Rainbow Baby Names you have not heard of
- Benedict
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"blessed"Description:
Parents who like Ben and Benjamin but find those forms too popular sometimes consider Benedict as a more distinctive choice. Unlike the Old Testament Benjamin, Benedict is the name of the saint who formed the Benedictine Order and of fifteen popes,including a recent one.
- Bennett
Origin:
English medieval form of Benedict, LatinMeaning:
"blessed"Description:
Bennett is Ben with a bow tie, kind of a cross between Benjamin and Beckett. It's been trending up on the popularity charts in recent years, and its choice by The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Jane Krakowski could shoot it even higher.
- Branwen
Origin:
CelticMeaning:
"blessed raven"Description:
This is an attractive Celtic mythological name, popular in Wales and a cousin of the better known Bronwyn. In Welsh mythology, Branwen was turned into a bird.
- Callidora
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"gift of beauty"Description:
An extremely rare name of Ancient Greek origin which could be a novel way to Callie. There is a minor Harry Potter character by the name: Callidora Black (later Longbottom).
- Carita
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
Carita may feel like an endearing nickname but it's a name in its own right, used throughout Scandinavia in this form and as Karita, Caritas, and Karitas as a variation on Charity.
- Carwen
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"blessed love"Description:
This feminine version of the Welsh name Carwyn could be a good choice for parents looking for something fresher than Bronwen.
- Dariela
Origin:
Feminine variation of Darrell, FrenchMeaning:
"dear one, beloved"Description:
Dariela may have a not-quite-authentic provenance, but it's a pretty name and an unusual choice in the girly Isabella-Gabriella group.
- Diarra
Origin:
West AfricanMeaning:
"gift"Description:
Diarra has a nice meaning, but we could see it leading to possible teasing re association with a certain digestive problem.
- Dolly
Origin:
English, diminutive of DorothyMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Hello, Dolly! Okay, we couldn't resist, but be warned: Most people who meet your little Dolly won't be able to either. This nickname-name, rarely heard since whatever decade Dolly Parton was born, is singing a fashionable note again along with sisters Dottie and Dixie; it was chosen for one of their twin girls by Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell.
- Doron
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"gift"Description:
Benevolent name found in Israel in several forms, including Doran and Doroni.
- Dorothy
Origin:
English variation of Greek DorotheaMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
In the 1930s, Dorothy left Kansas and landed in the Land of Oz; by the '80s she had become a Golden Girl, living in Miami with roommates Blanche and Rose, giving her a decidedly older image. But parents today seeking a quiet classic are bringing Dorothy back—she reentered the Top 1000 in 2011 after almost completely disappearing.
- Dottie
Origin:
English, diminutive of DorothyMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Dottie and Dot are old Dorothy nicknames that some cutting-edge Brits are bringing back to fashion. It's been half a century since Dottie ranked on its own in this country, one of those nickname names that flourished in the 1890's.
- Dorothea
- Elidi
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"gift of the sun"Description:
Elidi is intriguing but potentially confusing. Try the French Elodie instead.
- Erelieva
Origin:
GermanicMeaning:
"beloved respect"Description:
A Gothic name belonging to the wife of Theodemir, a 5th century king of the Ostrogoths, and the mother of Theodoric the Great. The name also belongs to a genus of moths.
- Esme
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
Esmé comes from the past participle of the Old French verb esmer, meaing "to esteem" or "to love." It can also be considered a derivative of the Spanish name Esmeralda, which means "emerald".
- Esperanza
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"hope, expectation"Description:
Esperanza is a Spanish classic that's found its way onto the national popularity list in recent years. It came into the spotlight not long ago when jazz singer Esperanza Spalding "stole" the Best New Artist Grammy from favorite Justin Bieber. It's also the name of the main character in the novel The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, about a young Latina growing up in Chicago.
- Eudora
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"generous gift"Description:
Eudora is the name of five minor goddesses of Greek mythology and a major goddess (in the person of Pulitzer Prize-winning Eudora Welty) of modern American literature. Eudora is pleasant and euphoneous and a possibility for rejuvenation.
- Feodora
Origin:
Ukrainian; Russian, from GreekMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Feodora is an interesting choice for the intrepid name-giver, especially with the dynamic nickname Feo.
- Fyodor
Origin:
Russian variation of TheodoreMeaning:
"God's gift"Description:
This variation of Theodore is familiar here mostly via the great Russian novelist Dostoyevsky. It was also the name of three early tsars of Russia.