Both powerful and pretty, with a melodic sound, Aaliyah joins Layla, Lila, Dana, and Farrah as a name of Arabic origin that is also popular in the English-speaking world. 
Back in 1993, the name was virtually unheard of in the US, given to only a tiny handful of girls each year. Then, the singer Aaliyah Haughton rose to fame, under her mononym “Aaliyah”. Known as the “Princess of R&B”, her debut album launched not only her career, but also her name. 
By 1994, Aaliyah was in the Top 300, where it stayed until the tragic death of the singer in 2001. Rather than the name becoming associated with tragedy, it jumped into the US Top 100, where it has remained ever since.
A feminine form of the Arabic name Aali, Aaliyah means “high, sublime, lofty” or “exalted.” With its distinguished but approachable feel, Aaliyah has seen widespread usage, and as a result, has a number of spelling variants, including Aliyah, Aliyyah, Alia, Aleah, Aliye, and Aleia. 
Distinctive but familiar, it is understandable why Aaliyah was able to break into the American charts. Given to over 3000 babies each year in the US, it also ranks highly in the UK and France, while other spelling variations are more popular across the world. 
Boosted to fame by the singer and her legacy, and a reflection of today’s multicultural societies, Aaliyah remains an elegant and popular choice. If you are interested in Aaliyah, you could explore other Arabic names, such as Nadira, Amal, Anisa, or Munira. If it’s just the sound you like, then Tallulah, Alara, and Alodia might appeal.

Aaliyah

The name of the great Homeric hero with the vulnerable heel (portrayed by Brad Pitt in Troy) is widely used in European versions but rarely here. It certainly make a strong statement It premiered on the US Top 1000 list in 2015 and has been climbing ever since.

Achilles

Adolf may have been a Swedish royal name but the terrible dictatorship of Adolf Hitler has ruled out this name Adolf for any sensible parent. In the US last year, there were more than 100 boys' given the Spanish variation Adolfo and a handful given the old school Adolphus, but none named Adolf or Adolph....thank goodness.

Adolf

The name of a figure from Greek mythology, Adonis is a high-pressure name often synonymous with masculine beauty. Nonetheless, many mythological names that would have previously been deemed off limits have made their way up the popularity charts—for instance, Penelope currently ranks highly for girls. And indeed, Adonis was one of the fastest-rising boys' names of 2016, moving up 307 spots on the U.S. popularity chart in just one year.

Adonis

There once was a moralizing fabulist who tried to make it as a baby name...and failed. 

Aesop

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's middle name could make an interesting pick for music-loving parents--if only in middle place. Amadeus is the title of a Peter Shaffer play which became an award-winning film in 1984.
 German-born tennis ace Boris Becker chose Amadeus for the name of his fourth son.

Amadeus

The name of the Greek goddess of love has rarely descended to mortal use, though the Roman equivalent Venus, thanks to tennis star Williams, now seems completely possible. But with the new fashion for <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/433/goddess-baby-names">goddess names</a>, we may see more little Aphrodites in the playground with Jupiter and Juno. Nineteen baby girls received the name in the US last year.
 Aphrodite was celebrated by Sappho, the greatest female poet of ancient Greece, in her Ode to Aphrodite.

Aphrodite

Aretha

Armani is catching on along with other brand names, and this one is among the most gender-neutral — sitting in the Top 500 for both boys and girls.

Armani

Arwen is well known as princess of the Elves in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The author took inspiration from Welsh for many of his character names, and indeed Arwen and its masculine counterpart Arwyn do have a modest history of use as legitimate Welsh names, deriving from the -wyn suffix ("fair, blessed") plus an intensifying prefix.

 Trivia tidbit: The International Astronomical Union names all colles (small hills) on Saturn's moon Titan after characters in Tolkien's work; in 2012, they named a hilly area "Arwen Colles" after Arwen.

