I've Got a Bad Feelyn' About This....

I did it for '-lee' names, and now I have the urge to compile all the '-lyn' names. Hopefully this discouraging mood doesn't hit too often.

• Madelyn
• Kaitlyn
• Brooklyn
• Jocelyn
• Evelyn
• Kaelyn
• Adalyn
• Jacqueline
• Ashlyn
• Braelyn
• Raelynn
• Emmalyn
• Aylin
• Rylan
• Ellen
• Roselyn
• Gracelyn
• Helen
• Shaelyn
• Marilyn
• Dylan
• Taelyn
• Aislynn
• Sherlyn
• Carolyn
• Maylin
• Irelyn
• Angelyn
• Fallon
• Daylin
• Avalyn
• Belen
• Jadelyn
• Aaralyn
• Haylen
• Kylin
• Marlen
• Skylynn
• Jacelyn
• Magdalyn
• Jeslyn
• Jessalyn
• Annalynn
• Breelyn
• Berlin
• Krislyn
• Keelyn
• Makaylin
• Kellyn
• Jazalyn
• Brilynn
• Lynn
• Amberlynn
• Carlyn
• Courtlyn
• Yailin
• Jolynn
• Yazlin
• Quinlan
• Arlyn
• Zaylin
• Callan
• Palin
• Bailyn
• Natalyn
• Darlyn
• Jerelyn
• Joshlyn
• Emberlynn
• Naydelin
• Coralyn
• Alin
• Kendalyn
• Katilyn
• Scotlyn
• Hollyn
• Harlyn
• Joycelyn
• Kristalyn
• Kashlyn
• Kimberlin
• Jennalynn
• Lakelyn
• Danilynn
• Evangelyn
• Edelyn
• Andelyn
• Selin
• Breslyn
• Brecklyn
• Mylin
• Tylynn
• Taralyn
• Valyn
• Faithlynn
• Starlynn
• Kathlyn
• Shylynn
• Merlin
• Naylin
• Lailyn
• Saralyn
• Anberlyn
• Sharlyn
• Maryellen
• Blakelyn
• Emlyn
• Jamielynn
• Adlyn
• Chaselyn
• Azalyn
• Mialynn
• Faylinn
• Macelyn
• Gracilyn
• Summerlynn
• Weslyn
• Collyn
• Aibhlinn
• Bricelyn
• Dioselin
• Joylin
• Kacelyn
• Lauralynn
• Joplin
• Kiralyn
• Hazelyn
• Solenne
• Chastelyn
• Lillyn
• Edlyn
• Kenlyn
• Devlynn
• Lochlynn
• Everlyn
• Britlyn
• Brynlyn
• Keslyn
• Ceylin
• Dublin
• Joellen
• Brandilyn
• Copelyn
• Darilyn
• Graelyn
• Hopelynn
• Kerlin
• Mariabelen
• Yerlin
• Averylynn
• Danalyn
• Ealyn
• Hartlyn
• Jerusalen
• Kamberlyn
• Kamlyn
• Preslyn
• Sailyn
• Tazlyn
• Yarlin
• Zoeylynn
• Adilenne
• Andralyn
• Bracelynn
• Cullen
• Dazzlyn
• Deslyn
• Jarlin
• Jonalyn
• Kadelyn
• Kazlyn
• Kendralyn
• Kinberlin
• Maclyn
• Mandalyn
• Marlenne
• Noralyn
• Oaklyn
• Reeselyn
• Rocelyn
• Savannahlynn
• Shelbylynn
• Tatelyn
• Tessalyn
• Torilynn
• Zylynn

Literary Siblings

There seems to be a lot of concern over whether siblings' names "fit" together. If your first daughter is Mary, is it okay to go with Moonbeam or Misty for a second? What about Madison or Maliah? Or are you stuck with Mathilda or Mabel? Whether you're in the "same style" camp, the "whatever goes" camp, or somewhere in between, I thought a survey of literary sib-sets--stylish, stodgy, or just plain strange--might be fun.

