Unique new baby names to ponder

Today we bring you Nameberry’s newest baby names, those we’ve encountered over the past weeks and added to the Nameberry database.

Here, 10 of the newest names on Nameberry.com and where we found them:

Brinsley

Another new entrant to the already-crowded space of androgynous-sounding girls’ names ending in -ley, Brinsley is a British place-name and surname that provides an alternative to the super-popular Kinsley. This one is simply in the air.

Cesaria

Cesaria is a feminine form of the ancient Roman name Caesar or Cesar, brought to our attention by the death of The Barefoot Diva, singer Cesaria Evora. With the rediscovery of many long-dormant Latin names, this one seemed a natural.

Divine

Blame Nevaeh: Heavenly names that once may have been used only onstage – there was a famous drag queen named Divine – have now become baby-appropriate. But like Precious, Divine is a name that sounds as if it’s protesting too much.

Emese

A Hungarian name meaning mother, obscure beyond Budapest. This one was sent in by a reader in Hungary.

Fifer

Fifer isn’t a new name to us, exactly: We knew a charming little girl named Fifer more than a decade ago and always thought it was an original, energetic choice. But this Scottish occupational name had somehow had eluded the Nameberry database, and so we added it.

Hutchings

A Scottish surname-name related to Hugh, Hutchings seems more possible as a first name when you consider adorable nickname Hutch.

Maple

Maple is, of course, a tree name, one that seems to have quickly captured the fancy of baby namers. It has a rich sound and is redolent of bright leaves and syrup – perfect as a nature name or middle name. Maple is one of the best-liked of the new tree names (like Pine and Oak) that we’ve written about.

Mercer

Occupational names are one source of fresh possibilities, and Mercer is a choice mentioned by a mom-to-be in the forums. We hadn’t included it among Archer, Booker, and Sawyer, but it’s a great possibility for either boys or girls ... who might be nicknamed Mercy. Mercer is a French occupational name meaning “merchant.” We added this one after a mom on our forums was debating using it for her child.

Pixie

Pixie is another new/old name on Nameberry, the choice in the ’90s by Sir Bob Geldof for one of his daughters that suddenly sounds more possible for the world at large, as either a spritely first name or a nickname.

Puck

We knew about the Shakespearean Puck and the equally mischievous MTV one and the hockey one. But we didn’t realize until a berry wrote to us that Puck was a popular name for girls in the Netherlands. Why? Enlighten us, Dutch readers.

Nameberry is a baby-naming site produced by Pamela Redmond Satran

and Linda Rosenkrantz, co-authors of 10 bestselling baby name guides, including the newest, “Beyond Ava and Aiden: The Enlightened Guide to Naming Your Baby.” See more at http://nameberry.com.

Tags: life, shesays, family