Adelaide is now heading straight uphill on the coattails of such newly popular sisters as Ava, Ada, and Audrey, and in the company of Adeline and Amelia. It was chosen by actress Katherine Heigl for the name of her second daughter.
 Adelaide gained fame as the noble German princess who married the British King William IV in 1830 and became known as "Good Queen Adelaide," inspiring the name of the Australian city and a craze for her name. Earlier, St. Adelaide was married to Otto the Great and became Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, described as "a marvel of beauty and goodness."
 When Aussie actress Rachel Griffiths (also mother of son Banjo) chose Adelaide for her daughter, she said she'd been inspired by the city, Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, and the Disney character in The Aristocats. Adelaide can also be found in works by Thomas Hardy and Agatha Christie.

Adelaide

Agatha until recently summoned up visions of martyred saints, mauve silk dresses, and high lace collars, but now that some dauntless excavators have begun to resurrect it, we're sure more will follow their lead. Actor Thomas Gibson used it for his daughter in 2004.
 Popular in the middle ages, Agatha was brought to England at the time of the Norman Conquest by a daughter of William the Conquerer. Agatha is the name of the patron saint of firefighters and nurses, and in more modern times has been closely tied to the period mysteries of Agatha Christie. P.G. Wodehouse created the vivid character of Bertie Wooster's daunting Aunt Agatha.
 Agatha also boasts the cute nickname Aggie. The French version, Agathe, is tres chic there.

Agatha

Gentle but grandiose and beloved by British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose was a fast rising name in 2022. Entering the UK Top 1000 for the first time and proving popular among Nameberry users, its elegance, softness, and vintage style means it fits in with popular Theodore, Sebastian, and Jeremiah. 
 With an air of blooming well-being, Ambrose feels a bit upper-class, a little posh, but not too stuffy. It comes from the same Greek root as 'ambrosia', the food of the gods, said to confer immortality.
 Ambrose was the name of one of the important doctors of the early Christian church, the fourth century St. Ambrose. It also belonged to one of the four great Latin teachers of Christianity, who also developed the use of music in church services. TV fanatics might be interested to know that in 1961, Ambrose was designated the patron saint of educational television by Pope John XXII.
 One thing that might given some parents pause is the problem of finding a nickname for the stately Ambrose. Ami? Bro? Amby? They might work for some, but other options include the stylish Bo, the literary Bram, the sweet Ro, or even the unexpected and unisex Rose.

Ambrose

Andre is one of the international forms of Andrew that has been familiar in the English-speaking world for decades without any need to be overly Anglicized - though round the world, it is more likely to be written as André.

With its hint of flair, Andre has in fact been in the US Top 1000 names for boys for a century now, reaching the Top 200 in the 70s and 80s. Now, use of Andre has declined, but it is still in the Top 400 and given to more than 1060 babies each year.
 
Globally, Andre remains a popular choice in Brazil and Portugal, though it is also used in England, Mexico, Germany and France.

Andre

The popular single-named alternative singer (born Bek) has given this cool nature-meets-surname name a new lease of life. Another notable bearer is Beck Weathers, a Texan pathologist who survived the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, which was covered in the book and film Into Thin Air.

 Outdoorsy yet refined, Beck still sits below the radar but could follow brother Beckett up the charts.

Beck

Billie is a tomboy nickname name, part of the growing trend for using boyish nicknames for girls and now destined for stardom along with its most famous contemporary bearer, music sensation Billie Eilish.
 To track its path from blue to pink, Billie was 100% male in 1880, was 55% female just a decade later, in the girls' Top 100 by 1928, and is now overwhelmingly female.
 Billie is a possible retro choice for fans of jazz great Billie Holiday, born Eleanora, and a very contemporary choice for teen singer Billie Eilish -- born Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell. Other conceivable namesakes are The Wizard of Oz's Glinda--Billie Burke (born Mary William), silent screen star Billie Dove (born Bertha), actresses Billie Whitelaw and Billie Piper (born Lianne) and tennis legend Billie Jean King (born Billie). Another cultural reference is the Michael Jackson hit song 'Billie Jean.'
 Billie was picked for their daughters by Carrie Fisher, My Name is Earl actor Ethan Suplee, and Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane.

Billie

Cute kid with freckles, bouncing a Spalding ball. Cool couple Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton put the name Billy Burton on their son's birth certificate. While the classic William, name of the future king of England, may in fact be German, the nickname Billy along with such other classic short forms as Jim and Joe are authentically <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/502/english-names-for-boys">English names for boys</a>.

Billy

May be the most modern, stylish Catherine nickname: more unusual than Kate or Cate, with an animal and word name edge.  Cat Power is a trendy folksinger.

Chet is an old-fashioned short form that, ala Ned and Joe, is starting to sound cool again.

Chet

In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea, who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to Odysseus's crew in Homer's Odyssey, transforming them into swine. All was forgiven, however, as Circe and Odysseus later had a child together&mdash;Telegonus.

The name and legend have appeared in countless forms, from a section of James Joyce's Ulysses to short stories by Julio Cortazar to Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon to films to DC comics to a dance by Martha Graham.

So is Circe's seductive legend too powerful for a modern little girl to carry? Your call.

Circe

Once seen as a dated French Claudette-Colbert feminization, along with Annette and Paulette, we can see Claudette moving into a more plausible Colette-Cosette arena. While some may be put off by the common "lame" meaning, some etymologists theorize that the name may relate to the word for enclosure or clause, an alternate meaning that may appeal to a child with a form of this otherwise-appealing name.

Claudette

Coco came to prominence as the nickname of the legendary French designer Chanel (born Gabrielle) and has lately become a starbaby favorite, initially chosen by Courteney Cox for her daughter Coco Riley in 2004. At first it was the kind of name that the press loves to ridicule, but we predict Coco's heading for more broad acceptance and even popularity.

Coco

Constance is one of the more subtle of the virtue <a href="https://nameberry.com">baby names</a>, but still has quite a prim and proper image. One impediment to its revival has been the decidedly dated nickname Connie, though modern parents might well opt for using the strong and dignified name in full.
 One of William the Conqueror's daughters was named Constance, and in Shakespeare's King John, Constance is the devoted mother of King Arthur. Constance was widely used in the seventeenth century by Puritans: Constance Hopkins was a young passenger on the Mayflower.
 The fictional Constance Billard School appears in TV's Gossip Girl, and Constance was the first name of the decidedly non-prim and proper Lady Chatterley.
 Oscar Wilde's wife was Constance, and Mozart's spouse was the German form Constanze, nicknamed Stanzi.
 Though Constance has been neglected here for a number of years, it's still ranks at Number 120 in France.
 Trivia tidbit: Constance was the birth name of 1940's peekaboo-hairdo star Veronica Lake and also, not surprisingly, Connie Britton.