• Josephine ('Jo'), Margaret ('Meg'), Elizabeth ('Beth'), & Amy--Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
• Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine ('Kitty'), & Lydia--Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
• Elinor, Marianne, & Margaret--Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
• Wendy, John, & Michael--Peter and Wendy [aka "Peter Pan"], J. M. Barrie
• Juniper ('Junie') & Oliver--Junie B. Jones, Denise Brunkus
• Peter, Valentine [♀], & Andrew ('Ender')--Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
• Beatrice ('Beezus'), Ramona, & Roberta; Howard ('Howie') & Willa Jean--Ramona series, Beverly Cleary
• Artemis [♂], Beckett, & Myles--Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer
• Gregor, Elizabeth ('Lizzy'), & Margaret ('Boots')--The Underland Chronicles, Suzanne Collins
• Katy, Clover, Elsie, Dorry [♂], & Joanna ('Johnnie')--What Katy Did series, Susan Coolidge
• Simon, Jane, & Barnabas ('Barney')--The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper
• Martha, Belinda, Peter, & Timothy ('Tiny Tim') [+ an unnamed brother & sister]--A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
• Mycroft & Sherlock--the Sherlock Holmes novels, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Louise, Marie [changed to Clara for the ballet], & Fritz--The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, E. T. A. Hoffman
• Sophie, Lettie, & Martha--Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones
• Margaret ('Meg'), Alexander ('Sandy'), Dennys, & Charles Wallace--The Time Quartet, Madeleine L'Engle
• Jeremy ('Jem') & Jean ('Scout')--To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
• Peter, Susan, Edmund, & Lucy--The Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis
• Tommy & Annika--Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren
• Jonas, Lily, & Gabriel--The Giver, Lois Lowry 
• Wade, Ella, & Eugenie--Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
• James ('Jem'), Walter, Anne ('Nan'), Diana, Shirley [♂], & Bertha Marilla ('Rilla'); Gerald ('Jerry'), Faith, Una, & Thomas Carlyle ('Carl')--Anne of Green Gables series, Lucy Maud Montgomery
• William, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ronald, & Ginevra ('Ginny')--Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling
• Goneril, Regan, & Cordelia--King Lear, William Shakespeare
• Viola & Sebastian--The Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare
• Violet, Klaus, & Sunny--A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snicket
• Jane, Michael, John, Barbara, & Annabel--Mary Poppins series, P. L. Travers
• Henry, Jessica ('Jessie'), Violet, & Benjamin ('Benny')--The Boxcar Children, Gertrude Chandler Warner 
• Avery & Fern--Charlotte's Web, E. B. White
• Fritz, Ernest, Jack, and Franz [sometimes translated to Francis]--Swiss Family Robinson, Johann David Wyss

Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Kori/Corey

Although I generally write this sort of posts for very popular (some would say overused) nicknames, today I'm writing about Cory. Originally a surname of unknown/varied origins (possibilities include French, Norse, & Scottish), it became a boys' name, peaking in popularity in the 70s & 80s. As expected, it also started being used as a girls' name, but oddly enough, never became popular. Currently, Corey is the most popular male form, sitting down in the 300s on the SSA chart. Kori is the most popular girls' form, but it doesn't even rank in the top 1000. While it is a full name on its own, the "ee" ending may sound a bit too informal for some.

Boys:

• Corbin (KOR-bin, English)--"raven"
• Cordell (kor-DELL, English)
• Corentin (KOR-en-tin, Breton)
• Corin (kor-in, French)
• Cormac (KOR-mac, Irish)
• Cornelius (kor-NEE-lee-us, Latin)
• Cornell (kor-NELL, English)
• Corrado (kor-RAH-do, Italian)--form of Conrad
• Corwin (KOR-win, English)
• Krikor (KRIH-kohr, Armenian)--form of Gregory

Girls:

• Coralie (KOR-ah-lee, French)
• Cordelia (kohr-DEE-lee-ah or kohr-DEHL-ee-ah, English)
• Cordula (KOR-doo-lah, German)--"heart"
• Coriander (KOH-ree-an-der, English)
• Corinna (koh-RIN-nah or koh-REE-nah, English)
• Corinne (koh-reen, French)
• Corisande (koh-ih-SAHND, French)
• Cornelia (kor-NEE-lee-ah or kohr-NEHL-ee-ah, Latin)
• Corona (koh-ROH-nah, Latin)--"crown"
• Kishori (kee-shohr-ee, Indian [Hindi])
• Kokoro (koh-koh-roh, Japanese)--"heart, spirit"
• Socorro (soh-KOR-roh, Spanish)--"help" or "relief"

Same Name?!--John

What can you say about John? Thanks to a pair of admirable Bible characters, it's one of the most popular boys' names of all time, extremely common in all three major branches of Christianity (Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, & Protestant). It didn't lose its hold in America until the 80s, and even then, it's still in the top 25. It's also one of the few traditional names with a comparable range of both male and female versions.
For some, John is a solid classic, for others, it's bland and tired.
And despite the similarity in English, it's actually unrelated to Jonathan.

