Semi-Unique Names We May Choose for Our Baby
- Ever
Origin:
English word nameDescription:
Ever's timeless quality would make this evocative word a positive middle name choice for a boy or girl. Alanis Morissette and Souleye named their son Ever Imre.Ever also seems to have ties to a Scandinavian name meaning "wild as a boar" and a Hebrew name meaning "beyond,"-- a variation of the name Eber.
- Ewan
Origin:
Scottish form of Gaelic EoghanMeaning:
"born of the yew tree"Description:
This appealing name has a good chance of catching on due to the popularity of Ewan McGregor, and the trend towards Gaelic names in general. Pronunciation is YOO-un.
- Fable
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"a legendary story of supernatural happenings"Description:
Fable, like Story, is a word name with real potential, combining enchanted tale-telling with a moral edge. And soundwise, it would fit right in with the likes of Abel and Mabel.
- Fern
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"plant name"Description:
Of all the botanicals, Fern has been one of the slowest to move back from the front parlor into the nursery, despite the appealing girl character in the children's classic Charlotte's Web. Fern was most popular from the turn of the last century through the 1940s, reaching a high of #152 in 1916. We can certainly see her rejoining the long list of popular greenery names.
- Forrest
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"dweller near the woods"Description:
Forrest is one of the earliest appealingly sylvan, outdoorsy choices, borne by newsman Sawyer, actor Whitaker, and football Hall of Famer Gregg. Forrest Gates was a character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
- Freya
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"a noble woman"Description:
Freya has long been popular in the U.K. but has only taken off in the US in the last decade, along with the entire category of mythological names. Derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning "Lady, noble woman", Freya is the name of the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.
- Giles
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"young goat"Description:
One of those names that most Americans find just too too tea-sippingly British to consider; its meaning has led to occasional use for Capricorn boys.
- Grover
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"lives near a grove of trees"Description:
Forget the furry blue Muppet, forget corpulent President Cleveland (not too difficult), and consider this name anew. We think it's spunky, a little funky, and well worth a second look.
- Harlow
Origin:
English surnameMeaning:
"rock hill or army hill"Description:
Jean Harlow (born Harlean Carpenter), the original platinum blonde bombshell, was a symbol of 1930s glamour, a factor that first Patricia Arquette and then Nicole Richie and Joel Madden probably had in mind when they gave their daughters the distinctive surname name Harlow.
- Heath
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"the heathland dweller"Description:
Actor Heath Ledger's tragic death has cast a pall over this otherwise pleasant and distinctive name. Nonetheless, it remains in the Top 1000.
- Hugh
Origin:
English from GermanMeaning:
"mind, intellect"Description:
Patrician to the core, Hugh was firmly in the Top 100 until 1903. It's never achieved those heights again, though it has always managed to remain in the Top 1000, scraping bottom at literally Number 1000 in 2006 before reversing course and heading back upwards.
- Hyde
Origin:
Medieval measure of land, or English surnameMeaning:
"hide"Description:
Hyde, of course, is most familiar as a surname -- as in Mr. Hyde, evil alter ego of Dr. Jeckyll. Unless Hyde is a family name or you have some other excellent reason for using it, we think you could do better.
- Ida
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"industrious one"Description:
Many vowel names stylish a century ago are coming back, and Ida seems like a possible, logical successor to Ada and Ava.
- Imogene
- Indra
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"possessing drops of rain"Description:
In the ancient Hindu religion, Indra is the warrior god of sky and rain, though in modern America, this might make a better girls' than boys' name. You can spell it Indre, like the French river, if you prefer.
- Lars
Origin:
Scandinavian from Latin LaurentiusMeaning:
"crowned with laurel"Description:
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
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"laurel tree"Description:
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.
- Layne
Origin:
Spelling variation of LaneDescription:
As surname Lane becomes more popular, so too does this variant. Regardless, it does create the possibility for spelling confusion.
- Levi
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"joined, attached"Description:
Levi, lighter and more energetic than most biblical names, with its up vowel ending, combines Old Testament gravitas with the casual flair associated with Levi Strauss jeans.
- Lian
Origin:
Variation of Leon or German short form of Julian, ChineseMeaning:
"waterfall; lotus"Description:
As a masculine name, Lian has historically been used as a nickname for names such as Julian and Killian, particularly in Europe. It’s also a unisex Chinese name pronounced as a single syllable.