Sylvia

Sylvia is a variant spelling of Silvia, but of the two, Sylvia is now more often used. Ultimately, it comes from the Latin word silva which means "woods" or "forest." Sylvia was one of the "classical" names that enjoyed popularity in the late 19th century, and into the early years of the 20th century. From 1909 through 1923 the name was in the top 100 for girls in the U.S., and it was again in the top 100 through most of the 1930's and 1940's. Consequently, Sylvia is currently considered a somewhat old-fashioned name, and is in the bottom half of the top 1000. The most well-known Sylvia was probably Sylvia Plath. Sylvia is both pretty to the ear and to the eye, and will most probably return to popularity in the next decade or so. In the meantime, Sylvia is also a wonderful name for a cat.

Sebastian

Sebastian comes from the Latin Sebastianus, which means "man from Sebaste." Sebaste was a town in Asia Minor, and its name came from the Greek sebastos which meant "august" or "venerable," so it is reasonable enough to give Sebastian that meaning as well, if "man from Sebaste" isn't meaningful enough for you. Sebastian was the name of a 3rd century saint. He was an officer in the Imperial Roman Army, and was tied to a tree and shot multiple times with arrows by his own fellow officers after being charged with being a Christian. More about him can be found here. Sebastian is a more popular name than you might think. In the U.S. the name has been steadily in use enough to nearly always appear in the top 1000, and since the year 2000, Sebastian has been consistently in the top 100. It is similarly popular in other English-speaking countries including Australia and Canada, and is even more popular (top 50) in Sweden and Norway. The usual popularity of the name in prior decades can be largely attributed to its status as a saint name, and as a surname but why it is currently enjoying a popularity rise, I haven't got a clue.

Liberty

Liberty, of course, simply means "freedom." It comes from the Latin libertas, which is derived from liber, meaning "free." Liberty has appeared on the list of top 1000 names for girls in the U.S. since 2001, and is currently in the top 500. The reasons for this are probably obvious, considering the times. Giving a baby a name that reflects the attitudes and values of the parents can be admirable, and granted, Liberty has the potential to be a very nice name. It even comes with built-in possibilities for nicknames; Lib, Libbie, and Bertie. I'd be very careful about using Liberty as a given name for a daughter, however. Be aware that she's going to hear every variation on "give me Liberty or give me death," and "taking liberties," among other phrases, often enough in her life to be sick of them early on. My advice would be to use Liberty as a middle name if you must use it at all, and if you are truly determined to use it as your daughter's first name, at least avoid any temptations to use "Belle" as her middle name.

Grace

Grace is a virtue name, which comes from the Latin gratia. Virtue names were very popular with the Puritans of the 17th century, and they seem to have been the first to use Grace as a given name. Grace has long been popular in Scotland and in Northern England. In the U.S., Grace has also been popular almost always, although it did go through a popularity lull in the middle decades of the 20th century. Grace has currently regained all its former popularity and is a top 20 name in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. I find it very interesting that the name Grace went through a popularity slump in the U.S. with the worst decades for it being the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's. Often, an extremely well-known celebrity will cause a name to spike in popularity, and Grace Kelly, who became Princess Grace of Monaco, was more than "well-known." The expectation would have been for the popularity of the name to have gone up, rather than down, with her celebrity. It could be that in this case the name was simply due for a slump, due to overuse--it certainly was not a case of her bringing the name to the public consciousness; Grace had been a top 50 name until the 1930's anyway. Still though, I would have predicted that it would have remained more popular than it did, simply through new mothers naming their daughters for a real live Princess. It just goes to show that you can never tell what people will name their kids.

Dominic

Dominic comes from the Late Latin Dominicus which is itself derived from dominus, which means "lord." Dominic is therefore taken to mean "of the lord." Saint Dominic was the founder of the Dominican order of monks, inspiring some Roman Catholic parents to name thier sons Dominic in his honor. Dominic, because of its meaning, has also been traditionally used to name a child born on Sunday. Dominic is currently enjoying a popularity spike in many English speaking countries, including the U.S. and Australia. Nicknames for Dominic include Dom and Nick, and the alternate spelling Dominick is sometimes used. The Dominic most in the popular public consciousness presently is Dominic Monaghan, who played "Merry" in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, and who also appears on television's "Lost."

