Animal Nicknames
- Corbin
Origin:
English and French surnameMeaning:
"crow, raven"Description:
Corbin, the name of the castle where the Holy Grail was said to be hidden, came to the fore in the 1980s via actor Corbin Bernsen when he was the high profile star of LA Law, but its use is only now escalating as part of the mania for two-syllable names starting with c or k, as well as from the more youthful image of Corbin Bleu, the attractive actor-model-dancer-singer who was one of the stars of the Disney hit High School Musical.
- Creighton
Origin:
English and ScottishMeaning:
"hilltop town, rocky place"Description:
One instance where a phonetic spelling might be better.
- Cristobal
Origin:
Spanish variation of ChristopherMeaning:
"bearer of Christ"Description:
The first name of famed designer Balenciaga, was also the birth name of Christopher Columbus--aka Cristobal Colon. A name still well used in the Hispanic community.
- Davina
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"little deer"Description:
A Scottish favorite that could make it here thanks to its similarity to the word divine. It's the most popular of several feminizations of David used in Scotland, including Davida, Davinia and Davidina, which have less of a chance in the U.S. It reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time in two decades in 2016.
- Delphinia
- Dominica
Origin:
Italian, feminine variation of DominicMeaning:
"belonging to the Lord"Description:
Fashionably Continental and much fresher than Dominique, though it's been used since the Middle Ages. Dominica can be spelled any number of ways, from Dominika to Domenica, but we prefer this version.
- Dorothy
Origin:
English variation of Greek DorotheaMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
In the 1930s, Dorothy left Kansas and landed in the Land of Oz; by the '80s she had become a Golden Girl, living in Miami with roommates Blanche and Rose, giving her a decidedly older image. But parents today seeking a quiet classic are bringing Dorothy back—she reentered the Top 1000 in 2011 after almost completely disappearing.
- Derington
- Devran
- Drakon
- Fauna
Origin:
RomanMeaning:
"young deer"Description:
Fauna is the Roman goddess of the earth as well as one of the fairies who protected Disney's "Sleeping Beauty".
- Faustina
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"fortunate one"Description:
A name with several distinguished namesakes: the wife of ancient Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, a famous Italian opera singer, and two Catholic saints--making it both substantial and unusual.
- Felix
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"happy, fortunate"Description:
Felix is one of those ancient but nontraditional names for boys that have come into favor over the past few decades, a favorite of parents who want a masculine name with history and heft that breaks ranks with the standard Franks and Freds. Felix is also an international darling, ranking in the Top 100 in several European and English-speaking countries.
- Finnigan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"fair"Description:
Finnigan is another way to spell Finnegan, one of the energetic Irish surname-names in vogue now. One note: While Finnigan, Finnian, Finley and so on are appealing names on their own, you don't need to use a longer form to get to Finn, which is a perfectly proper name all on its own.
- Florentina
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"blooming"Description:
The Latin names for girls Florentina may be the most feminissima and flowery of the 'Flor" names. Another option would be Fiorentina, though you can also downshift to Flora or Florence.
- Filibert
- Fusca
- Gasparo
- Harriet
Origin:
English variation of French HenrietteMeaning:
"estate ruler"Description:
Harriet has long been considered a stylish, upscale name in England, but it's still waiting to be revived in the US—though some parents seeking a solid, serious semi-classic are beginning to consider it.
- Hartley
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"stag meadow"Description:
Hartley, in these days of Harleys and Hammers, feels unnecessarily buttoned-up. We'd recommend the simpler and warmer Hart.