was the god of water. Varun is, therefore, somewhat analogous to Neptune or Poseidon.

This familiar but never popular Welsh surname name might be a good Sean alternative-- and we're starting to hear some berrybuzz about it. Vaughn is an alternate spelling.

Literary Indian choice, best known here via acclaimed writer Ved Mehta, who lost his sight at the age of four.