Original Hebrew form: Yochanan [יוֹחָנָן] (yoh-kha-nahn)
Greek transliteration: Yoannes (yoh-AHN-nehs)
Latin form: Iohannes (yoh-AN-nes)

Modern versions:

• Evan (EV-an)--Welsh. Anglicized from Iefan. Other forms include Ifan (EE-van), Ieuan (YAY-an), Ioan (YOH-an), Iwan (EE-wan), and Sion (SHON [via Jehan]).
• Ganix (JAHN-eesh)--Basque
• Giovanni (joh-VAHN-nee)--Italian
• Hank (HANK)--Medieval English (via Hann)
• Hann (HAHN)--Medieval English (via Johannes). Diminutive is Hankin.
• Hans (HAHNS)--Dutch, German, Scandinavian (via Johannes)
• Honza (HON-zah)--Czech (via Hans)
• Ian (EE-an)--Scottish. Older form is Iain.
• Ion (YON)--Romanian
• Ivan (ee-VAHN or EYE-van)--Slavic
• Jack (JAK)--English (via Jankin) 
• Jan (YAHN, JAN)--Czech, Dutch, German, Medieval English. English diminutive is Jankin.
• Janez (YAHN-ez)--Slovene
• Jehan (zheh-han)--Medieval French
• Jens (YENS)--Dutch
• João (ZHOO-ow)--Portuguese
• Johan (YOH-han)--German, Scandinavian
• Johannes (yo-HAN-nes)--Late Latin
• Jovan (YOH-van)--Macedonian, Serbian
• Juan (HWAHN)--Spanish
• Keoni (keh-oh-nee)--Hawaiian
• Sean (SHAHN)--Irish. Sometimes anglicized to Shane.
• Xoan (SHOH-awn)--Galician
• Yann (YAHN)--Breton. Diminutive is Yannick.

Feminine forms:

• Gianna (JAHN-nah)--Italian
• Ioanna (yoh-AHN-nah)--Greek
• Ionela (yoh-NEL-lah)--Romanian
• Ivana (ee-VAH-nah)--Slavic
• Jana (YAH-nah)--Dutch, German
• Jane (JAYN)--English (via Jehanne). Diminutives are Janet, Janice, and Jenny.
• Janneke (YAH-neh-keh)--Dutch
• Jean (JEEN)--English, Scottish (via Jehanne). Scottish diminutive is Jessie.
• Jeanne (ZHAHN)--French (via Jehanne). Diminutives are Jeannine and Jeannette.
• Jehanne (zheh-hahn)--Medieval French
• Joan (JONE)--English (via Johanne)
• Joana (zhoo-AH-nah)--Portuguese
• Joanna (joh-AN-nah)--English
• Johanne (zhoh-ahn)--Medieval French
• Jovana (yoh-VAH-nah)--Macedonion, Serbian
• Seona (SHOH-nah)--Scottish (via Joan)
• Sheena (SHEE-nah)--Scottish (via Jeanne)
• Sian (SHAHN)--Welsh
• Siobhan (shi-VAWN)--Irish (via Jehanne). Anglicized to Shevon or Chevonne.
• Zana (ZHAH-nah)--Slovene

Random Fact of the Day:

Almost all languages spoken today are related to at least one other, whether closely (like Spanish & Portuguese) or distantly (like English & Hindi). There are several different language families. However, there are a few languages that have no known relatives, called 'language isolates'. These are either languages whose 'missing links' to other languages have been totally lost, or that evolved in an isolated group of people with no other language.
The most well-known language isolates include Korean, Basque (areas of France & Spain), Zuni (New Mexico, US), & Ainu (Hokkaido Island, Japan).