Arwen

Although Disney's cute deer was a male, Bambi has always been used for girls. It first appeared on the charts in 1943, the year after the Disney movie was released. Bambi featured in the Top 1000 from 1954-1964 — a decade where girl names ending in I, like Lori and Teri, were big — and again from 1977-1982.
 
We once said that Bambi sounds far too flimsy to face the modern world, but the times are changing. Names that end in I are once again en vogue, and Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague recently named her daughter Bambi. It's too early to tell, but a Bambi renaissance may be upon us.

Bambi

You know who Beyonce is. One of the most famous people in the world. When she was born, her name was truly unique; it was a riff on her mom's maiden name, Biyence, with an accent over the final e. Though we traditionally think of beloved celebrities boosting the popularity of their names, outlandish mononyms like Rihanna and Madonna often do the exact opposite, because they become so closely associated with their bearer that they sound strange on anyone else. Yet in this category, as in so many others, Beyonce is an unusual case. When she first rose to fame in Destiny's Child, she inspired many imitators -- 353 baby girls born in the U.S. in 2001 were named Beyonce, enough to make it the 700th most popular name that year. But that was the peak. As Beyonce's star rose (and once she started dropping the her last name, Knowles), her name started to lose favor with parents. In 2016, just six newborns in the U.S. were named Beyonce. And the following year, the name dropped off the popularity list altogether, meaning it was given to fewer than five children. There's only room for one. Major Beyonce fans who want to honor their favorite artist with a baby name might want to consider her middle name, Giselle, her sister's name, Solange, or even her sometime nom de guerre Sasha.

Beyonce

First century queen who led her Brittonic Iceni tribe in revolution against the Romans occupying England.  Also found as Boudica, Boadicea (as in bodacious) and in Welsh as Buddug, the historic namesake was defeated and committed suicide, but is still celebrated in England as intelligent and brave.  One ancient name that, while unheard these days, could be revived along with such choices as Atticus and Cassius.

Boudicca

This lovely surname of the three novel-writing sisters, now used as a baby name, makes a fitting tribute for lovers of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. While the original name took an umlaut over the e, modern English speakers may find that more trouble than it's worth.
Trivia note: The Anglo-Irish clergyman who was the father of Charlotte, Emily and Anne changed his name from the original Brunty. According to scholars, the family pronounced the name brun-tee, though in the 21st century world it's commonly pronounced bron-tay.
In Australia, the name is more likely to take inspiration from Bronte Beach in Sydney. It was named after Lord Nelson, the 1st Duke of Bronté. He got his title from a town in Sicily, itself named after a mythological Cyclops.
 Many people first noticed the name in the film Green Card, as the name of the Andie MacDowell character.

Bronte

French-Canadian singer Dion made us notice this variation. Although many parents would prefer the homonym Selene, which has a different derivation and means "moon," Celine has been a Top 1000 name every year since 2012, and was also on the list each year from 1994 to 2005. Celine is also a newly-chic French fashion label.


Celine

For years there was only one Cher, and then along came the charming heroine of the movie "Clueless."  The world now officially has enough Chers in it. 

Cher

One familiar name never used for real people, for obvious reasons. Read more about Cinderella and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Cinderella

A royal name in ancient Egypt that's never quite made it to the modern world, though nickname Cleo is widely used.  Other now-extinct Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora and Cleola, achieved some popularity in the early 20th century when there was a crazy for all things Egypt-related as the ancient tombs were opened and artifacts displayed.  In the US, Cleopatra became a popular silent film in 1917 starring Theda Bara.

Cleopatra

The fierce image of the Barbarian made a complete turnaround thanks to amiable talk show host O'Brien, making Conan one of the newly desirable Irish choices, a perfect alternative to Conor/Connor.
 In Gaelic, Conan was the name of an illustrious seventh-century Irish saint, bishop of the Isle of Man. Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Scotland, of Irish stock.

Conan

Though Davy Crockett is a childhood hero, a frontiersman, soldier, politician, congressman and prolific storyteller. But be aware that "crock" is American slang for a lot of nonsense or something broken.

