Powerful and Unique Names

Feminine form of Adriel, a Biblical choice which has been really heating up in the US in recent years. Feels like a natural successor to Adrienne and Arielle.

Aerith Gainsborough is a lead character in the video game Final Fantasy. The name was invented by the developers as a translation for the character's original Japanese name Earisu.

While Alivia may not have achieved the megapopularity of its mother name, it's still a widely used choice. Alivia combines the trendiness of A names with the trendiness of Olivia to create a choice that's slightly off the beaten track -- slightly being the operative word here. Is the distinction the initial A earns you worth a lifetime of explaining, "No, it's Alivia, with an A, not Olivia"? Your call, though ours would be no.

Army plus meaner equals an unappealing name.

Aviva is vivacious and memorable, a fresh spin on the Vivian and Vivienne names that have been getting more popular since Angelina and Brad chose one for their twin daughter. Another A-beginning palindrome name: Aziza.

Though it sounds so modern, Brielle is, among other things, a traditional Cajun contraction of Gabrielle, but it has now spread far beyond that community. Brielle is also the name of a historic seaport in the western Netherlands.

Caius is classical and serious but also has a simple, joyful quality. There was a third century pope named Caius, as well as an early Christian writer, several Shakespearean characters, and a Twilight vampire. We would pronounce the name to rhyme with eye-us though at Cambridge University in England, where it's the name of a college, it's pronounced keys.

Caleb is an attractive Old Testament name that has been in the US Top 100 for nearly three decades now. Consistently popular but never too popular, Caleb feels more like a classic than a momentary trend.

Caledon, the name of the arrogant Billy Zane character in "Titanic," is an Irish place-name related to Caledonia, the Latin word for Scotland thought to be derived from the ancient Celtic word for "hard." Cal is a wonderful nickname, and Caledon an inventive way to get there.

A contemporary, feminized variation of Carson.

Carter has ranked in the Top 100 since the the turn of the millennium, but despite its recent popularity, it's not a trendy new name. In fact, Carter is one of those names that just misses ranking in the US Top 1000 for its entire 140+ year history.

Once a cavalier Mississippi gambler type name, Chance has entered the mainstream since being endorsed by such celebrity dads as Larry King and Paul Hogan. Chance the Rapper has also boosted the name's popularity.

Delta is an unusual vintage option with a lazy-day-down-by-the-river feel. Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet and also the geographical name given to an island formed at the mouth of a river.

Though the tragedies of the Greeks and Eugene O'Neill that used this name are filled with incest and murder, Electra is still a brilliant choice. Isabella Rossellini chose the gentler Italian verson, Elettra, for her now grown daughter.

Parents of female Emersyns will say this Emerson variation's Y makes it more feminine -- and to some extent, it does. This, combined with the trendy Y, have flagged this name as on-the-rise. "Em" names have been hot for girls in recent years, from the classic Emma, Emily, and Emilia to the modern Emery and Ember — and both Emerson and Emersyn are no exception. Emersyn entered the charts in 2019 and has been rising since, all the way up to the Top 200.

Finja Is a Josephine nickname that ranks among the Top 100 girl names in Germany.

Finley has been used for both sexes for enough years to become one of the most popular unisex names. Given nearly equally to boys and girls, Finley appeals to contemporary parents as a truly gender neutral choice.