Girls ending in O

Has followed mother name Maureen off the radar screen.

Ro is a casual short form that doesn't usually appear on the birth certificate on its own. But it makes a friendly nickname for any girls' name starting with Ro-.

This name, which refers to Mary as the Virgin of the Dew, is all but unknown in the Anglo community, but popular enough in Hispanic families to put it in the U. S. Top 1000, at least until 2006.

Anglo parents are taking note of this Latina classic, thanks to actress Rosario Dawson and a character on Will & Grace.

Cool meets Born Again meets Brad and Angelina, who made Shiloh an instant star when they chose it for their daughter. While Shiloh has risen from obscurity thanks to its celebrity baby use, it hasn't become a star the way brother names Maddox and Pax have. It entered the Top 1000 in 2007, one year after the birth of Ms. Jolie-Pitt.

There's definitely a cold front of names for winter babies moving in, with Summer, Spring and Autumn giving way to Winter--plus North, January, Frost--and Snow. This name feels brisk, fresh, pure, evocative -- and magical. A haunting middle name choice.

Socorro is a Spanish and Portuguese word name taken from a title of the Virgin Mary, "Mary of Perpetual Succour." Its religious meaning makes it somewhat old-fashioned and not among the Spanish names for girls widely used in the US.

Unfamiliar Asian choice that can work for a parent in search of something really different.

The o ending and the positive meaning in many languages makes this a winner, and with the feminine Vera making a surprise return, and the new love for the letter 'V', this becomes a name that has definite possibilities.

An ancient tree that figures in literature from Shakespeare to Harry Potter and is believed to possess magical powers, Willow is a lovely name, as graceful as its inspiration.

The ethereal name of a Greek mythology sea nymph.

There are many in Japan, but for most Americans there's only one Yoko.