Calendar Names

It appears that the holiday shopping season is upon us again (and getting earlier every year, it seems), which got me thinking about Christmas-type names, which of course, got me thinking of all sorts of name things. Names like Noelle and Natalie are fairly well known for their Christmas connections, but what about other holidays? So, here are some names with holiday or other calendar meanings.

Boys:

• Dominic (DOM-in-ik, English)--traditionally given to boys born on a Sunday
• Ekain (eh-kine, Basque)--"June"
• Lenz (LENTS, German)--"springtime"
• Noel (NOLE, NO-el, English)--from French, "Christmas". French form is Noël.
• Palmiro (pahl-MEER-oh, Italian)--traditionally given to boys born on Palm Sunday
• Pascal (pas-KAHL, Dutch, French, & German)--"Easter" or "Passover". Other forms include Pascual (Spanish) and Pasco (Cornish).

Girls:

• Abena (a-BEHN-ah, Akan)--"born on Tuesday"
• Afia (AH-fee-ah, Akan)--"born on Friday"
• Akiko (ah-kee-ko, Japanese)--"summer child"
• Calan (CAL-an, Welsh)--"New Year's Day"
• Candela (cahn-DEHL-ah, Spanish)--"Candlemas" (Feb. 2)
• Hazan (hah-ZAHN, Turkish)--"autumn"
• Iona (ee-OH-nah, Welsh)--from Ionor, "January"
• Medeni (med-AY-nee, Welsh)--"born in September"
• Natalie (NAT-ah-lee, French & German)--"Christmas". Other forms include Natalia (Italian) and Natalya/Natasha (Russian).
• Nedelya (ned-EHL-yah, Bulgarian)--"Sunday" 
• Noelle (no-EL, English, French)--feminine of Noel
• Suvi (SOO-vee, Finnish)--"summer"
• Tiffany (TIF-fan-ee, English)--traditionally given to girls born on Epiphany (Jan. 6). Original form is Theophania.
• Tola (toh-LAH, Khmer)--"October"
• Vera (VEHR-ah, Albanian)--"summer"
• Vesna (VEHS-nah, Slavic)--"spring"

Unisex:

• Sivan (see-VAHN, Hebrew)--9th month of the Hebrew calendar, usually May-June.
• Tammuz (tahm-MOOZ, Hebrew)--10 month of the Hebrew calendar, usually June-July.

Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Mia

Mia. At just three letters, it's easily the shortest female name in common usage today. That's probably why, despite it's overwhelming world-wide popularity, it still feels incomplete to many an expectant parent. Originally, Mia was a nickname for Maria, but in modern English (when not used by itself) it's more likely a nickname for the fast-on-the-comeback Amelia.

• Damiana (dah-mee-AH-nah, Italian)--feminine form of Damian
• Demetria (de-MEE-tree-ah, Greek)
• Efimia (eh-FEE-mee-ah, Greek)--"speaks well". Modern form of Euphemia.
• Miela (mee-EL-ah, Esperanto)
• Milena (mee-LEH-nah, Czech, Italian, Polish, Russian)
• Millaray (mee-ah-RYE, Spanish)--from Mapuche, "golden flower"
• Miranda (meer-AN-dah, English)--"wonderful"
• Mireia (mee-RAY-ah, Catalan)
• Miriam (MEE-ree-am, Hebrew)--original form of Mary
• Miruna (mee-ROO-nah, Romanian)
• Miyako (mee-yah-koh, Japanese)--"beautiful night child"
• Noemia (no-EHM-ee-ah, Portuguese)--form of Naomi
• Salomea (sah-lom-EE-ah, Polish)--"peace"

You're a God (Part Deux)

Like the Romans, the Greeks' religion underwent a couple paradigm shifts, resulting in dozens of Titans, Olympians, and other sorts of gods. Surprisingly, many goddess names are in use today--Phoebe [intellect & prophecy], Athena [wisdom & warfare], Rhea [fertility & motherhood], Selene [the moon], Irene [peace], Iris [the rainbow], Thalia [muse of comedy].
God-names for boys seem to have not caught on for some reason.

