250+ Names like Arlo and Esme: Vowel-Consonant-Consonant-Vowel

That er sound -- as in Myrna, Myrtle, and Bernice -- sounds terminally dated.

A short and sweet Hindi name which has been relatively popular in the UK – peaking at #280 there in 2003.

Arke was the twin sister of the Greek rainbow goddess Iris. Arke is often associated with the seldom-seen, faded second rainbow. She had iridescent wings, which Zeus eventually took off her after she betrayed the Gods of Olympus. Arke can also be spelled Arce, but given the unfortunate mispronunciation that the 'c' spelling could lead to, we recommend you stick with this spelling.

Itza is a rare Itzel variant that shares its colorful meaning. Itza also connects to the Itza people of Guatemala and their language of the same name. Chichen Itza was a city built by the Mayans in what is now the Yucatán of Mexico.

The name recently given to their daughter by Susan and Robert Downey, Jr. is pronounced like Avery and may be seen as a kree8tiv spelling variation of that popular unisex name or a girlish short form of Avraham, the Biblical Hebrew form of Abraham.

Alda's brother name Aldo has been a mainstay of the U.S. popularity chart for decades now, and the related Alden is soaring up as well. This version has never really caught on. (Maybe it's the association with Alan Alda: great actor, unlikely namesake for a little girl.) However, there is possible hope now that Alba and Alma are on the rise. Aida and Arden are more familiar alternatives.

Truly a cross-cultural name, with usage in Germany, Scandinavia, India, France, and Iceland.

A Slavic variation of Helen that might make an unusual update of that classic name.

While we still can't see Hilda coming back any time soon, it's conceivable that this Italian version could ride the coattails of Ella, Elena and Ellery to broader popularity.

Turns Axel into a word name.

An Italian word name that somehow feels incomplete in itself.

A soft, sweet, distinctive name with a noble meaning.

Neutral color, but as a name, too much of an oddity.