Victoria

Victoria can be thought of and used as a feminine form of Victor; really both names simply come from the Latin word for "victory." The most well-known Victoria was Queen Victoria of England (1819-1901.) Her namesakes include not only people, but cities, regions, an attitude, styles for everything from clothes to architecture, and the entire Victorian Era. Victoria is currently enjoying a popularity spike in the United States, having been a consistently top 20 or top 30 name since the early 1990's, which in unsurprising, since many names popular during the Victorian era have also been enjoying a popularity spike (though Victoria itself wasn't a particularly popular name during the same era.) Interestingly, during the same time period in England and Wales, Victoria has declined in popularity and dropped out of the top 100 names for girls. Victoria is a versatile name. A girl named Victoria can choose to be Vicki, Vicky, Vic, or Tori.

Julia

Julia is a feminine form of Julius. A woman named Julia is mentioned in Paul's Epistle to the Romans, and several saints were also named Julia. Shakespeare used the name Julia in The Two Gentlemen Gentlemen of Verona. A fashion for "classical" names occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Julia's popularity benefited greatly from this trend. Julia is still a name popular today, generally appearing in the top 50 for girls in the U.S., as well as being quite popular in Sweden, Spain, and France. Famous Julia's include actress Julia Roberts, and chef Julia Child, who died in 2004 at the age of 91.

Priscilla

Priscilla is a Biblical name; it appears in Acts in the New Testament. Priscilla is a Latin name which comes from the Roman family name Priscus, which means "ancient." Because Priscilla appeared in the New Testament, the 17th century Puritans liked it. Priscilla was popular again in the 19th century, probably largely because of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's classic poem, The Courtship of Miles Standish. Throughout the 20th century, Priscilla was quietly in use, though not really popular, remaining in the top 200 or 300 names for girls, with no apparent effect from the fame of Priscilla Presley. In the years since the turn of the century, Priscilla has begun to slide a bit farther down in popularity, into the top 400.

Caroline

Caroline is a feminine version of Carolus, which is the Latin form of Charles. Charles means "man" or "free man." Caroline is currently quite popular, having been in the top 100 names for girls since the mid 1990's. Caroline was also quite popular in 1880, which is the earliest year of records from the SSA's Popular Baby Names database, and it has never been an unpopular name in the years in between. Caroline's most often used nickname is Carrie.

Christian

Christian means "follower of Christ," from the Latin Christianus. Christian was used in the Middle Ages as a masculine name and as a feminine name. In modern times, Christian is usually a masculine name, but is still given to some baby girls as well. The most famous bearers of the name Christian have come from Denmark, including 10 kings of that country and Hans Christian Andersen, who wrote fairy tales such as "The Princess and the Pea," "The Ugly Duckling," and my personal favorite, "The Brave Tin Soldier."

Ruby

Ruby means exactly what you think it means; the red gem, ruby. The word ruby comes from the Latin word rubeus, which means "red," so by association, ruby also means "red." Gem names, such as Ruby, Pearl, and Beryl, were popular during the 19th century, and into the early years of the 20th century, after which point most of them faded in popularity considerably. Ruby fared better than some--remaining in the top 500 names for girls in the U.S. throughout the 1900's. Over the past few years it has been creeping upward slightly in popularity, possibly due to a revival in gem names in general. Ruby hasn't enjoyed the popularity that two other gem names, Amber and Jade, have enoyed, but currently both those names are sliding downward in popularity, while Ruby continues to rise slightly. The name's popularity in the U.S. may be boosted also by the fact that it is currently a very popular name in England, Australia, and Scotland. Ruby has occasionally been used as a given name for boys. These uses are probably not examples of Ruby as a gem name, but rather, Ruby as a surname being used as a given name. In any case, the use of Ruby as a masculine name has been very rare if not non-existent since the 1930's.

Barbara

Barbara is the Latin form of the Greek barbarus. The Greek word comes from bar-bar, which was sort of a Greek version of "blah blah" and referred to the language of foreigners which sounded like no more than "bar-bar" (or blah blah) to them. Therefore, barbarus came to mean "foreign," and Barbara means "foreign woman." The word barbarian comes from the same source. Other meanings related to the word are sometimes given for Barbara, including "strange," "exotic," and "untamed." Barbara is a saint's name: Saint Barbara is the patron saint of stonemasons, architects, and artillerymen, among other things. Barbara is currently somewhat out-of-fashion as a name for baby girls. It was extremely popular during the first half of the 20th century, and was a top ten name in the U.S. for most of the three decades (the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's.) Because of this, many many people have mothers, grandmothers, and even great-grandmothers named Barbara. Often when this happens a name starts to be associated with the "older generations" and goes out of fashion until the older generation has passed. Barbara has not fallen completely out of use, but its popularity has been on a steady decline since the 1960's, and it currently isn't even quite in the top 500. Barbara is a classic name, however, plus a saint's name, so it is doubtful that it will become obssolete. The name can be expected to eventually experience a resurgence in popularity. Barbara is a versatile name, but its versatility is another reason for its decline in popularity; one of the main nicknames for Barbara is Barbie and that name has been virtually taken over by its association with Barbie Dolls. Other nicknames for Barbara are Babs, Babette, and Barb, and Bobbie. The variant spelling Barbra is sometimes used, but I'll deal with that as a name in its own right at some point.

