With the growing popularity for girls of such names as Aubrey and Audrey, Auberon feels like a fresh and viable option.

Auberon

Banks is a topographical surname that refers not to those places where people keep their money but to riverbanks or hillsides, and specifically the people who live on them. Just as Fields is a last name that relates to people who lived in, yes, fields, so Banks was a name originally given to people who dwelled on the banks of a river. Today, used as a first name, Banks is more likely to sound like an upwardly-mobile name related to financial establishments, okay if you're going for the glitter.

Banks

An x makes any name cooler, so that Baxter has a bit more pizzazz than the original Baker. Baxter had some currency as a first name a century ago--it was on the popularity lists sporadically from 1880 till the 1920s, peaking at Number 515 in 1886-- which means it's just about due for a comeback. And we can see Bax as a worthy follow-up to Max and Jax.
 Singer Ian Dury named his now-grown son Baxter, and Dr. Baxter Stockman was a scientist in the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle" series. 
 Fun feminist fact: as an occupational name, Baxter was actually the word for a female baker. It's only used for boys now, but could legitimatelt be a unisex name.

Baxter

Beatrix has a solid history of its own apart from Beatrice, with that final x adding a playful, animated note to the name's imposing history.
 
In the earliest sources it is recorded as Viatrix, meaning "voyager". Possibly the spelling was deliberately changed to resemble the Latin word beatus, "blessed"; both meanings are part of Beatrix's rich history.
 
It has been largely associated with Beatrix (born Helen) Potter, creator of Peter Rabbit, and Beatrix has been Queen of The Nethelands since 1980.
 Actress Jodie Sweetin has a daughter called Beatrix, and designer Kate Spade chose it for her daughter Frances's middle name. The main character in Quentin Tarantino's movie Kill Bill was Beatrix Kiddo, played by Uma Thurman. 
 Both Bea and Trixie are adorable nicknames,and Beatriz is the Spanish form.

Beatrix

Brock is a rock solid name, with a touch of preppy sophistication. It ranked solidly in the 200s-300s from 1975 until 2014, but has since tumbled a bit.
 Among Brocks who lived up to their name are Brock Peters (actually born George), who played Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird; Brock Pemberton, a founder of the Tony Awards; and Brock Chisholm, the first director-general of the World Health Organization.
 Brock is the traditional name given to a badger in folk tales.

Brock

Despite its brotherly meaning, sounds rather formal and cold. 

Broderick

The energetic Brody is a name that claims different meanings and origins depending on whether you're looking at its Irish, Scottish, or English history -- and Eastern Europeans claim a version too. An alternate spelling is Brodie.
 Caitlyn Jenner named her son Brody before she fell under the sway of the Kardashian K-naming klan, and volleyball ace Gabrielle Reese used the name for her daughter. The Brody on TV's Homeland is known by his surname; his first name is Nicholas.

Brody

This hyper-rhythmic name has two evocative references. In Greek mythology, she was an island nymph, a daughter of Atlas, who delayed Odysseus from returning home. It is also a genre of West Indian music, originating in Trinidad and Tobago and largely popularized in the States by Harry Belafonte. 
 Calypso was the name of Jacques-Yves Cousteau's research ship--and would make a highly dramatic, musical choice.

Calypso

CALYX

CICERO

In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea, who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to Odysseus's crew in Homer's Odyssey, transforming them into swine. All was forgiven, however, as Circe and Odysseus later had a child together&mdash;Telegonus.

The name and legend have appeared in countless forms, from a section of James Joyce's Ulysses to short stories by Julio Cortazar to Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon to films to DC comics to a dance by Martha Graham.

So is Circe's seductive legend too powerful for a modern little girl to carry? Your call.

Circe

Enzo originated as the Italian variation of Heinz, a German name derived from Heinrich, related to Henry. It has historically been used as a short form for Italian names such as Vincenzo and Lorenzo. The most famous bearer of the name is Enzo Ferrari, founder of the luxury sports car brand.
 
Like Leonardo and Luca, Enzo is one of the confident and captivating Italian names beginning to be used by parents of all ethnic backgrounds, including Patricia Arquette and Annabeth Gish. In addition to its native country, Enzo is currently mega popular in France and is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/166/italian-names">top Italian baby names</a> in the US.

Enzo

Eos -- that's pronounced with a short e like eros without the r -- is the Greek Titan of the dawn. Any ancient name with a sleek modern feel has definite revival possibilities. Eos could be an inventive way to honor grandma Dawn. 
 
Eos is also a Welsh bird name that is occasionally given to girls in Wales — pleasingly the nightingale, so this name covers both morning and night.

Musical choice that might work great in the middle. Alternative in all its forms, Fife and sister name Fifer are <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/472/scottish-names-for-girls">Scottish names for girls</a> that can make a new twist on Piper.

Fife

Any number of Fitz names -- Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Fitzroy, Fitzwilliam -- have been used as Christian names, in fact Fitzwilliam was the given name of the dashing Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. Fitz can be a short form of any of them and is often, like Mac, a nickname drawn from a surname.

