Power Names/Fantasy

Despite the popularity of Anthony and its masculine variants, female derivatives of its source – the Roman family name Antonius, of unknown meaning – have never caught on in the same way. Sister name Antonia peaked at #336 in the US way back in 1882, while Antonina itself has never ranked higher than #865 (in 1915). It has been outside of the Top 1000 ever since.

An evocative ancient word that's used as a first name in the New Testament, among other places. It's also the name of an eagle-shaped constellation.

The Native American name for Martha's Vineyard and for a town at the far end of that lovely island, this was used by Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan for one of their twin daughters.

If you're looking for a really untouristed place name, Aquitaine could be it. Aquitaine is a region of France that includes both Bordeaux and Biarritz and is famous for such food and drink as its pates and cassoulets, Armagnac brandy and Bordeaux wines.

This Basque name, which derives the name of a small town, is less well known than its diminutive version Arantxa. The name comes from the Basque word aratza meaning thornbush.

Unknown but eminently usable choice, especially for Jewish parents, with lovely meaning.

Aravis was the name of a female character in C.S. Lewis's A Horse and His Boy, and is also the name of a mountain range in southern France. With the rise of Ava, Avery, and indeed seemingly all names that start with A, Aravis may finally reach a wider audience.

Arcadia, a name for an unspoiled paradise, makes an attractive secular alternative to Nevaeh or Eden. For parents who want an unusual name with a friendlier nickname, Arcadia has the advantage of cute Cady.

Arden, the name of the magical forest in Shakespeare's As You Like It, is a stylish A name with a strong, straightforward image. Another reason to love Arden: its similarity to "ardent." Arden is solidly unisex, with the current gender distribution running about 60 percent girls and 40 percent boys.

More modern and alluring than Silver, Argenta is one of the few mineral/metal-related names.

A romantic take on Ariadne, who in Greek mythology was the daughter of King Minos of Crete. She saw over the labyrinth, where she later helped Theseus defeat the Minotaur.

This name of the Cretan goddess of fertility is most popular now as the more melodic Ariana, but Ariadne has possibilities of its own. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. The renewed interest in the name falls in line with the revival of other mythological names like Apollo and Athena. The trendy nickname Ari doesn't hurt either.

This early Welsh saint's name is unusual and lovely, waiting to be discovered. Saint Arianell was a member of the Welsh royal family who was possessed by a spirit which was exorcised by Saint Dyfrig, who became Arianell's spiritual teacher.

Arkadina was thrust into the limelight as one of the (many) middle names of Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson's little girl. The Slavic or Russian feminine form of Arkady, which is derived from the ancient Greek name Arkadios, is the equivalent of the English Arcadia -- a heavenly place. For most English speakers, the Arcadia form would be more compatible.

Derived from Artemis, the name of the Greek mythological goddess of the moon and hunting, Artemesia has a couple of notable associations, among them a fourth century Queen of Caria who was responsible for the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World..

You might think Artemisia is the feminine form of the name, but in fact the original Artemis is feminine too, the name of the Greek mythological goddess of the moon. Artemisia Gentileschi was an esteemed Italian Baroque painter, unusual in an era when not many women were acknowledged. Artemisia is also a genus of plants which include sagebrush and tarragon.

The name of a Queens, New York neighborhood sounds like a lost-in-limbo girls' name such as LAVERNE.

A biblical character who was one of David's most valiant warriors and was known for being fast. But in the modern English-speaking world, this name may be too close to an insulting anatomical word.