Boys:

• Alpheus (AL-fee-us)--river god
• Apollo (ah-POL-loh)--god of poetry, light, healing, and truth (and many others). Original form was Apollon.
• Aristaeus (ar-is-TAY-us)--god of useful arts (beekeeping, cheese-making, net-making, etc)
• Atlas (AT-las)--god who kept the sky up
• Attis (AT-tis)--god of vegetation. Originally Phrygian, but adopted by the Greeks. Husband of Cybele.
• Carmanor (CAHR-man-or)--god of the harvest
• Comus (COH-mus)--god of festivals & revelry
• Epiphron (EP-ih-fron)--personification of thoughtfulness and shrewdness
• Hermes (HER-mees)--god of language, travel, and trade (and many others)
• Kratos (KRAH-tos)-personification of strength & power
• Nereus (NEHR-ee-us)--god of the sea and fishing
• Lelantos (leh-LAN-tos)--god of the air and hunters
• Palaemon (pal-AY-mon)--child-god who aided sailors in distress
• Pallas (PAL-las)--god of warcraft
• Pontos (PON-tos)--god of the sea
• Thaumas (THOW-mas)--god of the wonders of the sea
• Zephyr (ZEF-er)--god of the west wind

Girls:

• Aletheia (ah-LAY-thay-ah)--personification of truth & honesty
• Ananke (an-AHN-kay)--goddess of necessity
• Antheia (an-THAY-ah)--goddess of flowers
• Aphaia (ah-FYE-ah)--goddess of agriculture & fertility
• Arete (AHR-eh-tee)--personification of virtue & valor
• Arke (AR-kay)--messenger goddess, twin sister to Iris
• Artemis (AR-tem-is)--goddess of hunting, wilderness, and childbirth
• Brizo (BREE-zoh)--goddess of sailors & fishermen
• Chione (kee-OH-nay)--goddess of snow
• Eleos (EL-eh-os)--personification of mercy & compassion
• Eos (AY-ohs)--goddess of the dawn
• Hera (HEHR-ah)--goddess of marriage, women, and empires (and many others)
• Leto (LAY-toh)--goddess of motherhood
• Metis (MAY-tis)--goddess of wisdom, planning, and cunning
• Nyx (NIKS)--goddess of the night
• Persephone (per-SEF-oh-nee)--goddess of the underworld and of spring
• Soteria (soh-TAY-ree-ah)--personification of preservation and safety from harm
• Tethys (TETH-is)--goddess of springs, fountains, rivers, and clouds
• Thalassa (thah-LAS-sah)--goddess of the sea
• Theia (THAY-ah--goddess of sight
• Themis (THEM-is)--goddess of customs & natural law
• Tyche (TYE-kee)--personification of luck & providence

 Name derived from deities:

Boys:

• Artyom (ahr-TYOM, Russian)--from Artemis
• Denis (DEN-is, French)--from Dionysos, god of wine & revelry
• Demetrius (dem-EE-tree-us, Greek)--from Demeter, goddess of agriculture & harvest
• Dmitriy (dMEE-tree, Russian)--from Demeter
• Ermete (ehr-MEH-tay, Italian)--from Hermes 
• Zeno (ZEE-no, Greek)--from Zeus, king of the gods, and god of weather, law and many others

Girls:

• Demetria (deh-MEE-tree-ah, Greek)--from Demeter
• Denise (den-EES, French)--from Dionysos
• Hermione (her-MYE-oh-nee, Greek)--from Hermes

Part 1 (Roman)--Part III (Celtic)--Part D (Germanic)--Part the Final (Misc.)

Perennially Unpopular (Girls)

I'd intended to only do one post on perpetually uncommon names, but the boys' list ran pretty long! So, in continuation, here are a selection of girls' names that just can't quite catch on. They're never popular, but are in consistent use, staying just on the edge of obscurity.