Crockett

The name of the Roman god of love, the son of Venus, considered so romantic as to be unfit for mere mortals.  Yet now that Romeo and Venus herself are fair game for modern babies, why not Cupid?

Cupid

Enough parents have found naturalist Charles Darwin, the father of the theory of evolution, a worthy hero to keep Darwin relatively consistently in the Top 1000 (it dropped off in 2021 but is back in 2022)—though some might just like its trendy two-syllable sound. It has a lovely meaning too—"dear friend."

Darwin

This old Cornish name took on a whole new identity via Denzel Washington, who has inspired several thousand namesakes. The actor was named after his father, who was named for a Dr. Denzel, who delivered him. 

Denzel

Has joined Chanel and Armani on the fashionista hit parade of names. The meaning of Dior is uncertain but it may be "gold".

Dior

For as long as we all shall live, Harry Potter's sneering nemesis. 

Draco

Besides having an unappealing sound, has long been identified with a much-mocked Ford car model; use of this name is now restricted to the Ford family. 

Edsel

This Biblical bird name, a variant of Ephron, suddenly feels like it could be usable thanks to actor Zac Efron. However, in reality, few if any parents seem to be using it yet.

Efron

Elmo, like fellow Sesame Street characters Kermit and Grover, has a hard time being taken seriously. (It isn't easy being red either.)
 But Elmo also calls to mind the image of St. Elmo's fire--the light show sometimes visible around ships' masts during storms at sea, which is quite appropriate since Saint Elmo (another name for Erasmus) is the patron saint of sailors. St. Elmo's Fire was also the title of a classic Brat Pack film of the 1980s.
 There were a lot more Elmos around a century ago, when Elmo was in the top third of the popularity list.

Elmo

When the King was alive, and for years afterwards, few people (except Declan McManus who became Elvis Costello) dared use his singular name, but now it's very much up for grabs. 
 The name Elvis is connected to the Irish Ailbhe, and the Irish saint of that name is also known as Elvis of Munster. There is also evidence that the name may originate from the old English Helwise, which in turn led to the surname Elwes. 
Elvis was the middle name of the singer's dad, Vernon. Anthony Perkins, a big Elvis fan, gave the name to his now grown son in 1976. Other aficionados, such as Cindy Crawford, have opted for the surname Presley.

Elvis

This phonetic Anglicization of the Irish name Eithne was made familiar by the single-named Irish singer and composer. St. Eithne was the daughter of a king and an early Irish convert to Christianity.

Enya

Esau is one of the neglected E-beginning boys' biblical choices--it's been off the popularity lists since 1902! The name of Jacob's twin brother, son of Isaac and Rebecca, Esau could make an ideal twin choice, if you don't mind its meaning and the difficult story in the Bible behind the name, as convoluted and full of drama, tragedy, and reconciliation as any soap opera 
 There's a Grateful Dead song "My Brother Esau." Kids might be familiar with the jingle "I saw Esau on the see-saw."

Esau

Evita

Because the legendary Faust sold his soul to the devil, few parents would choose this for a child, although Fausto is commonly heard in Italy and Spain. 

Faust

Patricia Arquette and Nicole Richie named their daughters Harlow, so why not consider this other great early screen icon? 

Garbo

Gatsby is one of the most famous literary surnames, borne by the titular character of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The book's Jay Gatsby gussied up his surname from Gatz, whose meaning is given variously as left-handed, cat, God, and person from Gat. As a first name, it's got a lot of energy and that great literary pedigree.

Gatsby

Not a traditional biblical choice, but the Philistine giant isn't a bad character as such, just a champion fighter who lost to the underdog. He has given his name to everything from insect species to roller coasters. In a time when we're seeing more biblical names with chequered associations — Leviathan and Cain spring to mind — Goliath may appeal to some.

Goliath

Makeup artist to the stars Gucci Westman has made this Italian fashion name a first. 

Gucci

Gulliver is an obscure Gaelic surname known almost solely through its literary Travels until actor Gary Oldman used it for his son, instantly transforming it into a lively option. British actors Damian Lewis, of Homeland, and Helen McCrory also have a son named Gulliver.

