The Master List - N

Nahla is a lovely name chosen by Halle Berry for her daughter. Not to be confused with the Disneyfied Nala.

Multicultural option, equally intriguing as, but more unusual than, Maia.

Naomi was once a primarily Jewish name from the Old Testament that referenced the mother-in-law of Ruth. Because of this, it is a symbolic name given to girls on Shavuot when the story of Ruth is read in the synagogue.

Natalie—a Franco-Russian name—became Americanized years ago and is one of those surprising names that's always ranked among the girls' Top 1000 names in the US.

This nouveau name of Keanu Reeves's character in The Matrix has not enjoyed the same burst of popularity as its female counterpart, Trinity, but it definitely sounds, well, newer. Neo Rauch is an interesting contemporary German artist.

An enchanting ancient Greek name belonging to the Greek goddess who was created from a cloud by Zeus and so became goddess of the clouds and mother of the centaurs. The name Nephele is not widely known but as among modern parents become used to Phoebe, Penelope, and Persephone, it may become one of the ancient Greek goddess names that's back in the mix.

This Roman mythology (and planet) name would be very hard to handle. It derives from a root meaning cloud.

The association with the infamous Nero, the fiddling Roman emperor, would be unavoidable. But there was also the detective Nero Wolfe, hero of many mystery stories.

Like its cousin Tessa, Nessa -- a shortening of Vanessa or Agnes or Anastasia among other possibilities -- is an attractive nickname that can stand on its own.

Nico is one of the great nickname names, full of charm, energy and effortless cool -- a neo Nick.

Enticing modern nickname name possibility.

Russian forms, like Russian supermodels, are hot these days. This is a strong, worldly way to make Nicholas new; it was chosen for his son by Barry Bonds, Jr. Nikolai also comes with several attractive nickname options, including approachable Nik, spunky Niko, or even hip Kai. A traditional nickname for Nikolai in Russia is Kolya.

Feels truncated, as though a first syllable was snapped off.

This Old Testament female name has been one of the most popular girls’ names in Israel over the last decade. Also highly popular in Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands, and a new entrant to the US Top 1000, it may be misunderstood here as an attempt to streamline and feminize the more familiar Noah – although it's a separate name with a separate derivation.

Noah is nearly a patriarch of popular baby names at this point, going from Old Testament graybeard to Top 10 name in 2009, hitting Number 1 in 2013, and now settled into second place in the US for the past seven years.

Noel, the French word for Christmas has been given to both boys and girls born on that holiday since the Middle Ages. For girls it's often spelled Noelle.

Noemi is a charming Latin spin on Naomi, with the accent on the last syllable; another twist is Neomi. A quiet mainstay on the US Top 1000 since 1957, Noemi was one of the fastest rising names in 2023.

Nolwenn is popular in Wales but would be a very adventurous choice in the US. Though with the increased visibility of names like Arwen, thanks to Lord of the Rings, it may not feel as odd going forward as it might have a generation ago. Other, similar ideas: Olwen, Anwen, Bronwen, Rowena.

Nora is a lovely, refined name that conjures up images of Belle Epoch ladies in fur-trimmed coats skating in Central Park. Long seen as a quintessentially Irish name though its roots are not in Ireland, Nora is a quietly stylish favorite that's tiptoed to the top of the popularity ladder.

Japanese name that would have no trouble assimilating — though many would associate it with the dried seaweed used to wrap sushi. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use Nori as a nickname for their daughter North.