• Allegra (ahl-LEG-rah, Italian)--"cheerful"
• Astrid (AHS-trid, Scandinavian)
• Berenice (behr-en-EYE-see, English; or behr-en-EE-chay, Italian)--ancient form of Veronica 
• Blythe (BLITHE [long 'i' like in "like"; 'th' like in "the"], English)--"cheerful"
• Cecily (SES-il-ee, English)
• Coral (KOHR-ahl, English)
• Coralie (KOHR-ah-lee, French)
• Danae (dah-NAH-ee, Greek; dah-NAY, English)
• Davina (dah-VEE-nah, Scottish)--feminine form of David
• Dinah (DYE-nah, Hebrew)
• Evelina (ev-el-EE-nah, English)--form of Aveline
• Georgina  (jor-JEE-nah, English)
• Imogen (IM-o-jen, English)
• Isadora (is-ah-DOH-rah, English)
• Linnea (LIN-ay-ah, Swedish)
• Mercy (MUR-see, English)
• Petra (PEH-trah, Greek)--feminine form of Peter
• Portia (POHR-shah, Latin) 
• Renata (ren-AH-tah, Italian)
• Rosaline (ROZ-ah-line or ROZ-ah-leen, English)
• Seraphina (sehr-ah-FEE-nah, Latin)
• Thea (THEE-ah or THAY-ah, Greek)--a stand-alone nickname for Dorothea/Theodora or Althea, and a form of Theia.
• Theodora (thee-o-DOHR-ah, Greek)--feminine form of Theodore

Perennially Unpopular (Boys)

Popularity is a funny thing. Sometimes a name is bolstered by its history, sometimes by resemblance to another name, sometimes by some indescribable "coolness" factor. But for some reason, other names just never catch on in large numbers. Maybe they lack notable namesakes, have an unfashionable vibe, or are ahead of their time. No matter what reason they've stayed uncommon, here are names that have been around for decades, or even centuries, but perpetually sit just outside, or barely make a blip in, the Top 1000 charts.

• Alaric (AL-ah-rik, English)
  
• Ansel (AN-sel, English)
• Arlo (AR-loh, English)
• Baxter (BAKS-ter, English)
• Clive (CLIVE, English)
• Conley (CON-lee, Irish)--anglicization of Conleth
• Edric (ED-rik, English)
• Ephraim (EE-free-im or EF-ram, Hebrew)
• Evander (ee-VAN-der, Latin)
• Ignatius (ig-NAY-shus, Latin)
• Jamin (JAY-min, Hebrew)
• Jethro (JETH-roh, Hebrew)
• Jory (JOHR-ee, Cornish--form of George
• Leander (lee-AN-der, Greek)
• Leopold (LEE-oh-pold, German)
• Magnus (MAG-nus, Latin)--"great"
• Merrick (MEHR-rik, English)
• Merritt (MEHR-rik, English)
• Montgomery (mont-GUM-er-ee, English)--simply Monty has fared much better
• Mordecai (mor-de-KYE, Hebrew)
• Nevin (NEH-vin, English)--probably an anglicization of the Gaelic Naomhan ("little saint")
• Niles (NILES, English)
• Phinehas/Phineas (FIN-ee-as, Hebrew)
• Raynard (RAY-nard, English)
• Shea (SHAY, Irish)
• Simeon (SIM-ee-on, Hebrew)--form of Simon
• Talmadge/Talmage (TAL-madj, English)
• Tobin (TOH-bin, English)--form of Tobias
• Urban (UR-ban, Danish & English)

Hurricane Baby Names

A recent post on another board got me wondering just how many little surprises are going to be due about 40 weeks after Hurricane Irene. So, in honor of those future little ones, names inspired by one big storm:

Boy:

• Anan (AY-nan, Hebrew)--"cloud"
• Corentin (koh-REN-tin, Breton)--"hurricane"
• Esmond (ES-mond, English)--"grace and protection". Older form is Eastmund.
• Guntur (GOON-toor, Indonesian)--"thunder"
• Ireneus (eye-REN-eh-us, Greek)--The male form of Irene,  ironically, meaning "peaceful".
• Mazin (MAZ-in, Arabic)--"rain clouds"
• Meriwether (MEHR-ee-we-ther, English)--"happy weather"
• Noah (NOH-ah, Hebrew)
• Perun (PEHR-uhn, Slavic)--"thunder"
• Raijin (rye-jin, Japanese)--the Japanese thunder god. Also transliterated as Raiden.
• Salman (SAL-man, Arabic)--"safe"
• Shemer (SHEH-mer,  Hebrew)--"preserved"
• Tollak (TOL-lak, Norwegian)--"Thor's play" [Thor was the Norse god of, among other things, thunder.]
• Zephyr (ZEF-er, Greek)--the Greek god of the west wind

