littlesharks's list of names

Petronilla is an ancient saint's name that relates to the Roman family name Petronius, thought to mean yokel or woodpecker, though some connect it with Petra or Peter, meaning stone. With the resurgence of so many ancient Roman names, the elaborate and pretty Petronilla or its French form Petronille seem more usable these days than they have in centuries.

Phoebe is the Latin variation of the Greek name Phoibe, which derived from phoibos, meaning "bright." In classical mythology, Phoebe is the by-name of Artemis, goddess of the moon and of hunting. The masculine version of Phoebe is Phoebus.

One of the names of the sun god Apollo, this is better known in its feminine form, Phoebe.

Effortlessly cool with a hint of the mystical, Phoenix rolls a lot of trends into one: it's a place-name and a bird name, it ends in the stylish letter x, it's got in-built nicknames, and it's unisex too. Familiar but not over-popular, Phoenix ranks in the US and UK Top 1000s.

Despite her somewhat prissy, puritanical air, Priscilla has managed to stay widely used for well over a century -- it reached as high as Number 127 in 1940 -- appreciated for its delicacy and solid history.

The Roman equivalent of Persephone, making her a goddess of spring, and queen of the underworld. Also spelled Proserpine.

This name of the mortal girl loved by Eros is too loaded with psyche/psycho/psychic associations. The mythological Psyche became goddess of the soul.

See QUENTIN and QUINTIN.

Among a small shower of rain-related names, this pure version can have a cool, refreshing image.

Raul and French brother Raoul are much more appealing than flat-footed daddy Ralph. Puerto Rican actor Raul Julia, who starred in the Addams Family movies, brought fame to the name before his death in 1994.

Bird name Raven, once a symbol of pride for both African-American and Wiccan parents, is finding new life as a superhero name. Raven Darkholme is the real name of Mystique, heroine of the X-Men films played by Jennifer Lawrence. And there is another Raven superheroine in Teen Titans. Some parents may still choose Raven to signal black pride or mystical powers or maybe even Edgar Allan Poe fandom, but we are guessing most inspiration is coming from the comics.

In Jewish mysticism, Raziel is an angel known as the Keeper of Secrets. The Book of Raziel contends that he stood by God and wrote down everything that was said. The name Raziel, along with many other names ending in -aziel, is rising in popularity among baby boys.

The traditional name of the brightest star in the constellation Leo and a minor character in the "Harry Potter" series might be a good pick for parents interested in a regal name but turned off by the blatancy of Royalty and King. The nickname Reggie is all but inevitable, for better or worse.

Remus is one of the legendary twins who, with brother Romulus, founded Rome. An unusual yet classic name for the extremely adventurous who can put aside the stereotyped image of Uncle Remus. Though because of that "ream" first syllable, we prefer Romulus.

Widely used across Europe as a common baptismal name symbolizing spiritual rebirth, Renata, in this country it has an operatic image via Italian-born divas Renata Tebadi and Renata Scotti.

Most of us had never heard this lovely Welsh name with links to the moon until we heard the 1976 smash hit Fleetwood Mac song of that name, with lyrics by Stevie Nicks. That same year it popped onto the U.S. Top 1000 at Number 593.

More authentic and original form of Ryan, but far less common of the two spellings.