Favorite

  1. Henri
    • Ida
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "industrious one"
      • Description:

        Many vowel names stylish a century ago are coming back, and Ida seems like a possible, logical successor to Ada and Ava.
    • Janie
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Jane, English
      • Meaning:

        "God is gracious"
      • Description:

        Will this old-fashioned nickname make a comeback, now that Jane has shed her "plain" image? Janie is cute and approachable, and would stand as well on the birth certificate as Josie and Jessie do now.
    • Jonesy
      • Kit
        • Origin:

          English, diminutive of Katherine
        • Meaning:

          "pure"
        • Description:

          Kit is a crisp, old-time nickname with plenty of spirit and style. In the UK it's a rising star for boys, while in the US, it is trending upwards for girls too. Originally used as a diminutive of Katherine and Christopher, Kit could make a cool alternative to Katie, or an unexpected honor name for the aforementioned classics.
      • Lella
        • Lennon
          • Origin:

            Irish
          • Meaning:

            "lover"
          • Description:

            A growing number of high-profile (and other) parents are choosing to honor their musical idols, such as Hendrix, Presley, Jagger, and now Lennon, an Irish name for girls as well as boys with a wonderful meaning on many levels. Lennon first came to notice when Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit used it for their son in 1999, and singer-musician Adam Pascal followed their lead two years later.
        • Lethe
          • Origin:

            Greek
          • Meaning:

            "oblivion"
          • Description:

            In Greek mythology, Lethe was the name of one of the five rivers in Hades, the underworld. Lethe was also the name of the Greek spirit of forgetfulness and oblivion, with whom the river was often identified.
        • Lucca
          • Origin:

            Spelling variation of Luca; Italian place name
          • Description:

            This spelling is more unisex than either Luca or Luka, perhaps because it is also an Italian city name. However, it fell for both genders in 2021, as the Disney movie Luca sent that spelling skyrocketing.
        • Lulu
          • Origin:

            Diminutive of Louise or Lucy, or Arabic
          • Meaning:

            "pearl"
          • Description:

            Lula has a firecracker personality, a singing and dancing extrovert. Interesting that Lulu was a Top 100 name when the Social Security list was born in 1880, but it's been sliding ever since and has not been in the Top 1000 for decades. Modern parents in love with Lulu might well reverse that trend.
        • Louie
          • Mabel
            • Origin:

              Diminutive of Amabel, Latin
            • Meaning:

              "lovable"
            • Description:

              Mabel is cuddly Victorian favorite rising in popularity in the US, after a 50-year nap If you love offbeat old-fashioned names like Violet or Josephine, only sassier and bubblier, Mabel is one for you to consider. It is currently in the US Top 200 and the UK Top 50.
          • Maple
            • Origin:

              English tree name from Latin
            • Meaning:

              "maple tree; tree of the Acer genus"
            • Description:

              Maple is one of those sweet-spot word names that sounds so almost name-like that it doesn't feel outlandish or strange, despite its relative newness as a given name. Just as Juniper is adjacent to June or Pippa, Clover like Chloe or Clara and Ember like Emma or Ebba, Maple is enough like Mabel, Maisie and Mae that it blends in well and has a touch of borrowed vintage charm.
          • Marigold
            • Origin:

              Flower name, from English
            • Meaning:

              "golden flower"
            • Description:

              Marigold, once found almost exclusively in English novels and aristocratic nurseries, is beginning to be talked about and considered here. It has a sweet, sunny, quirky feel. The marigold was the symbol of the Virgin Mary.
          • Maude
            • Origin:

              English and French diminutive of Matilda, German
            • Meaning:

              "battle-mighty"
            • Description:

              Maude, also spelled Maud, is a lacy, mauve-tinted name that was wildly popular a hundred years ago, but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose it again, especially as a middle.
          • Maxie
            • Milo
              • Murphie
                • Nettie
                  • Origin:

                    English, diminutive of names ending in -ette or -etta, or variation of Neta, Hebrew
                  • Meaning:

                    "plant"
                  • Description:

                    You may never have known a Nettie personally, but there well might be one hidden in your family history, considering that she was a Top 100 name until 1901 and stayed on the Social Security list until 1962.
                • Nina
                  • Origin:

                    Short form of names that end in -nina
                  • Description:

                    Nina is as multiethnic as you can get: Nina is a common nickname name in Spain and Russia, a Babylonian goddess of the oceans, and an Incan goddess of fire. Here and now, it's a stylish possibility that's been underused. "Weird Al" Yankovic chose this decidedly nonweird name for his daughter.