Names That Mean Earth

Used by the Puritans but off the US charts completely since the mid-1990s, Eartha is best known today as the name of American singer Eartha Kitt, as well as of the philanthropist and humanitarian Eartha M. M. White.

Earthy but ethereal Spanish word name that sounds a lot fresher than its sister Sierra.

A cross-cultural possibility, but a bit heavy and somber.

Rochester was Jack Benny's famous valet and sidekick, played by early African-American comic Eddie Anderson.

Apt choice for an architect's child, honoring German-born Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a central figure in modern design, and universally referred to as Mies.

This ancient saint's name was borne by the infamous midcentury playboy, Porfirio Rubirosa.

Nope, not a misspelling of Sexton or a number name. This Old Norse name is actually a name denoting victory and in the Swedish Top 100..

A daisy-esque flower, although chamomile is much more commonly associated with the tea that's made from it.

An intriguing but challenging choice, because of possible confusion with all the Terry-type names.

Once a short form of names containing this syllable, it is now used on its own, though we'd prefer Sven.

Androgeus was a Cretan prince—the son of King Minos. He is known for being murdered in Athens, although the way in which he died is contested.

Has an evocative feel, unusual to the Western ear without being identified with any particular culture.

Evocative of the sand dunes at the beach, Doone is a relatively rare surname found in Scotland, Ireland and England. It was recently used with this spelling by Olympic medalist Amanda Beard; photographer Diane Arbus named her daughter Doon, inspired, yes, by walks along the sand dunes during her pregnancy.

This one may well be an undiscovered choice for many parents - it has a fabulous meaning, a sturdy surname-name appeal that is very on trend right now and several great namesakes including the Bartlett pear and the tome of quotations. Despite that third T, it could also be a favorite of The West Wing fans wanting to evoke fictional president Jed Bartlet.

Indian emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal.

The discoverer of this lovely bright blue gemstone named it after his daughter Larissa and the sea (mar), hence Larimar. Despite the feminine origins, the harder -mar ending makes this work for boys too, similar to Delmar and Elmer.

Romani form of Herminia

Mirko is a diminutive version of Miroslav but is now given as a full name.