Fitz

Forbes is a business magazine in the U.S., long led by Malcolm Forbes, with a buttoned-down Brooks Brothers image.  If you name your son Forbes, you're definitely implying a connection to the prominent and wealthy family -- which may be exactly what you're intending.  But if you have a more down-to-earth image in mind, try Field.

Forbes

Long heard as a last name, as in venerable poet Robert, U.K. talk show host David, British actress Sadie and old Jack Frost, Frost has suddenly entered the scene as a possible first, along with other seasonal weather names like Winter and Snow.
 Some forward-thinking parents are beginning to warm to the icy simplicity of Frost, placing it among the most fitting <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">names for winter babies</a>.

Frost

Frost is a name parents are beginning to warm to, appreciating its icy simplicity and connection with the venerable poet Robert. Frost, along with Winter, Snow, and January, are also perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">names for winter babies</a>.

Now that Tristan has been rediscovered, maybe it's time for his fabled lover in the Arthurian romances and Wagnerian opera, a beautiful Irish princess, to be brought back into the light as well. 
 This would make an artistic and romantic choice, as the medieval heroine is seen as a symbol of undying love. 
 In Marilyn French's novel The Women's Room, the character Isolde is nicknamed Iso. Isolde is currently a Top 500 name in the Netherlands. Variations include Iseult, Isolt, Isoud, Isolda and Yseult.

Isolde

James for a girl? Believe it or not, this is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/79/boy-names-for-girls">boy names for girls"</a> gaining a lot of attention these days, since Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds shocked the world by choosing it for their eldest daughter in 2014 (after his late father).
 
Since then, it's become something of a celebrity baby middle name du jour, with high-profile parents including Coco Rocha, Kristin Cavallari, Nev Schulman and Brandon Jenner all having daughters with James in the middle spot.

James

A biblical place name with trumpeting verve and strength.
 Though rarely heard as a first name, Jericho has appeared in the titles of films, TV series, songs, bands, comics, and video games (Clive Barker's Jericho). It's perhaps these references that helped it enter the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013 -- as one of the year's fastest-rising names.

Jericho

Quintessentially common last name makes distinctive if problematic first, given to nearly 100 babies in the US in the most recent year counted. 

Jones

Kitana is the name of a character in Mortal Kombat II -- she's a princess who looks young but is actually 10,000 years old.  It may be related to the male Persian name Katana, which means honorable, or even more likely to the Japanese word katana which means sword.

Kitana

Knox is an old Scottish surname that Brad Pitt (whose great-great-grandfather was named Hal Knox Hillhouse) and Angelina Jolie took out of the back cupboard, dusted off, and elevated to coolness--to the point where it entered the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular baby names</a> list in 2009. Knox now ranks among the most influential <a href="https://nameberry.com/fameberry">celebrity baby names</a>.
 With Knox, the Jolie-Pitts established their own tradition: instead of their sons bearing the same first inital, they share the final letter 'x'--Maddox, Pax and Knox-- as well as a final 'n' for their <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a>. It's celebrity shine has made the formerly obscure Knox one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/473/scottish-names-for-boys">Scottish names for boys</a>. 
 The surname Knox dates back at least to the thirteenth century, and John Knox was the priest who brought about the Reformation in Scotland.

Knox

Usually adding an e to the end of a name makes it more feminine, but Locke is at most recent count used only for baby boys. Still, this stylishly strong one-syllable name is theoretically gender-neutral.

Locke

Loki is the shape-shifting, gender-bending god of mischief in Norse mythology.  Taking several animal forms, from a salmon to a seal to a fly, Loki is alternately friend and foe of the gods.

Loki

While god of mischief Loki is usually depicted as a male -- sometimes in animal form -- he gives birth as a mare to the eight-legged horse Sleipnir and also appears in some stories as an elderly woman.  The name Loki, in contemporary American, will feel more feminine based solely on its sound.

This name of a character played by Kirsten Dunst in the movie Virgin Suicides, originally a novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, is gaining attention, also thanks to the heroine Lux, Lady of Luminosity in the League of Legends games. Luz is the Spanish version.

Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's finding new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, seen in the movie The Golden Compass. Simple yet unique, Lyra hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.
 
Lyra is a constellation name taken from the lyre of Orpheus. It contains the star Vega and thus could make a melodic choice for a parent interested in music, astronomy, or mythology. It has more depth and history than Lyric, is more unusual than Lila (which it rhymes with). It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015.
 Lyra was chosen for their daughter by Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn, as well as Sophie Dahl and Jamie Cullum. And then there's Lyra Belacqua, the heroine of His Dark Materials and The Golden Compass.

Lyra

Mack, when "formalized" with the final k, makes an engagingly amiable choice, a far more uncommon alternative to the ubiquitous Max and Jack, with a nice, every-guy feel. Mack entered the popularity list in 2009 for the first time since 1989 and continues to climb. However, it's still far from its peak — it was a Top 100 name in 1900.
 Mack (born Michael) Sennett was the innovator of slapstick comedy in silent films. The name is also suggestive of Mack the Knife and a whole family of computers. Kevin Kline, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Dan Aykroyd, Eric Roberts and Snoop Dogg have all played characters named Mack.

