Middles
- Cosette
Origin:
French literary nicknameMeaning:
"little thing"Description:
Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables. In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some etymologists believe it's a spin on Colette, originally a female short form of Nicolas.
- Cyprian
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"man of Cyprus"Description:
With a long and noble history -- Cyprian was one of the great Christian Latin writers -- this could make a highly unusual but meaningful choice.
- Castian
- Claire-Anne
- Dagny
Origin:
ScandinavianMeaning:
"new day"Description:
If you're looking for a name with Scandinavian roots, this would make a stronger and more appealing import than Dagmar. With its meaning of "new day," it could make an ideal choice for a girl born around New Year's.
- Dai
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"great"Description:
A cross-cultural name that can be a nickname for David and can be pronounced Day (preferable to die), but is also the name of a vicious Asian villain.
- Damario
Origin:
Spanish from GreekMeaning:
"to tame"Description:
Dark and handsome.
- Damaris
- Damaris
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"dominant woman"Description:
In the New Testament, Damaris was an Athenian woman converted to Christianity by St. Paul. Known for her charitable work, her name was a favorite among the Puritans. Having slid off the bottom of the Top 1000 in 2012, Damaris might be deserving of more attention by parents in search of a New Testament name that is unusual but accessible, especially since girls' names ending in 's' are coming back into fashion.
- Damien
Origin:
French from GreekMeaning:
"to tame, subdue"Description:
Converting Damian to Damien – or Julian to Julien or Lucian to Lucien – adds a certain je ne sais quoi to names. But most people in English speaking areas will still pronounce this the same as the -an ending form. The French pronunciation is more like "dah-mee-u(n)".
- Damon
Origin:
English variation of DamianDescription:
Damon is a name with a strong, pleasing aura (much like the persona of Matt D.) and extremely positive ancient associations. From the classical myth, Damon and Pythias have become symbols of true friendship, as Damon risked his life to save his friend from execution. And Damon of Athens was the fifth century philosopher who taught both Pericles and Socrates.
- Daniel
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God is my judge"Description:
Daniel is one of only a handful of male names that sounds both classic and modern, strong yet approachable, and popular but not cliched. It also has a solid Old Testament pedigree. The only real downside: There are about 10,000 Daniels named each year, making it a less than distinctive choice.
- Davian
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
David plus Damian equals this hybrid name. Davian Clarke is a Jamaican Olympic athlete.
- Declan
Origin:
Irish, meaning unknown, possible "man of prayer"Meaning:
"man of prayer"Description:
Declan is the Anglicized form of the Irish name Deaglán. St. Declan was one of the first missionaries to bring Christianity to Ireland, preceding St. Patrick. Originally from Wales, he founded the monastery of Ardmore in Ireland.
- Declyn
- Dermot
Origin:
Irish, Anglicization of DiarmaidMeaning:
"free from envy"Description:
Dermot is an appealing, relatively undiscovered Irish mythological hero's name long popular in the Old Country, and imported into the American consciousness by actor Dermot Mulroney. We see it in the next Celtic wave following Connor and Liam.
- Donovan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"dark"Description:
One of the first of the appealing Irish surnames to take off in this country, this boys’ name has long outgrown its "Mellow Yellow" association, which came via the single from a sixties singer-songwriter named Donovan.
- Dorian
Origin:
Greek, name of a tribeDescription:
The Dorians were an ancient Greek tribe, one of the three major pre-Spartan tribes. It literally means "of Doris," a Greek district, or "of Doros," referring to the son of Helen of Sparta. Dorian derives from the Greek doron, meaning "gift," along with related names such as Dorothy and Dora.
- Draven
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Inspired by Brandon Lee's character in The Crow and Cuba Gooding Jr.'s in In the Shadows, this name, with its Wiccan feel, was used by a member of Linkin Park. It has ranked in the US Top 1000 since 1995.
- Dresden
Origin:
German place nameMeaning:
"people of the forest"Description:
Sad tinge to the name of the beautiful German city firebombed during World War II. Its name derives from Sorbian drezga, meaning "forest".