International exotic and curious
- Ingrid
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"fair; Ing is beautiful"Description:
The luminous Ingrid Bergman's appeal was strong enough to lend universal charisma to this classic Scandinavian name, which has been somewhat neglected in the US. Even today, a child named Ingrid would be assumed to be of Scandinavian ancestry, signaling the name has never been fully integrated into the English lexicon the way other European choices from the same era like Danielle or Kathleen have.
- Io
Origin:
Greek mythology nameDescription:
Io may be one of the slightest names in the book, but there aren't many two-letter names with as much substance as this Greek mythological example. Io, a name used for the largest moon of Jupiter, was in classic myth raped by Zeus and escaped from him by changing herself into a cow.
- Isaura
Origin:
Greek place-nameDescription:
The name of an ancient country located in South Asia Minor, perfect for someone looking for a rare and feminine name with history.
- Isola
Origin:
Celtic variation of Isolde or ItalianMeaning:
"island"Description:
Isola (named for the Celtic heroine Iseult) was the unusual name of Irish author Oscar Wilde’s younger sister, who died of meningitis at the age of nine. Wilde later dedicated his poem Requiescat to her memory.
- Isolde
Origin:
Welsh, GermanMeaning:
"ice ruler"Description:
Now that Tristan has been rediscovered, maybe it's time for his fabled lover in the Arthurian romances and Wagnerian opera, a beautiful Irish princess, to be brought back into the light as well.
- Juno
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"queen of the heavens; young"Description:
Juno is an ancient name that feels as fresh as if it had been minted, well, not yesterday, but in 2007. Since the release of the popular indie film Juno, this lively but strong Roman goddess name has held new potential as a baby name. Currently in the UK Top 500 and used in The Netherlands too, Juno is on the rise in the US - and is 15 times more popular than it was before the release of the film.
- Kai
Origin:
HawaiianMeaning:
"sea"Description:
Kai is an internationally flexible name with many possible origins and meanings, growing in popularity in the US and a diverse range of European countries.
- Katya
Origin:
Russian, diminutive of Ekatarina, Russian variation of KatherineMeaning:
"pure"Description:
One of the warm and earthy Russian nickname names now coming into style. Denzel Washington gave his daughter the Katia spelling.
- Kitto
Origin:
Cornish, diminutive of Christopher, Greek and LatinMeaning:
"bearer of Christ"Description:
Kitto updates Dad Name Christopher with a trendy o-ending short form. Use it as an honor name or an original nickname.
- Leander
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"lion-man"Description:
Leander is an almost unknown name with great potential as a possible alternative to the overused Alexander. In Greek legend, Leander was the powerful figure who swam across the Hellespont every night to visit his beloved Hero, a priestess of Venus.
- Lir
Origin:
Irish mythological nameDescription:
Lir is the Irish god of the sea, the equivalent of the Welsh Llyr which some equate with Shakespeare's King Lear. This is one of those rare names that is simple and has a deep history with an appealing meeting and yet is completely unused in the modern world -- no baby boys were recorded as receiving the name Lir in the US last year. Maybe because it sounds like the unappealing leer?
- Lucian
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"light"Description:
Lucian is a sleeker, more sophisticated version of Lucius that is climbing in tandem with other Lu-starting names.
- Lucien
Origin:
French form of LucianMeaning:
"light"Description:
Sophisticated Gallic version of Lucian, Lucien may appeal to parents attracted to this meaning over that of Lucas and Luke, which have a different root, and also looking for a more unusual choice.
- Lucius
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"light"Description:
Lucius is an old Roman clan name that has lots of religious and literary resonance, yet is still vital today. It was the name of three popes, appears in several Shakespeare plays, and, like all the names beginning with 'luc' relates to the Latin word for light.It was one of a limited number of forenames used in ancient Rome, and because of its meaning was often given to boys born at dawn.
- Lyra
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"lyre"Description:
Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's finding new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, seen in the movie The Golden Compass. Simple yet unique, Lyra hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.
- Marceau
Origin:
French variation of MarcelMeaning:
"little warrior"Description:
Mime Marcel Marceau actually had two versions of the same name. Marcel, Marceau, Marcella, Marcus, Mark -- all are variation of the Roman mythological name Mars, the god of war.
- Navarro
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"from Navarre"Description:
Dashing surname for the Basque kingdom.
- Niamh
Origin:
Irish GaelicMeaning:
"bright"Description:
Niamh, derived from the Old Irish Niam, is an ancient Irish name that was originally a term for a goddess. In Irish myth, one who bore it was Niamh of the Golden Hair, daughter of the sea god, who falls in love with Finn's son Oisin and takes him to the Land of Promise, where they stayed for three hundred years. Niamh can be Anglicized as Neve, Nieve, or Neave.
- Nicasio
Origin:
Spanish from GreekMeaning:
"victory"Description:
Closer to Nike than to Nicholas, this is an attractive, viable import. It's also one of several Italian and Spanish baby names that get you to the stylish and attractive nickname Nico.
- Oceane
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"ocean"Description:
Oceane (oh-see-EN) has been one of the chicest names in France for several years, ranking in the French Top 50. This is a sophisticated name that could easily cross the ocean, and is much more stylish than the English Ocean or Oceana.