Mack

Monroe is a presidential name which, thanks to the immortal beauty of Marilyn Monroe, is catching on fast for baby girls. Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon chose it for their twin daughter, honoring Marilyn Monroe. Their use of Monroe as a <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> did much to revive this Old Man name, a la Sydney, as a newly fashionable choice for girls.

Monroe

Somehow more modern and likable than Morris or Doris. 

Norris

Nova has the feel of both newness, from its meaning, and great energy as an astronomical term for a star that increases suddenly in brightness before fading. 
 Nova had some reasonable degree of popularity at the turn of the last century, only to disappear for more than 70 years before making a, well, astronomical comeback. Nova now ranks in the US Top 50 for baby girls and also entered the UK Top 100 in 2022. 
 Nova Pilbeam, the star of one of Hitchcock's early British films, had family ties to Nova Scotia. Other Nova ties: the long-running science TV show and the finest kind of lox. 
Given to more than 5000 girls in the US each year - and to a not insubstantial 240 boys - Nova is a current star that doesn't look as though it will be fading any time soon.

Nova

This rarely used boys name is one of the few gem names for a boy. Obsidian is actually a type of volcanic glass, formed when lava cools very quickly. This ultra-cool name might spark a love of volcanoes and geology in a little boy.

Obsidian

Odin is the name of the supreme Norse god of art, culture, wisdom, and law — who was handsome, charming, and eloquent into the bargain. The name projects a good measure of strength and power and has excellent assimilation potential.
 The god Odin was referred to by more than 200 names, including Yggr, Sigfodr, and Alfodr — none of which is recommended. The word Wednesday is derived from Woden, the English form of Odin.
 Odin came to be used as a Norwegian male given name beginning in the nineteenth century, originally in the context of a romantic Viking revival. In the 2001 novel American Gods by Neil Gaiman, the character called Wednesday is an incarnation of the god Odin.

Odin

Unlike Pearl and Ruby, this is one gem name suited for boys, the final x making it sound strong and virile. Musician Iggy Azalea chose the name Onyx for her son.

Onyx

Onyx is one of the more masculine gemstone names but in recent years it's been a fast riser for baby boys and girls. Nick Cannon's daughter Onyx Ice may boost the name further.

Floral, elegant, and bold, Ophelia re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after more than 50 years off the charts. It has risen more than 700 spots since then and shows no signs of slowing down. Now in the US Top 300, could Ophelia one day become the next Olivia or Amelia?
 
It's certainly catching up in the UK, where, as of 2022, it's in the Top 100 and given to nearly 600 baby girls. Less likely to be heard as 'I feel ya', as it is pronounced with four syllables in the UK, Ophelia makes an arty but approachable choice. 
 Derived from the Ancient Greek word "opheleia", which means "help", Ophelia was used first by the poet Sannazaro in his 15th century poem "Arcadia". It was then popularized by Shakespeare's Hamlet in the 1600s and again in the 19th century by John Millais' painting. 
 
Other namesakes include the gutsy Ophelia in Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 Uncle Tom's Cabin, which seems to have had some influence on baby namers at the time, and more recently, the song "Ophelia" by The Lumineers.
 Among the actresses who have played modern non-Shakespearean Ophelias are Jamie Lee Curtis in "Trading Places" and Blake Lively in "Savages". The heroine of the film Pan's Labyrinth uses the Spanish spelling, Ofelia, while a popular YA novel, Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie sticks with the Shakespearean one.
 Actress Patricia Neal and author Roald Dahl named one of their now grown daughters Ophelia, and more recently musician Dave Grohl named his baby girl Ophelia Saint.
 
A hugely popular name on Nameberry and now out in the 'real world' too, you may hear this Shakespearean gem more often in the coming years. So, if you love Ophelia but want to beat the trends, you could try Cressida, Olympia, Cordelia, or Cerelia.

Ophelia

Alluring and lovely — and much more distinctive now than Samantha or Tamara. Samara is a city in western Russia, a winged seed like the whirlygigs that fall from maple trees, as well as a bona fide first name that could make a more unusual update on Samantha or Mara. It can also be a variant spelling of the Arabic name Samira or Sameera.

Samara

Less popular than the Bueller-inspired Sloane but following on its coattails, this name ranks toward the middle of the Top 1000, but we see both spellings sticking around for years to come.

Sloan

A name with some sterling qualities, most associated with the British currency and silver markets. Sterling is more commonly a male name or surname, but is occasionally used for girls as well. 

Sterling

Though Tate is used almost exclusively for boys, we can see Tate as a stronger surname alternative to Kate or a clipped form of Tatum. 

Tate

Tempest is one of those names that could go either way. Cool, evocative modern word name? Or asking for trouble?  Your call, but if you decide the former image is dominant, be warned that some people will see it as the latter.


Tempest

Troy shot to popularity as a first name in tandem with that of 1960s heartthrob Troy (born Merle) Donahue; its image has now, thanks in part to the Brad Pitt-starring epic, Troy, receded back to conjuring up the ancient site of the Trojan wars.

Troy

broberry's list "Hello, my name is badass." of 44 great name ideas: Auberon - Troy!