kass's list of names

Despite a return to such feminizations of male names as Josephine, Clementine, and Theodora, starchy Henrietta has not made it into that group. Still, if you look hard enough, you'll see that Henrietta has the same vintage charm.

She was queen of the Greek gods, both sister and wife to Zeus, but the name of her Roman counterpart Juno has become much more fashionable these days. That said, we think Hera has possibilities today too, as so many ancient goddess names rise to prominence.

Hildegard is an ancient name that sounds it, but it does have sweet short forms Hildie and Hilda to recommend it, as well as several illustrious historical bearers.

Elizabeth Holmes named the baby daughter she had during her trial for the Theranos fraud Invicta, perhaps symbolizing that her conviction does not mean defeat. Invicta has been used in mottoes since ancient Roman times, including Roma Invicta, which means Rome Undefeated, and the motto of contemporary Kent, in England. Invicta combines two trends, for word names and Ancient Roman names, in one original name.

For a long time, Isadora has been overlooked in favor of Isabella, owing perhaps to its association with the tragic modern dancer, Isadora Duncan, or because parents would rather their daughter be a Bella than a Dora. Now, with Theodora back in the charts and vintage names in vogue, Isadora has been slowly gaining more attention over the last decade.

A sweet name with many cross-cultural ties: it's an equivalent of Jane in languages including Czech, Slovak, Dutch, German, Slovene, Catalan, Estonian, and Latvian.

Jessamy and big sister Jessamine are all but unknown in the U.S., but make distinctive alternatives to overexposed Jessica, Jessie, and Jasmine.

Sweet and bright international form of Josephine, used in many European countries with various pronunciations of the initial J. A notable bearer is Josefina "Joey" Guerrero, a Filipina spy during World War II.

Variation of Cataleya, both of which are popular among Hispanic families in the US. Zoe Saldana played a character named Cataleya in Colombiana.

One of the most feminine of surname names, calling to mind dresses and doilies.

Laramie was derived from the French word la ramée, meaning "leafy canopy." It was historically a French surname, but today it is a viable first name option for girls or boys. The Wyoming city gives it more of a cowgirl Western than French vibe.

If Vivian became Vivienne, why can't Lillian become Lilienne? This pretty name has that chic French ending, and is a fresh way to popular Lily.

A beautiful Hawaiian mythological name — Lilinoe is the goddess of the rain.

A sweet and sparky modern Swedish name, derived from the word for "little" plus the suffix vi, which may mean "devoted, dedicated". An intriguing alternative to the popular Lily family of names.

Lilou is a charming, rarely heard import. Occitan is a language spoken in Provence, in the south of France, in which the suffix "ou" denotes a pet form — thus, Lilou as a short form of Liliane or its Occitan form Liliana or Liliano. Its popularity in France--where it's currently Number 12--can be traced to the 1997 film The Fifth Element.

The lovely Lorelei, a name from old German legend, was a beautiful Rhine River seductress whose haunting voice led sailors to hazardous rocks that would cause them to be shipwrecked. And this siren image clung to the name for ages.

At first glance, this looks like a name straight from Middle Earth. However, it simply comes from lune et ciel/.