Springtime eccentricity

An ancient Roman name that has never made it into the modern world.

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.

Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan novel Atonement is spelled Briony, which is the variation and Bryony the original.

This name of a touristed island in sight of Los Angeles makes an attractive and newly stylish variation on the classic Catherine or overused Caitlin.

Citrine is a type of quartz named after its citrus-colored hues. if Amethyst, Jasper, and Onyx (all other types of quartz) can be used, why not Citrine, which has a lovely French-sounding suffix. Citrine is one of the many rare and attractive girl names starting with C.

This name for the sweetbriar shrub is a bit too reminiscent of eggplant.

Ivory was last popular a hundred years ago. In 2013, it finally began to regain some momentum in the female rankings, reentering the Top 1000.

Supermodel Karlie Kloss lends this spelling variation some style. Having appeared in the US Top 1000 since 1991, it was in trouble of dropping off completely when it ranked Number 992 in 2009. Since then, however, it has made modest strides back up the list.

Maraca sounds more like a name than Banjo, so why not? It's rhythmic and, well, musical, so might make an adventurous choice.

Not to be confused with fellow Game of Thrones name Melisandre, Missandei is one of the closest advisors to Daenarys Targayren in HBO's hit show and the George R.R. Martin novels on which it is based. The character was born enslaved and trained by her Astapori masters as an interpreter, so she speaks many languages and knows the customs of countless foreign lands. She's also one of the most prominent characters of color in the show.

Mona had more than a moment in the sun, peaking in 1950 at Number 230 but falling off the Top 1000 completely in the late 1980s. Its similarity to the word "moaner" undercuts the appeal of its simplicity. In one recent year, fewer than 100 baby girls received the name, and we don't see it reviving any time soon.

Nahla is a lovely name chosen by Halle Berry for her daughter. Not to be confused with the Disneyfied Nala.