Gulliver

Hendrix is one of those hip rock and roll names, like Lennon, Jagger and Presley, that have been used by fellow celebs and others, to honor the seminal guitarist/singer/songwriter Jimi. And this one has the trendy 'x' ending, as well, helping to propel it up the charts and into the spotlight.

Hendrix

Homer is a name that has traveled from the ancient Greek scribe of the great classical epics to Bart Simpson's doltish dad, and has also become the surprise hot celebrity pick of such parents as Richard Gere (his father's name), Bill Murray, and Anne Heche. Simpsons creator Matt Groening has both a father and a son named Homer.
 Because of the epic scope of The Odyssey and The Iliad, the term "homeric" implies work on an enormous scale, while "homeric laughter" references the unrestrained laughter of the Greek gods.
 With its quirky resume, Homer could make an interesting choice.

Homer

Ikea is a down-market version of the Chanel/Tiffany/Porsche brand-name-as-first idea. 

Ikea

Isis has gone from magical, feminist name on the rise to the forbidden list because of the extremist terror group called ISIS, an acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Unsurprisingly, Isis was one of the fastest-falling names in 2014, dropping 130 ranks to reach #706.
 Before the rise of the political group, Isis was best known as the name of the supreme Egyptian goddess of the moon, sky, magic, motherhood and fertility, revived by feminists and others willing to cross into arcane territory. And with the mini-craze for names that start with Is- -- Isabella, Isla -- it was not so surprising that Isis was joining the I crowd.
 The ancient Isis, wife of Osiris (who happened to be her brother), was worshiped beyond Egypt into the Greco-Roman world. According to myth, the Nile river floods every year because of Isis's tears of sorrow for the death of Osiris.
 In popular culture, Isis has been a character on Stargate and Battleship Galactica, an opera, the title of a Bob Dylan song and the name of several rock bands.
 The Isis is the name given to part of the River Thames.

Isis

So identified with the hero of the Sir Walter Scott novel, it would be almost impossible for any boy to carry. 

Ivanhoe

Jemima, the name of a strong and beautiful Biblical daughter of Job, has long been among the chicest choices of aristocratic Brits, most recently ranking at #231 there in 2017. But despite its lovely sound and peaceful meaning, this attractive name hasn't ranked in the US Top 1000 since 1893, no doubt due to the problematic association with racial stereotyping, exemplified by the Aunt Jemima brand of pancakes.
 Jemima was well used by the Puritans, as was that of her sister, Keziah. Some other famous namesakes are Beatrix Potter's Jemima Puddle-Duck and characters in Chitty, Chitty, Bang Bang, Cats, and Thackeray's Vanity Fair. A real-life bearer is Jemima Kirke, who plays Jessa on Girls--and who happens to have a sister named Domino and a son named Memphis. Jemimah is a variant spelling, as seen in the Antonia Fraser crime series Jemimah Shore Investigates.

Jemima

Jesus -- pronounced hay-SOOS -- is used exclusively and extensively among Spanish speakers, though JEE-zus as in the first name of Christ is never used in the Anglophone world. Jesus Quintana was a character in The Big Lebowski and Jesus Velasquez appeared on True Blood.

Jesus

Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab in the Hebrew Book of Kings, has long had a bad girl reputation. But in the modern secular world, this is somewhat mitigated by the feminist perspective of her as a strong woman, the power behind the throne. Previously avoided as a baby name, Jezebel is now, along with the also previously avoided Delilah and Desiree, coming into use, helped by its relation to other 'bel' name such as Isabel and Bella.
 
The popular feminist celebrity blog Jezebel upped the name's cool factor. Jezebel is the title of one of Bette Davis's best known early films.

Jezebel

Used as a first name for a handful of girls every year, Joplin could be seen as a distant cousin of other -lin names, like Caitlin, Brooklyn and Braelynn. We think it works even better as a musical middle name possibility for fans of Janis... or Scott. Both great connections — albeit very different from one another.

