What About?

Fabia is one of several pleasant international-accented female versions of Fabian.

Instead of the usual French suspects -- Danielle, Isabelle, Gabrielle -- why not consider Fabienne, which is less common and just as pretty.

Inventive name for the child of a writer.

Femke is a diminutive version of the Dutch or Frisian name Fem, which in turn is a feminine form of the masculine name Femme (still with us?), which is a diminutive of several Old German names names containing the syllable "frid" which means peace.

Of all the botanicals, Fern has been one of the slowest to move back from the front parlor into the nursery, despite the appealing girl character in the children's classic Charlotte's Web. Fern was most popular from the turn of the last century through the 1940s, reaching a high of #152 in 1916. We can certainly see her rejoining the long list of popular greenery names.

Fiadh is the fastest-rising girls' name in Ireland, derived from the ancient root word for "wild". The Anglicized form Fia is one we might see rising in the US as well – to take the place of its popular cousin Mia.

This musical choice fits right in with all the new hard-working Millers and Gardeners. It's also a Scottish demonym, referring to an inhabitant of the historic Scottish county of Fife.

The Old Norse and modern Norwegian word name Fjord, which refers to a passage in the sea, could work for children of both genders.

The original form of the name of the Norse goddess Freya, whose name is now a worldwide sensation. Freya is the most common variant, although Freja is preferred in Denmark and Sweden. Iceland still uses Freyja, the Old Norse spelling.

Gabrina is a name sometimes heard in the Latino community, could make a distinctive alternative to Gabriela.

Galilee is a highly unusual place name, Galilee being a large region in northern Israel, the home of Jesus during at least thirty years of his life, and also where he cured a blind man. The Sea of Galilee gets its name from the area.

The name of the great Renaissance astronomer and mathematician would make a distinctive hero-middle-name for the son of parents involved in those fields.

Giacinta is as pretty in its way as Jacinta, the Spanish name for the same purple flower, and is also a saint's name. Gia is the nickname it shares with all Gia-starting names.

This variant of Gianna has been in the US Top 1000 for most of the 21st century and hit a peak in 2010 at Number 568. The original spelling outranks the trimmed down version by far.

The Italian Gianna undoubtedly owes much of its popularity in the US to its status as an honor name for John. Before the importation of Gianna, there was no truly workable feminine form of John, so Gianna found widespread favor among American parents with Italian roots and far beyond.

An Italian version of an English classic beginning to be adopted by cutting-edge American parents, including Entourage's Debi Mazar.

One-time beach-boy compadre of Glenn, Greg, and Gary that originated as a nickname for a tall person, Grant has become a no-nonsense, career-oriented grown-up and one that is seeing new appreciation. It was chosen for his son by actor Morris Chestnut. It has cultural cred via artist Grant Wood, whose best known painting is 'American Gothic.'