Familiar Spirits

Lucifer is the name of the archangel cast into hell -- theologians disagree on whether he and Satan are separate beings -- and as such has long been on the forbidden list for religious parents. Still banned in New Zealand, Lucifer is occasionally used in the contemporary U.S.: Six boys were given the name in the most recent year counted.

Though you may pray to the god of sleep for your baby to slumber through the night, a drowsy image is not the greatest one to inflict on your little boy.

Identified with a region famous for its gold, more commonly spelled Ophira.

A paradox is a statement that while seeming true contradicts itself. With the less-than-pleasant "Doxy" as an obvious nickname, Paradox is perhaps a better name for a cat than a baby.

Sebastian is an ancient martyr's name turned literary, and Little Mermaid hero—think Sebastian the Crab—that's more popular than ever, as a classic-yet-unconventional compatriot for fellow British favorites T Theodore and Oliver.

Semiramis was the most important Queen of Assyria, who conquered much of Asia. Semiramis restored ancient Babylon and protected it with a high brick wall that completely surrounded the city. Then she built several palaces in Persia, reigned much of Asia Minor effectively and conquered Libya and Ethiopia.

No: no Picasso, no Beethoven, and no Shakespeare.

Skadi is an anglicized spelling of Skaði, a Scandinavian goddess associated with winter, skiing, bowhunting and mountains. This mythological choice is enjoying the limelight of names like Odin and Thor: it first appeared in the US charts in 2017 and is given to a few more girls each year.

Also know as the salt cedar, a plant known for enduring harsh conditions. This makes Tamarisk an intriguing nature name, suggesting resilience and strength, similar to the name Oak for boys.

Valentine is an attractive Shakespearean name with romantic associations, but those very ties to the saint and the sentimental holiday have sent it into a decline, one which we think may be about to turn around.