Snicketverse Names
- Olaf
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"ancestor's relic"Description:
Olaf, though sainted and regal in Norway, is slightly oafish here. It is one of those names that has become completely familiar in the U.S. without ever becoming assimilated. Now that he's a comical character in Disney's Frozen, he might get some more attention.
- Olivia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"olive tree"Description:
Olivia, a lovely Shakespearean name with an admirable balance of strength and femininity, is the Number 1 name for baby girls in the US and one of the top girls' names around the world.
- Omeros
- Ornette
- Phil
- Pip
Origin:
English, diminutive of PhilipMeaning:
"lover of horses"Description:
The original Pip was the main character in Great Expectations (full name Philip Pirrip). Cute for a tike, maybe too cute for an adult.
- Polly
Origin:
English variation of MollyDescription:
An alternative to the no-longer-fresh Molly, the initial 'P' gives Polly a peppier sound, combining the cozy virtues of an old-timey name with the bounce of a barmaid.
- Prosper
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"favorable, prosperous"Description:
In France, pronounced PRO-spare, Prosper is a fairly common name; here it presents a worthy aspirational message for a child.
- Quigley
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"from the mother's side"Description:
The spoiled only son of the richest family in town in a fifties movie.
- Robinson
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Robin"Description:
This can be a cool and unusual way to honor your family Robert, conjuring up memories of Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson, as well as narrative poet Robinson Jeffers, born John Robinson, who shared his mother's middle name.
- Sadie
Origin:
Diminutive of SarahMeaning:
"princess"Description:
Sadie started as a nickname for Sarah, but their images couldn't be more disparate. Where Sarah is serious and sweet, Sadie is full of sass and fun.
- Sally
Origin:
Diminutive of SarahMeaning:
"princess"Description:
Sally is a cheerful, fresh-faced girl-next-door name that was originally a nickname for Sarah, but has long been used independently. Sally was popular in the eighteenth century and then again from the 1920s to the 1960s--it was just outside the Top 50 around 1940. Though it hasn't been heard as a baby name for decades, we can see Sally bouncing back, especially after her exposure as young Ms. Draper on Mad Men--the Nameberries rank it at Number 621, and it's a Top 100 name in Sweden.
- Sharon
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"a plain"Description:
This Old Testament place name was in the Top 10 fifty years ago, but now Sharon, along with sound-alike Karen, have fallen out of favor.
- Sherman
Origin:
English occupational nameMeaning:
"shearer of woolen cloth"Description:
Not quite as over-the-hill as Herman, but not far behind either.
- Shirley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"bright meadow"Description:
Shirley Temple almost single-handedly lifted the gloom of the Great Depression, and in tribute (and perhaps wishing for a similarly curly-headed, dimpled darling of their own), thousands of parents of that generation gave their little girls her name. In 1935, Shirley was the second most popular girls' name in the country with more than 42,000 babies named Shirley.
- Stephano
Origin:
Literature, Greek, ItalianMeaning:
"crown"Description:
While the spelling Stefano is more common, Stephano makes a great choice for parents looking to give Stephen/Steven a more romantic feel. Although only given to 8 boys in the US in 2014, Stephano could be a great choice for parents looking for a name with the same flavor as Rafael, Matteo or Emilio. It appears as a character name in Shakespeare's The Tempest.
- Stew
- Sunny
Origin:
English nicknameDescription:
Upbeat nickname-name that can't help but make you smile. You might want to use it as a short form for a more "serious" name such as Sunniva, but Sunny is undeniably, well, sunny.
- Squeak
- Theodora
Origin:
Feminine variation of TheodoreMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Theodora is one of the most revival-worthy of the charmingly old-fashioned Victorian valentine names, softly evocative but still substantial, as is the reversed-syllable Dorothea.