O D D - S I G H T I N G S

The popular cosmetics brand Maybelline inspires at least a few baby girls' names each year. Company founder Thomas Lyle Williams created the name as a portmanteau of Mabel and Vaseline after watching his sister Mabel mix up a quasi-eyeshadow out of coal dust and Vaseline.

Nathaniel is a wonderful classic name and Nathanael, which may be an ancient Greek or Hebrew form, is appealing and has gravitas but may prove needlessly confusing in the modern world.

Ancient Irish saint's name that's unlikely, because of its similarity to "ninny," to join cousin Finian in popularity.

A word name with religious and secular significance.

A bold new word name that conjures up images of peg-legs and eyepatches. It was brought to national attention by pop musician Billie Eilish, whose full name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell.

British-born novelist Plum Sykes has taken this rich, fruity name out of the produce section and put it into the baby name basket. It's more appealing than Apple, more presentable than Peaches. The French equivalent, Prune, is very fashionable there but would not fly with English speakers.

Though many might find it too syrupy, hundreds of parents each year choose this name for their daughters to make them feel special. Precious Ramotswe is the engaging African sleuth in the popular No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.