Bloom at Dawn

  1. Lenore
    • Origin:

      German variation of Leonora, Italian derivative of Eleonora, meaning unknown
    • Description:

      A "modernization" of Leonora that has suddenly come back on the radar along with the many other Leo names--both male and female. With literary cred via a famous eponymous poem by Edgar Allan Poe (and also in his even more famous The Raven,) Lenore was steadily in the top half of the popularity list until the mid-fifties, falling off in 1973. Cameron Diaz played a Lenore in The Green Hornet.
  2. Luke
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "man from Lucania"
    • Description:

      Luke is a cool-yet-strong Biblical name with a relaxed cowboy feel, which has been on the rise since the advent of Luke Skywalker.
  3. Magnolia
    • Origin:

      Flower name, from French surname
    • Meaning:

      "Magnol's flower"
    • Description:

      Magnolia, a sweet-smelling Southern belle of a name made famous via the iconic Edna Ferber novel and musical Showboat, is one of the latest wave of botanical names, along with unexpected blossoms Azalea and Zinnia. It is named for French botanist Pierre Magnol.
  4. Malik
    • Origin:

      Arabic; Greenlandic
    • Meaning:

      "king; wave"
    • Description:

      A name with many spelling variations, including Malek and Maliq. With Muslim roots, Malik ranks in the US Top 500 and is also popular in several European and Arabic countries. Malik can also be thought of as a nature name, via its Greenlandic meaning of wave.
  5. Marlys
    • Maye
      • Milo
        • Origin:

          Latin and Old German
        • Meaning:

          "soldier or merciful"
        • Description:

          Milo is most commonly considered to be Germanic name derived from the Latin word miles, meaning "soldier." However, there is evidence to suggest it also may have independently spawned from the Slavic root milu, meaning "merciful." Milo predates brother name Miles, a variation that evolved when the name immigrated to the British Isles in the Middle Ages. Mylo is an alternate spelling.
      • Myra
        • Origin:

          Greek
        • Meaning:

          "sweet-smelling oil"
        • Description:

          As with many grandmother-y names, this choice may be coming back into style.
      • Nickolas
        • Origin:

          Spelling variation of Nicholas
        • Description:

          Nouveau spelling remained in the US Top 300 for all of the 1990s. With the traditional spelling still a highly popular choice, a child bearing the Nickolas version could be accused of misspelling his own name.
      • Phillip
        • Origin:

          Greek
        • Meaning:

          "lover of horses"
        • Description:

          Spelling variation of Philip. Exactly as many baby boys were named with the single 'l' spelling in 2017.
      • Rainer
        • Origin:

          German
        • Meaning:

          "wise army"
        • Description:

          Rainer is one of those baby names that is still under-the-radar but has been quietly gaining traction: The number of boys who've received the name has doubled in the past decade, to just under 50. Part nature name and part traditional German name for boys, Rainer can claim a place among the two-syllable r-ending baby names so fashionable for boys today.
      • Roald
        • Origin:

          Norwegian
        • Meaning:

          "famous ruler"
        • Description:

          This intriguing Scandinavian name is associated with Roald Dahl, author of the juvenile classics James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. You can honor an ancestral Ronald just by dropping that middle 'n'.
      • Rosemary
        • Origin:

          Latin or English
        • Meaning:

          "dew of the sea, or rosemary (herb)"
        • Description:

          Despite appearances, Rosemary is not a "smoosh" name, not even a traditional one. The name derives from two Latin terms "Ros" meaning ‘dew’ and "Marinus" "meaning "of the sea". The plant was termed ‘dew of the sea’ due to its salty texture and its ability to thrive in coastal climes. Only after the Middle Ages did the English names of Rose and Mary become interchanged with the name Rosmarinus and give us the modern name we use today.
      • Rowan
        • Origin:

          Scottish and Irish
        • Meaning:

          "rowan tree; little redhead"
        • Description:

          With its gentle sounds and earthy vibes, the name Rowan feels like a fusion of different styles. A word name, a surname, and a gender-neutral name, Rowan is rustic but trendy, blending the vibes of both Owen and Oakley.
      • Ruby
        • Origin:

          Latin
        • Meaning:

          "deep red precious stone"
        • Description:

          Vibrant, sassy, and bubbly, Ruby is a vintage gem that hasn’t lost any of its sparkle. Currently popular in a number of English-speaking countries, Ruby is proof of the 100 Year Rule, trending again for the first time since its heyday in the 1910s.
      • Silas
        • Origin:

          Aramaic, Latin, Greek
        • Meaning:

          "of the forest; or prayed for"
        • Description:

          Sleek and smart, with a hint of mystique about it, Silas is a recent addition to the US Top 100. Both mythological and Biblical in origin, Silas joins the ranks of Isaiah, Atlas, Elias, and Sebastian: polished and contemporary feeling names with plenty of history.
      • Sylvia
        • Origin:

          Latin
        • Meaning:

          "from the forest"
        • Description:

          The musical, sylvan Sylvia seems poised to join former friends Frances and Beatrice and Dorothy back in the nursery.
      • Violet
        • Origin:

          English from Latin
        • Meaning:

          "purple"
        • Description:

          Violet is soft and sweet, yet with a vivacious edge. Today, Violet is the top flower name for girls, outranking Lily and Iris in the Top 100, and the second most popular color name for girls after Scarlett.
      • William
        • Origin:

          German
        • Meaning:

          "resolute protection"
        • Description:

          William is one of the most enduring of classic names for boys. It's also among the most popular boys' names, as American parents see it as being ideally conservative yet contemporary, and hands-down the most popular baby name beginning with W of all time.
      • Zafir