Power Names/Fantasy

Cornelius, the New Testament name of a third century Pope and saint, is one of those venerable Latin names on the edge of consideration, despite the corny nickname alert.

Corsica, the picturesque Mediterrean island birthplace of Napoleon, makes an easy switch from atlas to baby name book, with its delicate, feminine ending. Just don't consider neighboring island Sardinia.

Cove is an up-and-coming nature name whose cool sound and peaceful image saw it rising for both sexes... until COVID-19 hit. It remained steady in use for boys in 2021, but actually increased for girls, although it remains a seriously rare and distinctive choice for either gender.

Derived from the Latin Crescentius and Crescens, Crescentia is a bold, strong but elaborate name borne by a 4th century saint and also the heroine of a 12th century German romance. Also spelled Kreszentia, it also feels connected to the moon, due to its similarity to the word crescent.

Name of a tragic mythological hero, used as a surname in the works of James Joyce; heavy but ponderous for an American boy, though pulled off very well by single-name musician Daedalus and writer and artist Daedalus Howell.

Dania is a fun, offbeat name with international flair.

Unique and fluid river name with the lilt of a Viennese waltz.

Name from legend that might be an interesting Jason alternative.

Sadly, this strong Celtic name often has "of the sorrows" attached to it because of the tragic character in Irish legend. Also a bit drab when compared with newer Irish imports.

This 1950s Welsh bird name sounds less dated than our fifties Robin.

Desdemona is as Shakespearean as a name can be, but because the beautiful and innocent wife of Othello came to such a tragic end, her name has been avoided for centuries. But at this point in time, there might be some adventurous parents willing to overlook that.

Destry rides again, this time as a Western flavored baby name. Derived from the French surname Destrier, from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "warhorse", this rugged name was popularized by the 1930 novel Destry Rides Again by Max Brand, subsequently adapted for the big screen.

Diarra has a nice meaning, but we could see it leading to possible teasing re association with a certain digestive problem.

Dimitri is a Slavic variation of the Russian Dmitriy, a name that comes from the Greek Demetrius. Demetrius was derived from Demeter, the name of the Greek goddess of fertility and farming. Among the possible spelling variations are Dmitri, Dmitrii, Dmitriy, and Dmitry.

The name of the great Italian Renaissance sculptor known as Donatello (but born DONATO), is one that could easily emigrate to modern America, just like sister DONATELLA.