City Summit Name List

An is a gender-neutral Chinese name, originally a surname, that can be used for girls or boys and means peace or quiet. It is also a Vietnamese name meaning safe and secure. In the English-speaking world, it may feel slight due to its equivalence to the article an.

Anne, usually seen as a girls' name, is also attested as a boys' name - for example, Anne de Montmorency, who was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France. It is also a Frisian male name deriving from the element arn "eagle", as in Dutch author Anne de Vries.

Arvid, a Scandinavian name that's virtually unknown in the US, is one of the top baby names in Sweden. It might make a handsome, unusual choice for a parent in search of an original yet traditional A name.

These days, it's more likely you'd call your daughter the popular Belle or Bella.

Unusual two-syllable choice with a real pronunciation challenge.

Blessed and Blessing are two word and virtue names getting more attention, especially among religious parents.

The surname of enterprising journalist Nellie Bly and poet Robert Bly makes a simple, modern, and upbeat sounding choice for either a boy or a girl.

Bram has an unusual measure of character and charm for a one-syllable name; it started as a hipper-than-Abe diminutive of the biblical Abraham, but is also an independent Irish and Dutch name, made famous by Irish-born Dracula creator Bram (nee Abraham) Stoker. Bram is currently Number 16 in the Netherlands; Bram Howard was a character on The West Wing.

An old saint's name that, even with the post-Aidan wave of Irish names, is a bit too close to crone.

Most parents attracted to this name will be devotees of the author William and would be better off using it in the middle.

Yes, it's a word name, but Busy is also a rare pet form of Elizabeth. And yes, actress Busy Philipps was christened Elizabeth--she was given the nickname because she was such an active child. She must have been happy with the name, because she also gave her daughters adorable unique baby names, Birdie and Cricket.

Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al.

Carver is an occupational name with an artistic bent, as is the newly arrived Painter, which has a fresher feel than the 1990's Carter. It also has eminent last-name links to botanist and educator George Washington Carver and short story master Raymond Carver.

Channary, a sweet and preppy sounding name with a lovely lunar meaning, belongs to a character in the Lunar Chronicles series. Her relatives Levana and Selene have similarly moon-inspired monikers.