Constance

Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both style and substance along with its Shakespearean pedigree.
 <br/
Cordelia is a Nameberry favorite—Number 106 on the site—and it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 60+ year absence. By 2016 it sank below that line again, must to the relief of many Cordelia fans who feared the name would get too popular.
 
If you're torn between Cordelia and the equally lovely Cora, you can always choose Cordelia for long and then call her Cora for short—or Delia, Lia, Del, or even the extremely different Cordie.
 Cordelia also appeared in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye, as detective Cordelia Gray in P.D. James's mystery novels, and was promoted by a character on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.
 And then there's that quote from the heroine of Anne of Green Gables: "I would love to be called Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant name."

Cordelia

A variation of Corey, this spelling has also been on a steady decline since the early-1990s. Its days are likely numbered on the US popularity charts altogether.

Cory

Dorothea is a flowing and romantic Victorian-sounding name which was popular in the early decades of the twentieth century, but has been off the charts since 1970. Definitely on the brink of a revival!
 Dorothea has had a long literary tradition, including as a clever, beautiful character in Don Quixote and the idealistic heroine of George Eliot's Middlemarch.
 Worthy namesakes include Dorothea Dix, nineteenth century activist for the mentally ill and Civil War nurse, and the influential documentary photographer Dorothea Lange, known for her moving portraits taken during the Great Depression.
 Appealing nickname possibilities include Dorrie, Doro, Dodie, Dot, Dottie and Thea.

Dorothea

Dustin's popularity in recent years has probably had more due to its similarity to Justin than to idolization of Dustin Hoffman -- himself named after silent screen cowboy star Dustin Farnum -- who certainly was the one to put it on the name map. In recent years, golfer Dustin Johnson has brought fresh renown to the name. Dustin is a character in Netflix hit Stranger Things. After decades in the spotlight, Dustin feels like a classic rather than an upstart. It peaked in the Top 50s in the 1980s.
 Caveat: Hoffman has confessed that his schooldays nickname was "dustbin" though in today's more tolerant naming atmosphere, Dusty may be the cute nickname.

Dustin

Unlike perennials William, John and James, Edward is a classic that moves in and out of fashion. This royal Anglo-Saxon standard has benefited in recent years from the popularity of the hot hero of the vampire sensation Twilight — Edward Cullen — who has given his name a new infusion of cool.
 
Edward was the name of several Saxon and eight English kings, and is the name of the youngest son of the current queen. It was an early arrival in the New World — there were several Edwards in the Jamestown colony and six on the Mayflower.
 
The Edward name meaning most referenced is "wealthy guardian," as it is derived from elements meaning "rich" and "guard," however, the combined meaning may be a modern interpretation.
 
Youngish actors Edwards Norton, Burns and Furlong help keep the name's image fresh. Parents today are more likely to prefer nicknames Ted or Ned to the traditional Ed or Eddie — or, just as likely, to use the name in full.

Edward

Eleanor's straightforward feminine image combined with its royal medieval history is striking just the right note for parents in search of a girls' name that combines substance and style.
 
Big plus: Eleanor is a serious name, with two nicknames—Ellie and Nell/Nellie—that are seriously endearing. Nell is more distinctive, but Ellie is undeniably one of today's top <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/508/cute-baby-names-for-girls">cute girl names</a>.
 While some think Eleanor is a variation of Helen via Ellen, it actually derives from the Provencal name Aliénor, of highly-debated meaning. It may come from the Germanic name Adenorde, meaning "ancient north" or "noble north". Another theory is that it derives from the Latin phrase alia Aenor, meaning "other Aenor," used to distinguish some original Eleanor, who was named after her mother Aenor. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine brought it from France to England in the twelfth century. Other spellings include Elinor and Eleanore.
 
Diane Lane has an Eleanor, and Katie Couric has an Elinor, using the variant spelling. (Jane Austen used both versions—Eleanor in Northanger Abbey and Elinor in Sense and Sensibility.)
 
A notable namesake is First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Two other English queens bore the name: the wives of Henry III and Edward I. Eleanor Shellstrop was the protagonist of television show The Good Place.
 
Eleanora and Leonora are pretty, more feminine variations. Ellen and Lenore are shorter forms.

Eleanor

If Erykah Badu can name her son Seven, why can't you name your daughter (or son) this? Eleven has recently gotten a lot of attention via the character on the TV show Stranger Things. 

Eleven

Emma has now been among the top girl names in the United States for several years, claiming the Number 1 crown in 2008 and again from 2015 to 2018 before dropping back to second place.
 
Emma is simple but has deep history, is streamlined and modern-feeling yet distinctly feminine. It's hard to find all those qualities combined in one name, which is exactly why so many parents (over 14,000 in the US last year) have chosen Emma, not just here but throughout the English-speaking world, Europe, and Latin America.
 Emma has done handsprings up the charts internationally thanks to a legion of Emma heroines, from Bovary to Goldman to Jane Austen's protagonist, along with famous modern Emmas such as Emma Stone and Emma Watson. Parents who have turned from Emily to Emma seeking something more distinctive will have to keep looking.
 
It's worth noting that Emma, Emily, and the longtime British Number 1 Amelia, now in the US Top 10, all derive from different roots and have different meanings. But they continue to feel like very similar names. 
 
Emma originated as a diminutive for Germanic names beginning with the ermen root. A very old royal name well used throughout the centuries—Queen Emma married King Ethelred the Unready in 1002—Emma is also historically associated with Lady Hamilton, the mistress of Lord Nelson and muse of painter George Romney. 
 Emma was given a big boost among <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular baby names</a> when it was given to Rachel and Ross's baby on Friends in 2002. It's also at the top of the list of the many fashionable <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/e">girl names starting with E</a>, which also includes Ella, Eleanor, and Eliza.
 
Parents who love Emma but think it's overexposed have been moving to such alternatives as Amelia, Emilia, Amelie, Emmeline, and Ella. But, of course, many of these names are poised to move up and take Emma's place near the top of the list.
 Three of the hottest young female stars share the name: Emma Watson, Emma Roberts, and Emma (born Emily) Stone.

Emma

Fiona entered the American consciousness with the opening of the 1954 Broadway musical Brigadoon, but didn't come onto the U.S. popularity list until 1990.
 
Fiona is the best known of a group of related Gaelic names, which is ironic because it's the only one without genuine traditional roots — it was found first in James Macpherson's Ossianic poems and then popularized in the late nineteenth century as a feminine pseudonym for William Sharp, a Scottish male writer. <a href="https://twitter.com/HJosephineGiles/status/1555216419721297922">Some researchers believe</a> that Fiona Macleod was Sharp's identity as a trans woman.
 
Its recent spike in popularity owes much to singer Fiona Apple and also possibly to Princess Fiona in Shrek. In fact, there have been numerous Fionas on the big and small screens, from The Thorn Birds to Josie and the Pussycats, Four Weddings and a Funeral to Nurse Jackie to Shameless.
 
Jennie Garth and Chad Lowe have daughters named Fiona. It's also Julia Roberts' middle name.
 
If you're looking for something more authentic, consider Fionnuala.

Fiona

Just the kind of casual, flippant nickname that upscale Brits are putting on their sons' birth certificates, but few U.S. parents are.

Freddie

When it's spelled with two dots over the 'u' in German, Gunther is pronounced GUWN-ter, but it has a much softer sound when the 'h' is voiced by English-speakers, as it was, for example, for the name of a character in Friends.
 Gunther has never been as well used in this country as the Scandinavian version, Gunnar, which now ranks at Number 502, making Gunther all the more distinctive.
 Well-known Gunthers include German novelist Gunt(h)er Grass and the character in the German epic poem Die Nibelungenlied, which formed the basis for Richard Wagner's Ring cycle of operas.

Gunther

Gryla

Harvey, which was brought to England by the Normans and is a version of the French name Herve, is a genial, old-timey name that has been much more popular across the pond. It has been a Top 100 choice in England & Wales since 1997.

 In the US, Harvey is an under-the-radar classic which currently sits just below the Top 400. It has been climbing steadily since the early 2000s, with only a slight dip following two of the biggest bad-news stories of 2017, the Hurricane Harvey and convicted sexual offender Harvey Weinstein. Since then, the name has bounced back – a tribute to Harvey's classic charm.

 Harvey previously had a respectable run as a Top 100 name in the US in the late nineteenth and early decades of the twentieth century.

Harvey

Helen is a name that has connoted beauty since ancient times – Helen of Troy was the the mythological "face that launched a thousand ships," over whom the ten-year Trojan War was fought. 
 

The name Helen has moved in and out of favor over the centuries, often alternating with Ellen. It was a Top 5 name for several decades of the early twentieth century, falling out of the Top 100 in the 50s. Now, after being unfashionable for decades, we see signs of a comeback for Helen—it's the kind of serious, unadorned classic many parents are returning to.
But if Helen still feels too plain for you, you might consider one of its many lovely variants: Helena, Elena, Eleni, Ella, Nellie or Nell, to name just a few.

 In Greek myth, Helen is the daughter of Leda and Zeus, who came to her mother in the form of a swan. Helen also has legions of real-life namesakes, including author and activist Helen Keller, politician Helen Gahaghan Douglas, newspaper reporter Helen Thomas, Cosmo force Helen Gurley Brown, Bridget Jones creator Helen Fielding, artist Helen Frankenthaler, and actresses Hayes, Mirren, and Hunt. Beatrix Potter's birth name was Helen.

Helen

Short for Brunhilda, the operatic Valkyrie of Teutonic legend, Hilda still has not quite shaken off that image that image. Though with the resurgence of Matilda, she might just have a bit of a comeback. 
 On its softer side, St. Hilda is the patron saint of learning, culture and poetry; Hilda Doolittle was the poet known as H. D. Hilda was a Top 100 name in the early decades of the twentieth century, hanging in until 1986--her image not helped by the green-complected comic strip character Broom-Hilda. Still popular in Sweden, where she now ranks at Number 77.

Hilda

Hildegarde

Isabella has been a Top 10 name for girls in the US for two decades now. The Latinate form of Isabel, a variation of Elizabeth which originally derived from the Hebrew name Elisheba, Isabella reigned as Number 1 in 2009 and 2010.
Isabella, which feels both modern and traditional, has incredible cross-cultural appeal to parents from a range of religious and ethnic backgrounds. It's feminine but also substantial, with a long history as a royal and classic name comfortable on the international stage. 
 
Isabella is of course wildly popular in both the English and Spanish speaking worlds, but it also ranks among the Top 100 girls' names in a wide range of western countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia.
 
Isabella's success is due at least in part to the 'Twilight' effect and lead character Isabella 'Bella' Swan. Some parents choose it to get to the short form Bella, while others prefer to use the irreverent Izzy or Issy, while still others insist on using it in its full four-syllable glory.
 
Variations Isabelle and Isabel are also popular, with the Scottish spelling Isobel another possibility. Newer alternatives include Sabella and Isabetta.
 Isabella is familiar through various European queens, including the Queen of Spain who funded Christopher Columbus, and was used by Shakespeare in Measure for Measure.

Isabella

Jack may have fallen from its Number 1 place in England, but in the US it's as popular as it was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. A durable, cheery, everyman form of John, Jack ranks as one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/j">boy names starting with J</a>. 
Jack is a derivative of John that originated in medieval England. The name went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to Jack. The name was so common in the Middle Ages that Jack became a generic term for a man. 
 
Jack is familiar to all from earliest childhood via Jack and Jill, Jack Sprat, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Jack Horner et al. It is still a recent favorite for novel, TV and movie characters. 
 
Jack is at the top of the charts in Ireland and Scotland, and also ranks highly in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
 
The jaunty Scottish version is Jock.

Jack

Jackson is one of those names that's much more popular than you think, coming in near the top of our annual Playground Analysis, which ranks names by grouping all their spellings together. There were nearly 17,000 baby boys named Jackson -- along Jaxon, Jaxson, Jaxxon, Jaxen, Jaxyn, Jaxsen, and Jaxsyn -- which counted together makes it the Number 3 boys' name.
 
Jackson in this spelling is now slightly more popular than father name John, from which it's derived, though slightly less popular than Jack, which it's often shortened to.
 
With its gentleman cowboy feel, Jackson is now popular throughout the English-speaking world, though it fails to achieve the true international popularity of other top boys' names such as Lucas, Leo, and even Liam. 
 
It's been chosen over the years by several celebrities for their sons, including Spike Lee, Poppy Montgomery, Carson Daly, Maria Bello, Natalie Maines, Scott Wolf, Maya Rudolph, Katey Sagal, and Charlize Theron, though its heyday as a celebrity baby name was at least a decade ago.
 One of the most common surnames in America, it's got a presidential ring via Andrew Jackson and an artistic one through Abstract Expressionist painter Jackson Pollock.