James

James is the English version of the name Iacomus, which is a Latin version of the Greek Iakobus. (The name Jacob ultimately comes from the same source, via the Hebrew name version of Iakobus, which is Yaakov.) James is a saint name; in the New Testament, two of Christ's disciples were named James. Several Kings of Scotland were named James. James is a perennial favorite in all English-speaking countries. It is normally a masculine name, but has on occasion been given to girls, as well. (Naming a girl James just isn't recommended. It's not like names for girls are rare.) Because James comes from the same source as Jacob, it also means "supplanter" or "holder of the heel." One reason for James' continued popularity is its versatility. Nicknames for James include Jim, Jimmy, and Jamie. The name is considered by many to be overused, and it probably is, but that overuse is not likely to stop--and there is a big difference between an overused "trendy" name that comes out of nowhere and is overused for a few years, and classic names like James, John, Anne, Mary, etc. James is likely to remain popular, and will also remain a good name choice for boys.

Amable

Amable has been used for both boys and girls, in different times and places, and for different reasons. The name comes from Latin amabilis, and means "loveable." When Amable has been used for a girl it is often a re-spelling or a misspelling of Amabel. Notice that the difference here is simply the transposition of two letters, and the meaning and pronunciation are the same. Both Amabel and Amable were also sometimes given as Christian "virtue" names, and in this case were actually meant to represent the word "aimable." Amable is also a French name--same meaning, same origin-- and in this case is a masculine name. This name is one of those that have given people in the U.S. who are researching their family geneaology a few headaches. The reason for this is that names were often changed from their original French forms to English forms by census takers in the U.S., and Amable in some cases became simply Ama, and in some cases became Marble. The Marble example is known to have occurred in the U.S. 1850 census in Maine, and this might give a clue about how Amable was being pronounced. (That is simply my guess, but I'm thinking a-MAH-bul, leading to Marble. I could easily be wrong.) Amable is also a surname, though not an extremely common one, so it stands to reason that a few Amables have been given the name because it was the maiden name of their mothers. We don't see the name Amable much in the U.S., and I don't really see a rise in popularity for it in the near future. If you happen to be writing a novel that involves some French-Canadian history though, Amable is a name that might be useful.

Victor

Victor means exactly what it seems to mean. That's "winner" or "victorious" for the less perceptive amongst you. The word is Latin, the name is Roman. When we hear the name Victor we might think of one of the saints who were named Victor, we might think of record company RCA Victor or we might think of author Victor Hugo. Fans of banjo genius Bela Fleck might even think of Victor Wooten. Classic movie fans will more likely think of actor Victor Mature. Early Christians liked this name quite a bit, and we evidently still like it a lot today. For more than 100 years now, this name has hovered just at the top 100 mark. This makes it a good name, simply because it's common enough not to be thought "odd," but not so common as to be overused. The usual nickname for Victor is Vic--a name that really grows on you once you know someone called Vic. Victor is an especially good name for a German Shepherd. Seriously.

Dean

Dean is (yet another) surname that gets used as a given name. The surname means "valley," describing someone who lived in a valley. Dean is also borrowed from the occupational title "dean," as in College Dean. That word comes from the Latin decanus. Famous Deans include Dean Martin, and author Dean Koontz, with James Dean and Howard Dean representing bearers of the surname. Dean has remained in consistent use in the United States for at least the last 100 years, but used just enough to keep it from being "rare." Dean is a considerably more popular name in Ireland and Scotland, so if you're looking for a name for a modern Irish or Scots fictional character, there's one now. I really like this name. I like it enough that if I were about to have a baby, Dean would definitely be on the "possible" list for a boy. One added note: Dean has very occasionally been used a name for baby girls in the U.S. (I don't know about anywhere else.)