Joplin is also the name of a Missouri city known for being a stopover for the real-life Bonnie and Clyde and deadly tornados in both 1970 and 2011.

Joplin

Though there were two apostles named Judas, everyone remembers the one who betrayed Jesus, and the name has been permanently shunned. 

Judas

Kal-El is Superman's Kryptonian name, invented by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 as the birth name of the superhero. Some theorize that it relates to Hebrew characters with the meaning "voice of God", while others give the meaning as "son" or "Earth one". 

At least one Earthling baby has received the name: the son of actor Nicolas Cage.

Kal-el

Katniss Everdeen is the heroine of the popular Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, whose name comes from the (very real) edible aquatic plant of the genus Sagittaria. Katniss's father tells her that if she "finds herself," she'll never go hungry. 

Other unusual botanical names in the series include Primrose, Posy, Rue, and Clove, all for girls. Several of the boys' names come from ancient Rome: Cato, Seneca, Flavius, Caesar.

Katniss the name has less appeal than Katniss the heroine, though it's definitely more attractive than Renesmee.

Katniss

Lazarus is a name that looks as if it could possibly be raised from the dead, just like its biblical bearer. Look for it in the next wave of Old Testament revivals that transcend their long-bearded images, the way Noah, Moses, and Abraham have for this generation.
 In the Bible, there are two people named Lazarus, the better known being the brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany whom Jesus raised from the dead. There have been also several saints named Lazarus.
 As a surname, Lazarus is most identified with poet Emma Lazarus, whose words are displayed on the Statue of Liberty.
 Related options are the original Hebrew Eleazar, the Italian and Spanish Lazaro, and the Yiddish form Lazer/Laser, the name of the son in the film The Kids are All Right.

Lazarus

A growing number of high-profile (and other) parents are choosing to honor their musical idols, such as Hendrix, Presley, Jagger, and now Lennon. Lennon first came to notice when Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit used it for their son in 1999, and singer-musician Adam Pascal followed their lead in two years later. Thanks in part to female singer and actress Lennon Stella, it's now more popular for girls than for boys.
 Lennon made it onto the popularity list in 2008. 
 In addition to its obvious Beatles connection, Lennon has a nice lemony feel.

Lennon

Loki is the shape-shifting, gender-bending god of mischief in Norse mythology.  Taking several animal forms, from a salmon to a seal to a fly, Loki is alternately friend and foe of the gods.

Loki

Lucifer is the name of the archangel cast into hell -- theologians disagree on whether he and Satan are separate beings -- and as such has long been on the forbidden list for religious parents.  Still banned in New Zealand, Lucifer is occasionally used in the contemporary U.S.: Six boys were given the name in the most recent year counted.


Lucifer

Madonna

The surname of the great artist is pronounced the same way as Mathis, the German and French form of Matthew, so it's not a stretch for use as a first name.

Matisse

Mercedes is one of the few names attached to luxury living that we can wholeheartedly recommend, it being a legitimate Spanish appellation stemming from one of the epithets given to the Virgin Mary--Santa Maria de las Mercedes, or Our Lady of the Mercies. The car, by the way was named after the eleven-year-old daughter of the Daimler company's French distributor in 1901.
 Always well used in the Spanish-speaking community, Mercedes had a sudden spurt of overall popularity in the 1990's, moving as high as Number 164 in 1991.
 Mercedes has been widely used in a variety of art forms--from the opera Carmen to Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo to the film Pan's Labyrinth to the TV show Glee.

Mercedes

A handful of years ago, a judge in Tennessee ruled that parents could not name their son Messiah, "because there's only one." That decision has since been overturned. 

Messiah is such a popular name now that it was given to over 2000 baby boys in the US in the last year counted, along with a handful of baby girls. It's one of a large and ever-growing group of names with religious and/or exalted meanings, which range from Reign and King to Creed and Jericho. Ancient god and goddess names are also related to this overall trend, and include Athena, Juno, Thor, and Zeus.

