Fantastical Names

Name of the French town where a vision of the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared, this name, virtually unknown elsewhere, is in the Spanish Top 100.

One of the middle names of Dwayne Wade's son Zion.

Alaric is an ancient regal name that sounds modern enough to be considered. Alaric was a traditional name for the kings of the Ostrogoths, the most famous of whom was Alaric I, the King of the West Goths who sacked Rome in 410.

In an era with so many created, modern names, Aldrich oozes history and substance. But it is also fit for modern times, given its surname-as-name status and the nickname potential (Al, Richie, etc).

What's the difference between Alexander, the usual English spelling of this deeply classical name, and Alexandre, the French version? English speakers might find the proper French pronunciation challenging: a-lehk-SAHN-dreh, but that last syllable is barely pronounced. Americans might an an a or an ee on the end of the name, or simply pronounce it as Alexander, for better or worse.

Alexandrina is the most elaborate and unusual of the Alex- girls's names.The real first name of Queen Victoria, who was given it in honor of her godfather, Alexander I of Russia (her childhood nickname was Drina), it would make a distinctive pick, even though some might find five syllables a bit much. It was particularly popular in Scotland in the 1930s.

Very popular on its native turf, foreign-sounding here.

Polish form of Alice and Alicia

The brightest star in Ursa Major, this is one of the major navigational stars used by ships.

Althea is a poetic, almost ethereal name found in Greek myth and pastoral poetry, associated in modern times with the great tennis player Althea Gibson, the first African-American to win at Wimbledon.

This name from the Igbo language of Africa, which feels like the more-familiar Arabic Ahmad, might be an original and attractive choice.

Amael or Amaël is a variant of the popular Breton name Mael or Maël, which ranks in the Top 10 in France.

Amari is a name that's rising in popularity in the US for both boys and girls. Last year, about 1000 baby girls and 2000 baby boys were named Amari in the US, making it one of the Top 20 gender neutral names.