Audrey

Audrey is a much more interesting name than you might think. First, if you've spent any time reading name dictionaries, you've probably run across the Old English name Etheldreda, which means "noble strength." Audrey is, according to Ask Oxford derived from Etheldreda, so the meaning is the same. The Old English version is Ædhelþrydh, and Etheldreda is the Latin version of that. Anyone who has read a biography of actress Audrey Hepburn will almost certainly agree that this is one case where the meaning of a name matched the person perfectly--Audrey Hepburn was truly a Great Lady, and one whose life required a lot of that noble strength. Saint Audrey (known as Etheldreda in her own time, apparently,) lived in the sixth century. She was apparently something of a religious fanatic from the word "go," because she took a vow of perpetual chastity, but was married twice anyway. Her first husband knew about her chastity vow (men do love a challenge.) Later in life Audrey developed a large and unsightly tumor on her neck. She considered this a just punishment for the fact that she'd worn so many necklaces in her younger days. In the Middle Ages she was a popular saint, and Saint Audrey's Fair was held on her feast day (October 17th.) The fair naturally sold many necklaces and neckerchiefs, and they became famous for their cheapness and low quality. From this we now have the word tawdry, a shortening of "Saint Audrey." Because of this, by the end of the Middle Ages the name became much less popular. Shakespeare's use of the name in As You Like It, plus its status as a saint's name, guaranteed that Audrey would not become an obsolete name, and eventually it came back into use--most people no longer even aware that Audrey and tawdry were anything more than a convenient rhyme. The name Audrey has remained in constant but not overwhelming use in the U.S. for at least the last 100 years. In the early 1900's it was occasionally given to boys, but is now nearly exclusively a girl's name. Audrey is also apparently a popular name in France. Most people probably think of Audrey Hepburn first when they hear the name Audrey, but some might also think of Audrey Hardy a character from the television soap opera General Hospital.

Adrian

Adrian comes from the Latin name Hadrianus, meaning "man from Hadria." This is the masculine version of the name. I mention this because a very few parents have given this version of the name to their daughters, which is okay by me, but people should be aware that there are feminine versions of the name--Adrienne, for instance. I have to admit that I was fairly surprised to find that Adrian has been in the top 100 names for boys in the U.S. since 1990. It sounds to me like a somewhat dangerous name to give a boy, but I guess that's because it sounds like the feminine version, and I've known several Adrienne's and Adriannes. The name just sounds like a girl's name to me, and while it's generally okay to give boy's names to girls, the reverse tends to be less true. (Find the lyrics to the Johnny Cash song A Boy Named Sue if you aren't familiar with it, for a good explanation of why girl's names shouldn't be given to boys.) Still though, if that many people are naming their sons Adrian, it should be safe enough to continue using as a name for boys. It sounds a little...fussy...for a boy to me, but obviously many other people don't see it that way at all.

Lionel

The name Lionel comes from Latin leonellus, meaning "little lion." Lionel was used as a given name in the Middle Ages and is one possible source of surnames such as Lyall, or Lyell. It has remained in use ever since the Middle Ages; never being used more than infrequently but never falling completely out of use either. Its use has declined even more in the past few decades though, and of late, Lionel has fallen out of the top 1000 names in the U.S. Famous Lionels include actor Lionel Barrymore (1878-1954) and singer Lionel Richie. Many may also remember Lionel as George and Louise Jefferson's son on the tv series The Jeffersons. Why has Lionel fallen so completely out of fashion of late? There may be bad associations with the name that I'm not aware of, but since I'm not aware of any, I'd have to guess that it's some combination of the following reasons: Lionel sounds a bit old-fashioned at the moment, it doesn't have much versatility when it comes to nicknames, and so many "new" names have crowded into the name arena in the past decades as parents (in the U.S. at least) have become more daring, that there simply isn't room for it. Because of the meaning, Lionel makes a great name for a male cat, but if you choose to give the name to your new baby, I'd recommend choosing a strong versatile second name to accompany it, just to give your child some options in the event he hates the name.

Alma

Alma comes from Latin and means "nurturing, kind." Alma was a title of several Roman goddesses, but its use as a given name is relatively quite modern. It was very rarely used until after the 1854 Battle of Alma was fought. The Alma in this case was a river in the Crimea, but Alma's use as a name became established after that point and was fairly popular in all English-speaking countries from 1870 through 1920. Other sources list Alma as being a Spanish name meaning "soul." This comes from dialogue in Tennessee Williams's play Summer and Smoke, and from the use of the name in Spenser's 16th century poem Faerie Queen, in which the name is apparently interpreted as Italian, meaning "soul." Although Alma has not appeared in the top 100 names for girls in the U.S. since the 1920's, it is still in the top 1000. It is possibly being used at this point mostly in honor of older or deceased relatives, but also could be due for a revival in the relatively near future.