Messiah

The family name of Shakespeare's Romeo has an effete, monocled image. 

Montague

When British rocker Steven Patrick Morrissey decided to use his last name alone, it became a viable option for baby namers, a lot cooler than Morris or Maurice, with the nice three-syllable lilt of of such other Irish surnames as Finnegan and Flanagan. It can also be spelled Morrisey.
 Morrison is a related possibility, also with musical ties, to Irish singer-songwriter Van (born George Ivan).

Morrissey

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's choice of this white-bearded Old Testament name helped bring it into the modern age, along with brethren Elijah, Isaiah and Isaac. User-friendly nicknames include Moe and Mose.
 
The biblical story of Moses is, of course, one of the most familiar from the Old Testament -- Moses being found as a baby in the bulrushes, growing up to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and into the Promised Land, then bringing down the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai. 
 
Moshe, as in Israeli statesman Dayan, is the original Hebrew form of the name. In Spanish, it is Moises, and in Yiddish, Moishe.
 
A namesake from the world of sports is NBA Hall of Famer Moses Malone. Mose Allison, meanwhile, is a jazz blues pianist and singer.

Moses

The name of the young hero of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, who was raised by wolves (really) and becomes a genius hunter and trapper, was chosen as a middle name for their son Bronx (really, again) by rockers Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz. Kipling invented the name, whose first syllable rhymes with cow.

Mowgli

A daring middle name possibility for classical concertgoers. Alternatives are Wolfgang and Amadeus. 

Mozart

One of the best known early Nemos was the captain in Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, while the more familiar modern one is the animated little orange fish in the Disney movie. Unusual name well worth considering. By the way, there is also a Shakespearean Nemo and one in Dickens's Bleak House. An enchanting early comic strip by Winsor McCay was called Little Nemo.

Nemo

The association with the infamous Nero, the fiddling Roman emperor, would be unavoidable. But there was also the detective Nero Wolfe, hero of many mystery stories.
 Nero was born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, and Lucius might be a preferable choice if you know anything about ancient Roman history.

Nero

The surname of the 44th US President has been been adopted as a first, for girls as well as boys, by admiring parents around the world. And the O beginning even makes it fashionable. Though Barack Obama's name derives from the Luo people of Kenya, Obama is also a Japanese place name and a surname that means "little beach."

Obama

The misspelling that created an indelibly one-person name. 

Oprah

Seen from our vantage point, Pocahontas is a name that will please no one. It's sure to invite playground mockery, and parents without Algonquin ancestry will be engaging in cultural appropriation. In certain circles, the 1995 Disney movie still stirs up bad blood. The name doesn't even present any obvious nickname possibilities to hide behind. Pocahontas was a very real, and very consequential, historical figure. Though it's worth noting that historians believe Pocahontas was really a sort of nickname rather than her proper name. Read more about Pocahontas and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Pocahontas

An evocative unisex one-syllable name, Poe is most distinguished by its literary reference. Edgar Allan Poe was an influential American author and poet, credited with inventing the genres of detective and science fiction, which might provide inspiration for parents who are fans. And now its choice as the name of the hero played by Oscar Isaac in the new Star Wars movie is sure to catapult it from literary choice to major favorite.
 The female singer-songwriter professionally known as Poe was born with the more prosaic name Ann.
 The variant spelling Po is identified with Po Bronson, the chronicler of the technological age, and also has the geographical association with the river in northern Italy.

One of Alexandre Dumas' Three Musketeers, probably better than the perfume-scented Aramis. 

Porthos

This version of the sea god's name may be more ready for prime time than the Roman version, Neptune -- slightly. 

Poseidon

Superhero names are fit for humans today, and there's no reason Rambo can't take his place among a generation of babies named Loki, Odin, and Atlas.

In the eponymous movie, Rambo is the character's surname, reportedly taken from the Rambo apple, named for Swedish immigrant to the US and farmer Peter Gunnarsson Rambo, who adopted the surname Rambo whih may mean "raven's nest". 