Jackson

As a precious stone, Jade is known for its cool green hues, its importance in Chinese art, and its ability to transmit wisdom, confidence, and clarity. As a name however, Jade is a 90’s throwback in the UK, a Number 1 choice in France, and a returning gem in the US right now. 
Deriving from the Spanish phrase Piedra de la ijada, the name Jade means “stone of the side” or “stone of the flank” as it was once believed that jade could cure renal colic. While this might not be the most glamorous of meanings, it does give the name some extra history. 
Jade has been used to make carvings since Neolithic times, but as a given name, it only took off in the 1970’s, when Mick and Bianca Jagger chose it for their daughter. 
Originally used as a unisex name, the number of girls called Jade soon outweighed the number of boys, and with the rise of Jaden, it hasn’t been (statistically) unisex since the early 2000’s. 
Trendier than vintage Pearl, but more grounded than Sapphire or Topaz, Jade fits in well with other popular choices. Both a word-name like Scarlett and a one syllable option like Maeve, Jade feels just as right next to an Audrey or a Claire as it does to a Reese or a Kinsley. 
A big favorite in France where it has ranked in the Top 10 since the mid-2000’s, Jade is also well-loved in Belgium, Quebec, the Netherlands, and Monaco. Ihe US, it has had a shakier history, rising and falling on the charts. Now though, it’s at its peak in the Top 100, and given to nearly 3000 babies every year. 
Notable Jades include singer Jade Thirlwall, originally from the group Little Mix; Jade Ewen of the Sugarbabes; Jade, one of the original Bratz Dolls.; and Jane Goody, a TV personality, often remembered for openly sharing her cervical cancer diagnosis, which led to more people being tested and treated sooner. 
If you love Jade, but want some more inspiration, you could consider the Italian variant, Giada. You might also like another <a href= “https://nameberry.com/list/414/jewel-baby-names”>gemstone name</a>, like Opal or Garnet, a <a href=“https://nameberry.com/blog/tiago-and-thibault-the-latest-french-name-trends”> French favorite</a>, like Romy, Ambre, Roxane or Zelie, or a throwback British choice, like Chelsea, Jodie, Demi, or Tia.

Jade

James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys' baby names, and is the most common male name, counting people of all ages, in the US.
 James, which reentered the Top 5 in 2016, is a current favorite among fashionable parents looking for a baby name that has both style and substance. Like Henry and Theodore, it manages to combine these two stellar qualities.
 
An English derivation of the Hebrew name Jacob, James is biblical (the name of two apostles in the New Testament), royal (kings of both England and Scotland), and presidential (with more U.S. Chief Executives -- six -- than any other name). The name James is also shared by countless great writers and entertainers.
 
There are fewer Jimmys, Jimbos or even Jamies these days; the most fashionable form of the name is James itself. Several stylish celebrities have chosen it in recent years for their sons, including Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Liz Phair, Colin Farrell and Isaac Hanson. Brendan Fehr thought out of the box and named his daughter James, which has now become a fashionable middle names for baby girls..
 James has some interesting foreign variations: Diego and Jaime (Spanish), Jacques (French), Giacomo (Italian), Hamish (Scottish), Jaako (Finnish), Seamus (Irish), Jaap (Dutch) and Jago (Cornish).
 Along with being one of the most popular first names in the US, James is also one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/top-last-names-in-the-us">most common American last names </a>.

James

No, we don't consider Jane too plain. In fact, for a venerable and short one-syllable name, we think it packs a surprising amount of punch, as compared to the related Jean and Joan.
 A very old name, Jane has been around since Tudor times, in this country moving in and out of fashion. Jane was once so common that it became generic—as in Jane Doe and G.I. Jane—then spent a considerable time as the back end of such smooshes as Maryjane, Bettyjane, and Sarajane.
 We think it's time for a fresh look at Jane—and not only in the middle place. Just think of all the awesome Janes of the past, both real and fictive—from Austen to Addams to Eyre to Fonda. 
 Jimmy Kimmel recently named his baby girl Jane.

Jane

Jude may be a rising boys' name, thanks to Jude Law, but it's also a new way to spin Judy or Judith as well as a name that's long been used quietly for girls as well as boys. Alexis Stewart, daughter of Martha, named her daughter Jude and Jessica Lange plays Sister Jude on American Horror Story.

Jude

Actor Kit Harington, aka the dreamy Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, has given this nickname-name new style and appeal for boys. Actress Jodie Foster used it for her son. 
Kit is one of those names that is gender-neutral but has a different derivation for boys and girls. For boys, it originated as a short form of Christopher, while for girls, it's an updated diminutive of Katherine.
Kit as a full name is still beneath the Top 1000 for both sexes in the US, but it's getting more popular. In 2022, 166 baby girls and 137 baby boys were named Kit, up from 104 and 129 in 2021.

Lilith is derived from the Akkadian word lilitu meaning "of the night." In Jewish folklore she is portrayed as Adam's rejected first wife, who was turned into a night demon for refusing to obey him. Lilith is unrelated to most other Lil- names, with the exception of Lilita, which is the Latvian variation.
 
In spite of its gently pleasant sound, Lilith had for the most part been rarely heard outside of reruns of Cheers and Frasier until its recent rise up the charts. It entered the Top 1000 in 2010 and has risen in recent years.
 Lilith's demonic aura has followed her through popular culture in various fantasy novels including George MacDonald's 1895 Lilith, comics such as Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, TV shows like True Blood, comics, anime, and numerous video games.
 But that could be changing, in part due to Lilith Fair, the all-female traveling music festival organised by Canadian singer Sarah McLaughlin, which has raised millions for women's charities. Lilith may also ride the coat-tails of the resurgence in (non-related) Lily names.

Lilith

One of those names like Pamela, Vanessa and Wendy, Lorna was invented for a particular literary character--the protagonist of the 1869 novel Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore--and then perpetuated as the name of a shortbread cookie. 
The author claimed to have based it on the Scottish place-name, Lorn. In baby name limbo for quite some time, it was chosen by Judy Garland for her younger daughter, Lorna Luft. Lorna Simpson is an important contemporary American artist. 
While not strictly from Scotland, many consider Lorna to be one of the most tradtional <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/472/scottish-names-for-girls">Scottish names for girls</a>

Lorna

Lucas is a Top 10 boys' name with a slightly-less-popular almost-identical twin brother, Luke. Like Elijah and Elias, Lucas and Luke come from the same root and have the same meaning and so feel even more popular than they are.
 
The Latin derivation of the Greek Loukas, the name's meaning references Lucania, an ancient territory in Southern Italy. Along with Luke, Lucas is also related to international name star Luca, while the similar Lucius and Lucian derive from a different root and have a different meaning.
 Lucas is enjoying tremendous international success, popular throughout the English-speaking world as well as in a diverse range of countries throughout Europe and Latin America, including Scandinavia, France, Germany, Spain, and Brazil. This makes Lucas the perfect choice for a cross-cultural family.
 Lucas has long been a favorite of TV scriptwriters, from the early black-and-white days of The Rifleman (Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain) to the schoolteacher series Lucas Tanner to the more contemporary One Tree Hill. On the literary side, the name appears as Lucas Beauchamp in William Faulkner's Intruder in the Dust and Light in August.
 Lucas Cranach was an important German Renaissance painter and printmaker; Lucas Samaras is an eccentric Greek-born American contemporary artist. Some will associate the name with director George Lucas.

Lucas

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.


