Names from Operas

The 19th-century Irish poet Jane Wilde (mother of Oscar Wilde) adopted Speranza as her nom de plume. The name also appears in Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, as one of the three virtues: Fidelia (Faith), Speranza (Hope), and Charissa (Charity) — daughters of Caelia (Heavenly). Related to Esperance (French) and Esperanza (Spanish).

Susanna is an old and under-appreciated name, perhaps because of the recent overpopularity of Susan, that is certainly due for a comeback.

A particularly charming spin on the original, as is theSpanish name Tadeo. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016.

This short form of Antonio has long been used as an independent name, and would make a strong international choice.

With Violet in vogue, this vibrant international variation has been on the rise since the 2010s. Vintage and floral like its more popular sister, Violetta has a slightly softer sound and a touch of extra flair. Given to 135 girls in a recent year, it also gets you to nicknames Etta, Vita, and Lettie.

Vladimir is a cultured and deep-rooted Slavic name associated in this country with cultural figures including piano virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz and the author of Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov.