Neat N Names [girls]

Traditional Hebrew name that has never entered the American mainstream, though it is popular among Hasidic parents and was found to be the quirky favorite girls' names of New Jersey in our survey of baby names that enjoy outsized popularity in each state.

This ancient Egyptian queen's name would be best saved for a cat.

This name of the final service on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is sometimes given symbolically to girls born on that day.

One of the more unusual mythology names for girls, Neith is the name of the Egyptian goddess of home and femininity.

This lively and appealing name originated as a short form of Cornelia, but is well able to stand on its own. Nelia is also often in the Hispanic culture, where it can be a short form of Manuela. It did have some American usage in the late nineteenth century, and with Cornelia having a comeback, Nelia could follow.

Nell, once a nickname for Helen, Ellen, or Eleanor, is a sweet old-fashioned charmer that is fashionably used today in its own right. While Nell is perfectly in tune with contemporary vintage name style, it hasn't taken off the way some of its sisters have and so maintains an air of distinction. Use Nell or Nellie as a short for any name from Eleanor to Penelope or just name her Nell.

Has an arty, creative image.

American parents are just becoming aware of Welsh names like this one, similar to Carys, which was chosen by Welsh-born Catherine Zeta-Jones.

This is the most popular Welsh form of Agnes. Variants include Annest and Nest. There was an eleventh century Nest who was known as 'Helen of Wales' for her beauty and the problems it caused.

Has a pure, clean aura, but is also evocative.

Named for its snowcapped mountains, Nevada is a state name which, unlike Carolina, Montana, and Dakota, has been relatively undiscovered. Warning: today's unvisited place-name could become tomorrow's trampled tourist attraction.

Dynamic and creative; common in Africa, challenging here. Pronunciation isn't as difficult as you'd guess, but everyone will have to ask. Many favor n-GO-zee, but a native speaker tells us that it is closer to n-GAW-zee, and we've found at least one n-GAH-zee, too.

Niamh, derived from the Old Irish Niam, is an ancient Irish name that was originally a term for a goddess. In Irish myth, one who bore it was Niamh of the Golden Hair, daughter of the sea god, who falls in love with Finn's son Oisin and takes him to the Land of Promise, where they stayed for three hundred years. Niamh can be Anglicized as Neve, Nieve, or Neave.

Nikita – a masculine Russian name deriving from the Greek name Niketas, meaning "victory" – has come a long way from portly post-Stalin Soviet leader Khrushchev to the female spy/assassin in the movie and TV series La Femme Nikita.

Cool, serene name of the Egyptian river can make a fresh choice for a girl. The origin of river name Nile relates to the Arabic and ancient Hebrew word for dark blue or indigo; in ancient Egyptian, its literal meaning is river.

Something slightly negative about that Nil beginning; more positive similar names would be Lilla or Willa, Lucilla or Priscilla. Nilla may also be a short form of the Scandinavian Gunilla.

Nina is as multiethnic as you can get: Nina is a common nickname name in Spain and Russia, a Babylonian goddess of the oceans, and an Incan goddess of fire. Here and now, it's a stylish possibility that's been underused. "Weird Al" Yankovic chose this decidedly nonweird name for his daughter.

Well, parents are naming their children Eden and Heaven...so why not?