Celestian Names

The girls' name Kyra sounds like the also popular Keira/Kiera, but has a different root. There are twice as many baby girls named Keira as Kyra, with Kiera in third place. Kyra now ranks at #590 and is most familiar via actress Kyra Sedgwick.

Upside: it has an interesting ancient look and feel, related to the Roman family name Laelius of uncertain meaning. There is also a type of orchid called the Laelia. Downside: possible confusion with all those Laylas, Lailas, etc. out there.

If it's possible for a name to be too musical, this one is.

Out-of-the-ordinary gemstone name derived from lapis lazuli, which is said to enhance awareness and intellect, impart ancient wisdom and cure many ailments, making it an interesting possibility for a blue-eyed girl. Lazuli — or Azure or Blue — are other options.

Lark is getting some new and well-deserved attention as a post-Robin and Raven bird name. Although it was first recorded as a name in the 1830's, it has never appeared on the Social Security list.

Lars is a perfect candidate for a cross-cultural passport: it has been heard often enough here to sound familiar and friendly, yet retains the charisma of a charming foreigner.

Laurel takes Laura back to its meaning in nature, resulting in a gentle, botanical option. Even more directly than Laura, Laurel relates back to the laurel wreath signifying success and peace in ancient Greece and Rome.

This pretty female form of Laurence originated in ancient Rome and is still sometimes heard in the Latino community. It is one of the many intriguing Latin names for girls worth consideration by modern parents, as a more distinctive spin on Laura or Lauren. The name's rhythm also makes it perfect for Ren or Wren as a nickname.

Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names like Clementine and Marigold.

Now deeply associated with the gemstone Lapis Lazuli, Lazuli is derived from one of the places where the stone was first mined. The word Lazuli is the root for words like azure. Lapis Lazuli is a deep and rich blue color and was used for pigments and jewellery. Lazuli can be used for a boy or a girl.

Leander was once an almost unknown name, however, with the popularity of Leo and the rise of Leandro, it now feels like a perfectly accessible alternative to Leon or 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.

With the rise of many once-dated leonine names, from Leona to Lionel to Leonora, Leandra is an unusual choice that might be looking at a comeback..

Leda is that rare name that has not yet been discovered in the current craze for ancient names from mythology. In classical Greek myth, Leda was a great beauty who mothered another great beauty, Helen of Troy. Leda is at once simple, deeply-rooted, and unique: Only 23 baby girls were named Leda in the US last year. A name used in several European countries, pronunciation is usually the straightforward lee-dah but the Italians say lay-dah.

This spelling variation of Leya was popularized by the Star Wars films, but is still firmly in the US Top 1000 many years later. This spelling is also probably preferred as it is clearer in pronunciation to the original Hindi name, Leya (which sometime gets pronounced Lee-ah).

Leif is one of the most recognizable Scandinavian names, thanks to Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson, and is still one of the best, with a pleasant aural association with the word leaf.

Leila was popularized in the West by the poet Byron, who used it in his poem Don Juan for a ten-year-old Turkish girl. Leila also appears as a fairy in the Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera Iolanthe.