Lucifer

Mabel is a saucy Victorian favorite rising in popularity in the US over the past decade, after a 50-year nap If you love offbeat old-fashioned names like Violet or Josephine, only sassier, Mabel is one for you to consider.
 In the 1880s and 1890s, Mabel was a Top 20 name. Some of Mabel's vintage cultural references include Charlie Chaplin's favorite leading lady Mabel Normand, jazz singer Mabel Mercer, the lead character in Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance
 There is a Princess Mabel in the Netherlands today, born a commoner and the widow of Prince Friso. Several celebrities have named their daughters Mabel, including Chad Lowe, Nenah Cherry, Bruce Willis and Dermot Mulroney., and the baby on the sitcom Mad About You (in which Mabel was an acronym for Mothers Always Bring Extra Love--a nice thought).

Mabel

Maeve is a short and sweet name that has become one of the most stylish Irish names for girls in the modern US. Maeve would make an excellent first or middle name choice, with more heft than Mae/May and more modern charm than Mavis. 
 Maeve appears in Irish mythology in two forms, one as the powerful Queen of Connacht, the other as the queen of the fairies. Maeve of Connacht was a warrior queen, famous for starting a war in attempt to steal her ex-husband’s stud bull. Other spellings are Meabh, Medb and Meadhbh, which are connected to mead, a honey-based wine that was produced in many ancient cultures.
 
Chris O'Donnell, Lili Taylor and Kathryn Erbe used Maeve for their daughters. The Irish author Maeve Binchy also is a well-known bearer. Maeve is the name of one of the lead characters on the HBO show Westworld.
 Irish spelling Meabh is popular in Ireland, but not recommended in the US.

Maeve

Margaret is derived from the French Marguerite, which in turn came from Margarita, the Latin form of the Greek Margarites. Margarites was based on the Old Persian word margārīta, meaning "pearl." 
 
Margaret has been one of the most Christian and royal of <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">female names</a>—attached to the patron saint of women in childbirth and to various queens and princesses in England, Scandinavia, Austria, and the Netherlands, and to the first female prime minister of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher.
 
Margaret is a rich, classic name used for queens and saints. Margaret was replaced for decades by less starchy forms like Maggie and Meg, but some stylish parents are reviving Margaret in full, attracted by its strong sound and classic status, as an alternative to Elizabeth or Katherine. 
 
Margaret is also an important family name for many people, having ranked near the top through the first half of the 1900s. An extremely well used name since medieval times, Margaret is still considered the Scottish national name.
 
If you're honoring an ancestral Margaret, there are many fresh and new alternatives, from the French Marguerite—very stylish in Paris—to the diminutive Margo (or Margot). In French, Marguerite is another word for daisy, making Daisy another appropriate Margaret short form or honorific, as is Maisie. Other offspring of Margaret include Madge, Marjorie/Margery, Megan, Molly, Polly, Peggy, Greta, and Rita.

Margaret

Marisol is a favorite <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/495/spanish-names-for-girls">Spanish name for girls</a>, and an excellent candidate to cross the culture line, a la Soledad and Paz. 
 The striking French-born Venezuelan artist Marisol Escobar—known simply by her first name—is noted for her witty Pop Art figural sculptures.
 While the name comes from a title of the Virgin Mary—Our Lady of Solitude—it's also associated with the Spanish words for sea and sun, mar y sol. The meaning of Maria is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Marisol

Mateo vaulted into the boys' Top 10 in 2023, ranking all the way up at Number 6. Counting Mateo and Teo along with Anglo equivalents Theodore and Theo make this by far the Number 1 boys' name in the US.
 
Mateo is one of the Latinate names that, like Mia and Luca, is becoming popular far beyond its native Spanish community.
 
The Spanish form of Matthew, which derived from the Hebrew name Mattiyahu, Mateo can also be spelled Matteo, technically the Italian variation. Mattiyahu consists of the elements mattan, meaning "gift" and yah, which references the Hebrew God. 
 
Mateo is enormously popular in Spain and Latin America, but it's also a top boys' name in the US along with several other countries in central and eastern Europe. Its approachable spelling and pronunciation for non-Spanish speakers is one reason it's found such widespread favor. Plus it's a fresh spin on dad name Matthew and a shortcut to the stylish short form Teo.

Actor Colin Firth has a son called Matteo, the Italian form; the Benjamin Bratts have a Mateo. 

Matheo is an archaic Spanish spelling, although it is used in France as Mathéo.

Mateo

Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby namers. Max is a widely used name internationally.
 
Max was transformed from cigar-chomping grandpa to rosy-cheeked baby in the 1980s, along with card-playing partners Sam and Jake. Never quite as popular as it seemed, Max is now close to the the highest it's been on the Social Security list since 1917, after which German-sounding names went out of favor. 
 
Max has been a popular starbaby name for decades, most recently for the sons of Christina Aguilera, Cynthia Nixon and Charlie Sheen, while other celebs, such as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, have used more formal appellations--Maximilian, Maxwell, Maxfield--on the birth certificate to get to the nickname Max. Skater Scott Hamilton put his own spin on it by maximizing the spelling of his son's name to Maxx.
 
Warning: Max has long been among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/dogs">most popular dog names</a>.

The oldest-known form of Mary, serious and solemn Miriam has been a particular favorite of observant Jewish parents. But we can see it extending beyond that sphere into the next wave of Old Testament names post-Rachel, Rebecca, Sarah, Hannah, and Leah. Miriam is currently the Number 1 girls' name in Israel.
 Miriam is the Old Testament form of the Hebrew Maryam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).
 In the Old Testament, Miriam appears in Exodus as the older sister of Moses and Aaron, a prophetess who led the triumphal song and dance after the crossing of the Red Sea and deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians.
 Miriam is an artistic character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Marble Faun and in Henry James's The Tragic Muse, Miriam Rooth is a talented young half-Jewish actress, Miriam Leviers is a farm girl in D. H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers, and Miriam is the eponymous central character of a haunting Truman Capote short story.
 One notable namesake is South African singer Miriam Makeba. More relaxed nicknames: Miri, Mira, and Mimi.

Miriam

The Play Misty for Me jokes will get old really fast. 

Misty

Well-established Irish and Scottish name that has never really caught on across the pond. Remembered by an older generation as the beautiful red-haired ballerina in the film The Red Shoes, Moira Shearer.

Moira

This saintly name--she was the mother of St. Augustine--plummeted after the double whammy of Lewinsky and the demise of Friends. 

Monica

Long in our category of so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out category, once seen as a gum-cracking 1940's telephone operator, we think it's time to reassess Myrtle, and look at is as a nature name, a plant with pink or white aromatic berries. Ruled by Venus, myrtle is a plant associated with love, peace, fertility and youth.
 Myrtle has lots of literary references as well: in Thomas Hardy's The Hand of Ethelberta, Theodore Dreiser's The Genius, P. G. Wodehouse's Meet Mr Mulliner, and especially The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald's Myrtle Wilson has been played on film by actresses as varies as Shelley Winters, Karen Black and Isla Fisher.

