Guilty Pleasure Names

Names I love (or by which I am strangely intrigued) that I wish I were brave enough to use. Perhaps in the middle spot? Sigh...
  1. Astoria
    • Origin:

      Place name
    • Description:

      Long more associated with the New York Waldorf- hotel and the neighborhood in Queens than as a baby name, Astoria is finally beginning to emerge from their shadow and find favor with parents looking to move beyond Brooklyn. The name Astoria is drawn from the surname of titan of industry John Jacob Astor, theorized to mean "hawk."
  2. Astrid
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "divinely beautiful"
    • Description:

      Astrid has been a Scandinavian royal name since the tenth century, and many people associated it with the Swedish author of the Pippi Longstocking stories, Astrid Lindgren. Astrid is derived from the name Ástríðr, which is made up of the Old Norse elements that mean "god" and "beautiful."
  3. Atticus
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "from Attica"
    • Description:

      Atticus, with its trendy Roman feel combined with the upstanding, noble image of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, is a real winner among boy names. Atticus entered the US Top 1000 in 2004 and is a firm Nameberry favorite.
  4. Azalea
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "azalea, a flower"
    • Description:

      Azalea is one of the fresher flower names, along with Zinnia and Lilac, that are new to the name bouquet — in fact, it entered the Social Security list for the first time in 2012. So if Lily and Rose are too tame for you, consider this brilliant pink springtime blossom with a touch of the unusual that has been growing in popularity.
  5. Bard
    • Origin:

      Irish variation of Baird, Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "minstrel, poet"
    • Description:

      Great Irish middle name choice for Shakespeare lovers.
  6. Caspian
    • Origin:

      Place name
    • Meaning:

      "white"
    • Description:

      One of the most romantic of appellations, Caspian is a geographical name referring to the large salty sea between Asia and Europe. It's also the name of the hero of C.S. Lewis's beloved Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian.
  7. Cosima
    • Origin:

      Italian feminine variation of Cosmo, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "order, beauty, universe"
    • Description:

      Cosima, the kind of elegant and unusual name the British upper classes love to use for their daughters, is given to a handful of baby girls in the US after being chosen by two high-profile celebs in the same month; cool couple Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars as well as supermodel Claudia Schiffer. It was used earlier by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, while the male form, Cosimo, was given to the son of Marissa Ribisi and Beck.
  8. Deliverance
    • Eowyn
      • Origin:

        Literary name
      • Meaning:

        "horse lover"
      • Description:

        A literary name created by J. R. R. Tolkien for a Lord of the Rings noblewoman of Rohan. Properly spelled with an accent over the first E – Éowyn – it would make an interesting choice for literature lovers or fans of names like Elowen and Evelyn.
    • Eilonwy
      • Elessar
        • Fable
          • Origin:

            English word name
          • Meaning:

            "a legendary story of supernatural happenings"
          • Description:

            Fable, like Story, is a word name with real potential, combining enchanted tale-telling with a moral edge. And soundwise, it would fit right in with the likes of Abel and Mabel.
        • Faolan
          • Origin:

            Irish Gaelic
          • Meaning:

            "little wolf"
          • Description:

            Properly spelled with a fada in Gaelic (Faolán), this name is the origin of the Irish surname Phelan. It derives from the Gaelic fáel "wolf", plus a diminutive suffix, making this a handsome hidden nature name.
        • Faerie
          • Faramir
            • Galen
              • Origin:

                Greek
              • Meaning:

                "calm, healer"
              • Description:

                Many will associate this name with Galen of Pergamon, the second-century physician considered to be the founding father of medicine. A more recent reference is Star Wars character Galen Erso. The name still projects a gentle, scholarly image, while sharing sounds with more popular names like Aiden and Nathan. Bonus: it's also an anagram of Angel.
            • Hanalei
              • Origin:

                Hawaiian
              • Meaning:

                "crescent bay or garland valley"
              • Description:

                An appealing Hawaiian name which belongs to a town, river and bay on Kauaʻi island in Hawaii. The two possible meanings of the name, "crescent bay" or "garland (lei) valley" both describe the beauty of the place.
            • Juniper
              • Origin:

                Latin tree name
              • Meaning:

                "young"
              • Description:

                Juniper is a fresh-feeling nature name -- it's a small evergreen shrub -- with lots of energy. A new favorite of fashionable parents, Juniper joins such other tree and shrub names as Hazel, Acacia, and Willow.
            • Lark
              • Origin:

                English bird name
              • Description:

                Lark is getting some new and well-deserved attention as a post-Robin and Raven bird name. Although it was first recorded as a name in the 1830's, it has never appeared on the Social Security list.
            • Llewellyn
              • Origin:

                Welsh, variation of Llywelyn
              • Meaning:

                "leader's image"
              • Description:

                Llewellyn/Llywelyn is a common patriotic first name in Wales, with its distinctive Welsh double LL's; in the U.S. Llewellyn would make a daring choice, though with the chance that some might find the ellen sound slightly feminine.