Names that end in y

Seeley is a Medieval surname with a happy, fortunate meaning.

Signy — also spelled Signe — would make another distinctively offbeat alternative to Sydney. Signy appears in Norse mythology as the twin sister of Sigmund.

If January, April and August are useable and fashionable, why not February? February as a word derives from the Latin februa, which was the name of a purification feast coming at the end of winter, to prepare for the coming spring.

The spoiled only son of the richest family in town in a fifties movie.

Pronounced hwee, this common Vietnamese name would be difficult to translate to an English-speaking culture.

Bromley is an English surname-name that's more possible as a first name now than ever before. The -ley suffix has been adopted for many names, and surnames such as Bromley are fashionable.

Cornelius is one of the Ancient Roman names that is not quite making a comeback, despite having been a Top 200 name in the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Blame Corny, a nickname that is just too joke-worthy.

We can't account for the popularity of this name, for either a boy or a girl, given the first syllable, the tacky connotations with a luxury car, and the range of other options which are more harmonious to the ear. Nonetheless, nearly 200 girls were names Bentley in the US in 2015.

Before there was esteemed actress Anne Hathaway, there was Anne Hathaway, wife of Shakespeare — the former being named after the latter.

Gilly is a name that's popped up from time to time in different contexts: As a nickname for Gillian, for instance, and as the name of a town in Switzerland. But it's increasingly associated with Hannah Murray's character Gilly in HBO's Game of Thrones, whom Sam Tarly rescued from Craster's Keep.

Gennady is derived from an early saint's name (Gennadius) and shares the same Greek root word as the English word generous. It is a familiar if still uncommon boys' name in Russia. If you're looking for unique boy names you might want to put this one on your list.

Back in the day, Lacy used to be available to boys as well.

Cagney is one of the spunkiest Irish surnames around, and could make a lively and fresher successor to the tired Casey.

Connelly is a rollicking and rare example of the popular surname genre that may work even better for girls. A huge update on Colleen.

Jeffery is common enough to be an accepted variation but not common enough to be the one you should choose. Nonetheless, this spelling has charted since the early-twentieth century, much like its brother name.

The name of a French city famous for its fine lace. Another association: Chantilly cream – a sweetened whipped cream apparently invented there in the 17th century by a chef at the Château de Chantilly. The town probably takes is name from the Gallo-Roman personal name Cantilius, derived from a word for "white".

With the sprightly "Ren" and "Wren" currently in fashion, and "ley" a productive suffix to create new names, this combination was inevitable, and is chirpy and appealing. Renley has been on the US charts for girls since 2012, and for boys since 2013. It probably got a boost from the Game of Thrones character Renly Baratheon, albeit with a slightly different spelling.

Along with many other Irish surnames, Conley is picking up in use among both boys and girls.

Much stronger than Dale for a boy.

A medieval and early English variant of the Ismenia, which feels surprisingly on trend today.