Myrtle

Bobbsey Twins-era nickname name that could find new life via Nan, heroine of The Nanny Diaries. Nan was also the nickname of Annabel St George, the protagonist of Edith Wharton's novel "The Buccaneers".

Nora is a lovely, refined name that conjures up images of Belle Epoch ladies in fur-trimmed coats skating in Central Park. Long seen as a quintessentially Irish name though its roots are not in Ireland, Nora is a quietly stylish favorite that's tiptoed to the top of the popularity ladder.
 
Nora has two separate origin stories, as a derivative of both Honora and Eleanor. The Irish and Anglo-Norman version derives from Honora, based on the Latin word honor. The Hungarians spawned Nora as a short form of Eleonora, a variation of Eleanor.
 One of Nora's most prominent contemporary namesakes is the late witty writer Nora Ephron. Other notable Noras are the independent Ibsen heroine of A Doll's House, and the female half of the witty Nick and Nora Charles duo, adding up to a most desirable choice. 
 It can also be spelled Norah, as in Norah Jones.

Nora

Oliver is an international star, ranking near the top of the charts in the US and throughout the English-speaking world, along with a host of European and Latin American countries, from Norway to Chile, Slovenia to Switzerland.
 
Long a popular choice in England, Australia and New Zealand, Oliver entered the list of Top 100 <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">baby boy names</a> in the U.S. for the first time in 2009, but has already jumped to the top of the charts. Why? Because Oliver is energetic and good-natured, stylish but classic, with a meaning symbolizing peace and fruitfulness. 
 
Oliver derives from Olivier, the Norman French variation of the Ancient Germanic name Alfihar ("elf army") or the Old Norse Áleifr ("ancestor's relic"), from which comes Olaf. Olivier emerged as the dominant spelling for its associations with the Latin word oliva, meaning "olive tree."

Oliver was used as a given name in medieval England after the spread of the French epic poem ‘La Chanson de Roland,’ which features a character named Olivier. It lost favor after the seventeenth century rule of Oliver Cromwell, then was revived in the nineteenth century. 

Oliver's biggest boost in this country came from the hit book and movie Love Story, which also catapulted the name Jennifer to stardom. Notable namesakes range from Oliver Wendell Holmes to Oliver Hardy to Oliver Stone. In fiction, there is Oliver Twist, and Oliver is also a Harry Potter name.
 Oliver works particularly well with single-syllable surnames, as in Oliver Stone, North and Puck (son of Wolfgang). Other celebrities who have chosen Oliver include Bridget Fonda, Fred Savage, Stephen Stills, and Taylor Hawkes. 
 International forms include the French Olivier, the Spanish Olivero, and the Italian Oliviero.
 Parents considering Oliver for their sons might consider that with Olivia at the top of the charts for girls, there will be an awful lot of children with names starting with Oliv-.

Oliver

Otis has real appeal for parents attracted to its catchy O initial and combination of strength and spunk. The appealing hero of the British TV show Sex Education has done much to propel Otis into the forefront of cool names.
 Otis originally came into use as a tribute to the Revolutionary hero James Otis, and would be familiar to kids via the Disney film The Adventures of Milo and Otis. 
 Though well used at the turn of the last century, Otis was off the charts for two decades from 1995 to 2014, and now sounds like a fresh choice. Tobey Maguire used the name back in 2009. More recently, and possibly contributing to Otis's return to the Top 1000 in 2015, Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis gave the name to their son.

Otis

Patrick, long tied to a hyper-Irish image, is enjoying something of a renaissance as a stylish classic, as it has long been considered in England. Along with such choices as Charles and George, Patrick has escaped overuse in recent decades.
 Why has Patrick slipped from its high of Number 30 in the 1960s? Partly to blame might be its androgynous nicknames, Pat and Patsy. But with more and more parents calling their sons by their full names, this becomes less of an issue.
 An American hero name via Patrick ("Give me liberty or give me death") Henry, there are also a number of more recent noteworthy Patricks, including Ewing, Swayze, Dempsey, Buchanan, Stewart and Wilson. And Patrick is still a recent presence on such shows as The Mentalist and Desperate Housewives.
 You also may want to consider the name's native version, Padraig, which was used for his son by Patrick Ewing, or a European version such as Patrice (French), Patrizio (Italian) or Patricio (Spanish).
 Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, credited with converting his people to Christianity in the fifth century, which would give a son with this name a widely -- and raucously -- celebrated holiday.

Patrick

Pearl, like Ruby, has begun to be polished up for a new generation of fashionable children after a century of jewelry box storage. The birthstone for the month of June, Pearl could also make a fresher middle name alternative to the overused Rose. Cool couple Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson named their daughter Pearl Minnie, followed by Jack Osbourne, and several celebs have put it in the middle spot, as in Busy Philipps's Cricket Pearl, Jake Owen's Olive Pearl and Caleb Followill's Dixie Pearl .
After being a Top 25 name in the late nineteenth century, Pearl went into a long slide, but is showing signs of a strong comeback -- it reentered the Top 1000 in 2010.
 In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is the illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne, who gives her the name because she is 'her mother's only treasure.'
 Pearl was also the alter ego name of Janis Joplin, tied to singer Pearl Bailey, and---hmm--the birth name of western writer Zane Gray.
 Variations are PERLE and PERLA.

Pearl

Parents are beginning to scan the whole spice shelf for inspiration, picking up on Saffron, Sage, and Cinnamon -- and opening up a chance for this spiciest possibility of all; used for peppy TV characters. 

Pepper

Phineas is the English variation of Phinehas, a Hebrew name likely derived from the Egyptian name Pa-nehasi. Pa-nehasi, meaning "the Nubian" can also be translated as "the bronze-colored one." The Egyptians distinguished themselves from their Nubian neighbors through differences in skin tone.
 
Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake gave it star-cred when they used it for their son in 2020, but it was Julia Roberts who drew the biblical Phineas into the limelight back in 2004. She chose the even-more-antique spelling Phinnaeus for her twin son, now called Finn. Phineas had last been heard from via circus impresario Phineas T. Barnum, until it was brought somewhat up to date via the Disney Channel animated show Phineas and Ferb.
 
Anthony Trollope combined name and nickname for the young, handsome and charming Irish lawyer hero of his eponymous novel, Phineas Finn. Phineas is also the name of three biblical personages and was popular among the seventeenth century Puritans. Jazz pianist Phineas Newborn, Jr. is a contemporary namesake.
 
Trivia note: In early movies, characters named Phineas had nicknames like Prune, Whipsnake and Whoopee.
 