Various reports say Rambo is rooted in the German, Scandinavian, French, or Slavic languages. Rambo is a homonym of Rimbaud, the name of the French poet with a very different vibe.

Rambo

It wasn't so long ago that Romeo was considered as outre for an American baby as Casanova or Cupid. But that really changed when David and Victoria Beckham chose it for their second son in 2002, a path followed by Jon Bon Jovi.
 Romeo was not invented by the Bard, but was taken from his source material for the play.
Some sources say it descends from that of Romulus, one of the twin sons of Mars.

Romeo

This lovely name is a softened French version of Tziporah, the biblical wife of Moses. Unfortunately, in the US, it's become attached to the cosmetics franchise.
 
The brand Sephora claims to have gotten its name "by blending the Biblical name of Zipporah (Moses’ exceptionally beautiful wife) with the ancient Greek term for 'pretty,' sephos." Sephos, however, is not a word, nor is Sephora a blend with anything else — it is a very real variation of Tziporah.

Sephora

No: no Picasso, no Beethoven, and no Shakespeare.

Shakespeare

The mononymous Colombian-born singer inspired a popularity blip in the 90s and early 00s. 

Shakira

Actress Sigourney -- born Susan -- Weaver made this unusual name (which she found in The Great Gatsby) famous, if not popular.

Sigourney

Snow definitely works as a name; White, not so much. And Snow White, please don't. Read more about Snow White and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Snow white

Quite common in traditional Greek families, but for others, we think Plato might be easier to handle. 

Socrates

Tesla, the surname of Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla that has more recently been used as the brand name for an electric car, is gaining some use as a first <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">name for girls</a>. Exactly 100 girls were named Tesla in the U.S. last year. You might think of the name as a Tessa/Isla hybrid, though with Tesla the s is not silent. There was also a rock band named Tesla.

Tesla

Thor, the powerful name of the Norse god of thunder, strength and rain, would make a bold statement. Long a comic book staple, Thor has now invaded the big screen, and could land on birth certificates as well.
 Thor Heyerdahl was a famous Norwegian anthropologist/adventurer, author of the book Kon Tiki.
In Norse mythology, Thor was the son of Odin--another crossover name possibility--who was sometimes referred to as Bjorn in Old Norse poetry. Tor is a popular variation (which is also the Hebrew name of a bird that symbolizes the arrival of spring).

Thor

Strongly associated with the mega-popular single-named singer, who was actually the fourth Usher Raymond in his family. He could start a fad.
 
The Yiddish variation of Usher is commonly used in the Hasidic community.

Usher

Though to most Americans Viggo is a one-person name attached to intense actor Mortensen, it is actually an old Norse name dating back to the Vikings, and is currently the 32nd most popular appellation in Sweden. Viggo Mortensen is a Jr., sharing his name with his Danish father.
 
We think this name is so, well, vigorous, that it might appeal to others as well. Taylor and Natalie Hanson seemed to agree when they chose it for their fourth child.

Viggo

Haitian-born rap superstar and humanitarian Wyclef ("Fugees") Jean has lent this name a powerful musical beat. 

Wyclef

Still projects the potent allure of television's warrior princess. 

Xena

In a baby name landscape where word names and names that start with Z are infinitely cool, there are few options for parents who want to combine trends. Zeppelin is one of the best names at the intersection of these two styles, and it's rising alongside the likes of Zen, Zephyr, and Zenith.
 
A zeppelin is an airship named after Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the inventor. The name is ultimately derived from the Slavic word cepelinas, which refers to the agricultural tool the flail.

Zeppelin

The supreme Olympian god represents a mighty image for a little fella to live up to, but more and more parents are beginning to consider it seriously.  The Roman equivalent Jupiter has also come down to earth.  And Zeus wasn't just the supreme god, he was also the god of the sky, thunder, lightning, and fate, among other weighty responsibilities.

Zeus

sickwithsin's list "There Can Be Only One" of 87 great name ideas: Aaliyah - Zeus!