Characters from The Selection
- Lacey
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from Lassy"Description:
A unique combination of a surname feel and dainty femininity. It's currently associated with actress Lacey Chambert.
- Laila
Origin:
Spelling variation of Layla (Arabic); Sami variation of Helga (Finland)Meaning:
"night; holy"Description:
Beguiling and lovely, Laila is one of the lilting variations of Leila and Layla. It's the name of the former-boxer daughter of Muhammad Ali and of actor Shawn Wayans. In Finland, the Sami people use this in place of the Scandinavian name Helga.
- Leah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"weary"Description:
Strong but sweet, Leah is a classic name that doesn’t feel dull or dusty. It’s got plenty of dignity, grace, and pluck, making it a solid choice in the 21st century.
- Leeland
- Leigh
Origin:
English variation of LeeMeaning:
"pasture, meadow"Description:
This spelling adds a little more femininity to the neutral Lee. Leigh and sister Lee were quite popular in the 1960s and 1970s among the first cool wave of unisex names for girls, but now have vanished from the Top 1000. The Biblical Leah is preferred.
- Lena
Origin:
English, Scottish, Dutch, German, and Scandinavian, diminutive of various names ending in lenaDescription:
This pet form of Helena and other ena-ending names, long used as an independent name, is attracting notice again as an option both multicultural and simple. Lena was a Top 100 name from 1880 to 1920.
- Leo
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"lion"Description:
Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for thirteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.
- Lodge
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"shelter"Description:
This English surname offers an interesting mix of images: it sounds upper-crusty yet macho, and also conjures up the coziness of a wintery ski lodge. As a surname it is associated with the Massachusetts Republican Senate Minority Leader in the Woodrow Wilson era, Henry Cabot Lodge, who was the father of poet George Cabot Lodge and grandfather of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., who was ambassador to the UN and Richard Nixon's 1960 presidential running mate.
- Logan
Origin:
ScottishMeaning:
"small hollow"Description:
According to exclusive Nameberry data, Logan is officially the Number 1 gender-neutral name in the US, but that statistic is somewhat misleading given that nearly 90 percent of the baby Logans born in 2023 were boys.
- Lora
Origin:
German variation and spelling variation of LauraDescription:
Somewhat flat-footed form; go for the original.
- Lucy
Origin:
English variation of Lucia, LatinMeaning:
"light"Description:
A versatile classic, Lucy is both sweet and solid, a saint's name, and the heroine of several great novels. First fashionable in England and Wales, Lucy is now a popular choice in the US, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.
- Lyssa
Origin:
Short form of Alyssa or Greek mythological nameMeaning:
"anger, fury, rage"Description:
Most contemporary English speakers will hear the name Lyssa as short for the long-popular Alyssa or Melissa. But Lyssa is a bona fide Greek mythology name, though not a very appealing one.
- Leron
- Linde
- Madeline
Origin:
English variation of MagdalenMeaning:
"high tower or woman from Magdala"Description:
Madeline, a lovely name with a soft and delicate image, is an old-fashioned favorite that returned to favor in the 1990's, combining a classic pedigree with a cute nickname option: Maddy.
- Madison
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Matthew"Description:
Since we wrote a book called Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana, encouraging parents to move beyond overused names, it's no secret what we think of this trendy surname name, inspired by a mermaid named Madison in the 1980s movie Splash.
- Magda
Origin:
German variation of MagdalenDescription:
On "Sex and the City," Magda was the elderly nanny from the old country -- which is what this name sounds like. While Magdalene and Magdalena are enjoying fresh life, Magda still feels dated.
- Marcy
Origin:
Diminutive of MarciaMeaning:
"Mars, god of war"Description:
Marcy is about as hip as bobby sox and saddle shoes – which is to say, it's probably due a revival in the not-too-distant future! It was a typical Peanuts character name, which peaked in the seventies, but is starting to attract attention again across the pond, where soundalikes like Macy, Marnie, Maisy, Darcy and Lacey are already popular.
- Margareta
- Mariah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"the Lord is my teacher; or drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
Thanks to Mariah Carey, everyone now knows this name – and is aware that Mariah's pronounced with a long i – just as Maria was in the Jane Austen era. And though Mariah now sounds modern, it was heard as far back as 1550 in Great Britain.