Hunger Games Style Names

Cool short form of Alexander, fresher than Alex and less trendy than Xander... for now.

Although the accent in Linnet is on the first syllable, it could be confused with the dated Lynette.

The related Lucas and Luke are both hugely popular boy names in the US and internationally, and now Luca has joined them on boys' popularity lists around the world.

The y makes it seem more like a name and less like an animal, but it's still not as appealing as several Leo choices.

Perky, pretty nickname name that seems to have been invented by or for Marlo Thomas, who was born Margaret. Hipster mommy blogger Dooce named her newborn daughter Marlo Iris and comedian Rob Corddry named his daughter Marlo Stevenson.

Sultry name given added interest by that double 'a'.

A variation of Nila, a name spread through African by the substantial Indian population there. Also a variant of Neala and Neila.

A lot of attention was drawn to this name when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced it as the name of their baby daughter, making it instantly unisex.

This rarified Greek name -- in classical mythology Pallas Athena was the goddess of wisdom and the arts -- might appeal to literary-minded parents. Among the raft of stylish girl names that start with P, Pallas is one rare choice that is often overlooked....but shouldn't be.

Pax, one of the variations of names meaning peace that are newly popular in these less-than-peaceful times, got a lot of publicity when chosen by Brad & Angelina for their Vietnamese-born son. Parents attracted to Pax may also want to consider Paz, the unisex Spanish version, or Paxton, a growing-in-popularity surname choice that shares that magical X-factor.

Could Philo be the next Milo?

Piers was the first version of Peter to reach the English-speaking world, via the Normans, but it's never made it in the US, despite its large measure of understated panache. This might change due to the high visibility of TV personality and former news editor Piers Morgan.

Castor's twin in the constellation Gemini. That final x makes this name modern and cool.

Poppy, unlike most floral names which are sweet and feminine, has a lot of spunk. Long popular throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Poppy is finally starting to rise toward the top in the US, where it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2016.

In France, pronounced PRO-spare, Prosper is a fairly common name; here it presents a worthy aspirational message for a child.

If you like Dylan but find it too popular, Quillan could be a distinctive alternative.

With its gentle sounds and earthy vibes, the name Rowan feels like a fusion of different styles. A word name, a surname, and a gender-neutral name, Rowan is rustic but trendy, blending the vibes of both Owen and Oakley.

Demi and Bruce made waves when they named their now-grown firstborn after novelist Rumer Godden; a possible downside is its connection with the word rumor. English author Godden was actually born Margaret, with Rumer (a family surname) as her middle name