Girls:

• Arina (ah-REE-nah, Russian)--form of Irene
• Arke (AR-kay, Greek)--Greek rainbow and messenger goddess; twin sister to Iris.
• Anila (ah-nee-lah, Indian [Hindi])--"wind"
• Audra (AW-drah, Lithuanian)--"storm"
• Enfys (EN-vis, Welsh)--"rainbow"
• Era (EHR-ah, Albanian)--"wind"
• Esen (EH-sen, Turkish)--"the wind"
• Gabija (gah-bee-YAH, Lithuanian)--"to cover". The Lithuanian goddess of the home.
• Gale (GAYL, English)--"strong wind". Also a short form of the unrelated Abigail.
• Haven (HAY-ven, English)--"safe place"
• Iria (EE-ree-ah, Portuguese)--form of Irene.
• Iris (EYE-ris, Greek)--Greek rainbow and messenger goddess.
• Keshet (KESH-et, Hebrew)--"rainbow"
• Maya (mah-yah, Hebrew)--"water"
• Mealla (mee-AHL-la, Irish)--"lightning"
• Nephele (NEF-el-ee, Greek)--"cloudy"
• Nerissa (nehr-IS-sah, English)--from Greek, "sea sprite"
• Salma (SAL-mah, Arabic)--"safe"
• Tempest (TEM-pest, English)--"storm"
• Thora (THOHR-ah, Scandinavian)--feminine of Thor.

More than Jacob, Ethan, Michael, Abigail, & Noah: Biblical Names

It's funny how some names catch on and some don't. Christianity has been around for a couple millennia (even longer if you count the Israelites of the Old Testament), yet only a few names of the thousands in the Bible maintain popularity. I'm sure that the faith and/or valor of certain figures is what's kept their names popular (I can't explain Jacob or Jonah, however), but for parents seeking a name to honor their faith, there are more than just the usuals!

Boys:

• Abidan (AB-id-dan or ah-BYE-dan)--"My father is judge"
• Abiel (AY-bee-el)--"God is my father"
• Adlai (AD-lay or AD-lye)--"God is just"
• Allon (AHL-lon)--"oak tree"
• Azarel (AZ-ah-rel)--"God has helped"
• Boaz (BOH-az)--"swiftness, strength"
• Cephas (SEE-fas)--"rock". Most versions of the Bible translate it into its Greek equivalent--Peter.
• Eliud (ee-LYE-ud)--"God is grandeur"
• Eran (eh-RAHN)--"vigilant"
• Haggai (HAG-gye)--"festive"
• Ithiel (EE-thee-el)--"God is with me"
• Jabin (JAY-bin)--"perceptive"
• Jair (JAYR)--"he shines". Greek form is Jairus.
• Joram (JOHR-am)--"exalted by God"
• Omri (OHM-ree)--"my sheaf"
• Tekoa (tek-OH-ah)--"stockade"
• Zimri (ZIM-rye)--"my music"
• Zuriel (ZOOR-ee-el)--"God is my rock"

Girls:

• Abiah (ah-BYE-ah)--"My father is God"
  
• Adina (ah-DEE-nah)--"slender". A male in the OT, but a female name in modern Hebrew.
• Atarah (ah-tah-RAH)--"crown"
• Ephrath (EF-rath)--"fruitful"
• Iscah (IS-kah)--"anointed". Likely the inspiration for Shakespeare's invented name Jessica.
• Jael (jah-EL or JAY-el)--"mountain goat"
• Keturah (ket-OO-rah)--"incense"
• Keziah (kez-EYE-ah)--"cinnamon tree"
• Micaiah (my-KAY-ah)--"who is like God". Unisex in the Bible; modern masculine form is Micah.
• Michal (mee-KAHL)--"brook"
• Naamah (NAY-ah-mah or nah-ah-MAH)--"pleasant"
• Talitha (tal-EE-thah)--"little girl"
• Zibiah (zib-EYE-ah)--"gazelle"
• Zillah (ZIL-lah)--"shade"

Unisex:

• Abijah (ah-BYE-jah)--"My father is God"
• Nogah/Noga (NOH-gah)--"brightness"