Bottom line: A quirky path to nickname Finn.

Phineas

Phoebe is the Latin variation of the Greek name Phoibe, which derived from phoibos, meaning "bright." In classical mythology, Phoebe is the by-name of Artemis, goddess of the moon and of hunting. The masculine version of Phoebe is Phoebus.
 
A mythological, biblical, Shakepearean, and Salinger name, the warm and captivating Phoebe was given a boost in popularity by one of the Friends.
 
In the New Testament, Phoebe is a church deaconess. Shakespeare used the name (spelled Phebe) for a rustic denizen of the forest in As You Like It, Phoebe Pynchon was a cheerful young girl in Hawthorne's The House of Seven Gables, while Phoebe is Holden Caulfield's sympathetic, precocious ten-year-old sister in Catcher in the Rye.
 Bill and Melinda Gates used Phoebe for their daughter.

Phoebe

Piper is a bright, musical name that entered the list in 1999, one year after the debut of the TV series Charmed, which featured a Piper, and it's been a consistent riser since. Piper Kerman is the memoirist whose prison experiences provided the basis for the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black.
 Piper has been chosen by several celebs for their daughters, including Gillian Anderson and Cuba Gooding, Jr., and is now one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/p">girls' names starting with P</a>.
 One of the first Pipers on the scene was Piper Laurie (born Rosetta), after whom actress Piper Perabo was named.

Piper

Prudence, like Hope and Faith, is a Puritan virtue name with a quiet charm and sensitivity that is slowly returning to favor, though it hasn't yet registered on the charts.
 The White Album Beatles song Dear Prudence was written for Prudence Farrow, sister of Mia, who was with them in India when studying with the Marahishi Mahesh Yogi, seeking enlightenment.
 One notable historic bearer is Prudence Crandall, a 19th century Quaker schoolteacher who stirred controversy by admitting an African-American student. In pop culture, Prudence Halliwell was one of the three witches on Charmed, sister to Piper and Phoebe.
 Asset: Sweet nickname Pru/Prue.

Prudence

Wisecracking waitress name stuck in the luncheonette. Started as nickname for girls named Regina -- queen in Latin -- now mostly a canine choice. 

Queenie

Quinn is one of the first popular Irish unisex surnames, a strong and attractive choice on the rise for girls but still popular for boys. Quinn was used for about 3000 baby girls and 700 boys in the US last year.
 
Quinn is the Anglicized version of the Irish patronymic surname Ó Cuinn, meaning "descendent of Conn." Conn has two possible derivations—the Old Irish cond, meaning "intellect," or cenn, meaning "chief." One of the most notable Quinn clans was from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. 
 Quinn started taking off for girls in the mid-nineties, possibly influenced by the popular show Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Since then, there have been female Quinns on the animated MTV show Daria, on Zoey 101, and—most prominently—on Glee, featuring cute blond cheerleader character Quinn Fabray.
 Some other, more <a href="https://nameberry.com/lists/category/unusual-names">unusual names</a> with the Q-factor: Quincy, Quintina, Quintana, Quinta, Quilla--and, on a different note, Queenie.

Quinn

Bird name Raven, once a symbol of pride for both African-American and Wiccan parents, is finding new life as a superhero name. Raven Darkholme is the real name of Mystique, heroine of the X-Men films played by Jennifer Lawrence. And there is another Raven superheroine in Teen Titans. Some parents may still choose Raven to signal black pride or mystical powers or maybe even Edgar Allan Poe fandom, but we are guessing most inspiration is coming from the comics.

Raven

Retta

Sounded bright and chirpy in the fifties and ranked in the Top 100 until 1980, but by now Robin has lost traction. Robin is, however, having something of a style comeback for boys.

Robin

Rosalind has a distinguished literary history – used and popularized by Edmund Spenser and Shakespeare via one of his most charming heroines, in As You Like It. Along with a bouquet of other Rose names, Rosalind might be ready for a comeback.

 Despite appearances, Rosalind is not technically a true Rose name. It originally derives from the Germanic elements hros "horse" and lind "soft, flexible, tender", but the spelling was later influenced by the appealing Latin phrase rosa linda "beautiful rose".

 Rosalind was at its height in the 1940's, coinciding with the popularity of the acerbic movie star Rosalind Russell: it was Number 293 in 1943, but fell off the list in 1978.

 Uma Thurman gave her young daughter five names, the first of which is Rosalind – though she is called by her nickname Luna.

Rosalind

Like Friends, Ross is off the air and into syndication as a baby name, having plummeted from its zenith in the late 80s to fall off the US Top 1000 in 2013. Today, Ross is more likely to be a dad name than a newborn name.
 Ross originated as one of the many <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/428/scottish-baby-names">Scottish names</a> taken from the surname of a famous clan, and is a place name in that country as well. It's a quiet, understated Celtic name that could come back in the current climate of single-syllable boy name popularity, though it will probably take a few years.
 Other notable Rosses besides the Ross Geller character include tycoon and maverick presidential candidate H. (for Henry) Ross Perot, mystery writer Ross (born Kenneth) Macdonald, and one of the twin sons of Jane Pauley and Garry Trudeau.

Ross

Rufus is a rumpled, redheaded (it was the nickname for red-haired King William) ancient Roman name popular with saints and singers (e.g. Rufus Wainwright); now, Rufus is on the cutting edge of cool.
 Fellow singer James Taylor named one of his twins Rufus, and Rufus Humphrey is a Gossip Girl character. Rufus Sewell is a commanding, intense English actor.
 Rufus is mentioned in the New Testament as the name of a son of Simon the Cytherian, and there are several St. Rufuses. He's also a major figure in the George Eliot novel Felix Holt: The Radical, an honest and passionate preacher and politician.

Rufus

Sabrina, the bewitchingly radiant name of a legendary Celtic goddess, is best known as the heroine of the eponymous film, originally played by Audrey Hepburn, and later as a teenage TV witch; it would make a distinctive alternative to the ultrapopular Samantha. Similar names you might also want to consider include Sabina and Serena. 
 In Milton's poem "Comus," the river nymph is addressed as Sabrina Fair, which became the title of a 1953 play. In the original Charlie's Angels, Sabrina was played by Kate Jackson.
 Sabrina debuted on the US popularity charts in 1953, and one year later, with the release of the Audrey Hepburn film, shot up 550 places. It reached the Top 100 in 1977 and hovered in and around the Top 100 until the late 90's when its popularity began to decline.

Sabrina

Stevie survives as a short form of Stephanie thanks to the immortal Ms. Nicks. After a little more than a decade out of the limelight, she rejoined the US Top 1000 in 2014.
 
Schitt's Creek character Stevie Budd propelled the name into the Top 300 in the late 2010s.

Stevie

See the popularity graph below for the name Theo? It's been heading straight uphill since 2010, when it hopped back onto the Top 1000 after a 60+ year absence.
 
