An Alphabetical List Of Names
- Uma
Origin:
Sanskrit, HebrewMeaning:
"light, peace, nation"Description:
Uma is a sweet, strong name for a Hindu goddess... and a Hollywood one. But as popular as Uma Thurman is, other parents have not yet picked up on her name, making it a rarity.
- Urien
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"of privileged birth"Description:
Too close to the name of a bodily fluid.
- Victor
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"conqueror"Description:
Victor is one of the earliest Christian names, borne (as Vittorio) by several saints and popes, symbolizing Christ's victory over death. It has been quietly in the Top 200 since 1880, but just recently has taken on a cool edge by fashionable parents in London and seems ripe for a similar reevaluation here too.
- Violet
Origin:
English from LatinMeaning:
"purple"Description:
Violet is soft and sweet, yet with a vivacious edge.
- Wesley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"western meadow"Description:
Reminiscent of the Old West, with rugged charm and a gentle, easy-going feel, Wesley has long been a staple on the US charts.
- Willow
Origin:
English nature nameMeaning:
"willow tree"Description:
An ancient tree that figures in literature from Shakespeare to Harry Potter and is believed to possess magical powers, Willow is a lovely name, as graceful as its inspiration.
- Xanthe
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"golden, yellow"Description:
X marks the spot in names these days, usually at the middles or ends of names, but here is one that puts it squarely up front.
- Xavier
Origin:
BasqueMeaning:
"new house"Description:
Xavier originated is use as a given name after Saint Francis Xavier, cofounder of the Jesuit order, who got his name from the Spanish-Basque village where he was born. His birthplace was Javier, the name of which was derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria, meaning "castle" or "new house."
- Yasmin
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"jasmine flower"Description:
This name, whose sweet and fragrant floral essence has always been widespread across the Near Eastern world, has now landed on US popularity lists in a variety of spellings. It's been dropping precipitously over the past few years, though, perhaps due to a combination of tensions in the Middle East and the fading fashion status of Jasmine itself.
- Yuri
Origin:
Russian variation of GeorgeDescription:
Common Russian name familiarized here via cosmonaut Yury Gagarin and a character in Dr. Zhivago, but we don't see it ever gaining permanent resident status.
- Zander
Origin:
Diminutive of AlexanderMeaning:
"defending men"Description:
On the rise as an independent name: Zander and Xander are both widely used can increasingly be found as characters in movies and on TV.
- Zoey
Origin:
Spelling variation of ZoeMeaning:
"life"Description:
Zoey is a modern spelling variation of Zoe, the Greek Jewish translation of Eve. For a few years, it was even more popular than the original Zoe, but has now dropped back to the second ranked spelling.