Now in the Top 100 in this form, Theo's popularity is even wider given its common use as a nickname for Theodore, which made the Top 10 for the first time in 2022. This might be the generation of Theos.
 
Theo's newfound popularity extends far beyond the US and the rest of the English-speaking world. It's currently a Top 100 name in Germany, Brazil, Scandinavia, and beyond, as well as being a popular choice for pets.
 Theo first made an impact as the name of the only son on "The Cosby Show," earlier it was associated with Vincent van Gogh's supportive brother Theo.

Theo

A second-tier classic, the New Testament Timothy moves in and out of fashion more than John and James. But though it peaked in the 1960s, many modern parents still appreciate its familiarity and lively rhythm. And the short form Tim feels eternally boyish.
 Saint Timothy, born of a Jewish mother and a Greek father, was Saint Paul's companion, which might make the two appropriate and compatible <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/twin-names-the-ultimate-guide">twin names</a>. Timothy was well used among early Christians but not popular in the English-speaking world until the eighteenth century. In the U.S., Timothy was just outside the Top 10 in the 1960s and stayed in the Top 100 until 2008.
 In literature, there is the unforgettable Timothy Cratchit, aka Tiny Tim. In real life, there are director Tim Burton and several well-known actors, as well as a slew of star athletes.
Timothy also qualifies as a botanical name thanks to Timothy grass sometimes known simply as Timothy, which resembles cat's-tail and is used as cattle feed.

Timothy

Twyla

Violet is soft and sweet, yet with a vivacious edge. 
The violet is a delicate, sweet-smelling spring flower, associated with faithfulness and modesty, and also the seventh color of the rainbow, named after the flower’s vivid purple hue. 
Today, Violet is the top flower name for girls, outranking Lily and Iris in the Top 100, and the second most popular color name for girls after Scarlett. 
A name that dozed quietly for decades, Violet was popular a hundred years ago, then began its steep descent, bottoming out in the early 1980s. But it started rising again in the late 1990s and climbed even more sharply after Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck chose it for their daughter in 2005. 
It is now well-used by celebrity parents, including the daughters of Christina Milian, Emily Strayer, Nathan Followill, Dave Grohl, and Emily Blunt. 
In children’s literature, Violet Beauregarde in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory does it no favors, but Violet Baudelaire in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events</em, and Violet Parr in the animated film The Incredibles, have helped to redeem it for today’s parents. 
Violet is also the first name of Dowager Bridgerton, the matricarch in the show Bridgerton, a reminder of the name’s genteel, vintage side. 
International variations of Violet include Viola, as in the heroine of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, French Violette, and snappy Violeta and Violetta.

Violet

Vivien (Scarlett O'Hara) Leigh was born Vivian. Some sources give Vivien as a relative of the Irish goddess name Bebinn and a literary name invented by Tennyson. Others say it's related to the Latin-based Viviana, meaning life. This spelling of the name is as legitimate as many others.

Vivien

Long associated with the Churchill family and common in the West Indies, the distinguished Winston has tended to be neglected here. The exception was during the World War II period, when Winston Churchill was a towering figure and his name reached Number 234. It's now enjoying something of a renaissance.
 Winston Smith is the main character in George Orwell's 1984, is a presence in Pulp Fiction, is the name of a character in the best-selling book and film How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and was the middle name of both John Lennon and John Howard, long-serving Australian Prime Minister.
Billie Piper and Laurence Fox named their son Winston in 2008. 
 With the current trend towards using hero names, we can see this upstanding Anglo-Saxon example making a return.
 The nickname Winnie came into the public consciousness with the Winnie-the-Pooh books, but is now almost exclusively feminine--though you can shorten it further to the winning Win.
 Minor irritant: Connection to the cigarette brand.

Winston

Xavier originated is use as a given name after Saint Francis Xavier, cofounder of the Jesuit order, who got his name from the Spanish-Basque village where he was born. His birthplace was Javier, the name of which was derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria, meaning "castle" or "new house." 
 
Many Americans pronounce the initial X, as in ex-ZAY-vee-er, but it's equally accepted to pronounce the name ZAY-vee-er, closer to the French pronunciation.
 
Today's parents are beginning to reassess Xavier, and it's as popular now as it's ever been.
Xavier is one of the only X names most people know and use, often as a middle name following Francis, as in Saint Francis Xavier.
 
Xavier was chosen for their sons by Donnie Wahlberg and Tilda Swinton—as well as for the middle name of Larenz Tate's son Miles and Kim Fields' Quincy. 
 
The Spanish classic Javier, pronounced HAH-vee-ay, has come into greater prominence via Oscar-winning Javier Bardem.
 
Trivia note: the X-men comics introduced the kree8if spelling Xzavier.

Xavier

The gorgeous and romantic name Xiomara popped into the Top 1000 from 2004-2011 after a contestant on America's Next Top Model increased interest in her rare name.
 
Now Xiomara is back and more popular than ever before. This second boost may have something to do with a character by the name on the popular telenovela Jane the Virgin.
 
Xiomara is unsurprisingly much more common in Spanish-speaking countries, particularly those in Central and South America. Xiomara Alfaro was an iconic Cuban bolero singer from the midcentury. She was known as La Alondra de la Cancion — The Lark of Music.

Xiomara

Classified as an early beauty, Zelda has long and often been used as such for characters in books and films. Since 1986, Zelda has been a prime Nintendo name, as in the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
 Zelda was in baby name limbo for a number of years, but it's making a comeback with the interest in Z (and X) names. It was one of the fastest-rising <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> of 2015, when it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in nearly 50 years.
 For many, there will always be a strong association to Scott Fitzgerald's tortured wife, herself a writer and a symbol of the 1920's Jazz Age — also the subject of a recent novel-turned-television show.
 
Trivia tidbit: Marilyn Monroe was known to sometimes use the pseudonym Zelda Zonk.

Zelda

Zoey is a modern spelling variation of Zoe, the Greek Jewish translation of Eve. For a few years, it was even more popular than the original Zoe, but has now dropped back to the second ranked spelling. 
Despite its Jewish origins, Zoe was historically more popular among Christians. Two early saints were named Zoe—Saint Zoe of Rome and Saint Zoe of Pamphylia. 
Zoey has been a consistent favorite for girls in the 21st century, its kinship with Joey giving it a tomboyish feel. Zoie is a US Top 1000 name as well. Zoey has become a screenwriters' fave, with characters by that name appearing on Zoey 101, Nurse Jackie and The West Wing.

Zoey

witchyyyyy's list "FAVORITE TV SHOW NAMES" of 84 great name ideas: Adelaide - Zoey!

FAVORITE TV SHOW NAMES

My favorite names from the tv shows I watched growing up and the tv shows I watch now!