Olivia
Origin: English, Norse, Danish
Meaning: Just; upright; righteous
Variations of the name include ‘Liv’, ‘Livia’, ‘Ollie’ and ‘Vivi’.
Famous Olivia’s include:
- Olivia Wilde (US Actress)
- Olivia Munn (US Actress and Comedian)
- Olivia Newton-John (Singer)
Ophelia
Origin: Greek
Meaning: ‘Help’
The name has been popular since the 19th Century, and with Shakespear’s use of the name in his infamous play, Hamlet.. Ophelia is Hamlet’s tragic heroine who goes insane!
Famous Ophelia’s include:
- Ophelia Lovibond (Actress from Guardians of the Galaxy)
- Ophelia Ford (American Politician)
- Ophelia Saint Grohl (daughter of musician Dave Grohl)
Patience
Origin: Latin, English
Meaning: ‘To be Patient and Virtuous’
Similar to names like ‘Hope’, ‘Faith’ and ‘Charity’, this was a popular name in religious circles. A derivative of the name includes ‘Payton’ which has seen a popular rise in the last 10 years.
Famous Patience’s include:
- Patience Agbabi (British Poet)
Penelope
Origin: Greek
Meaning: ‘Weaver’
Penelope was very popular in the 1950’s, but with many famous actresses naming their daughters Penelope in recent years (such as Tina Fey, Kourtney Kardashian and Anna Chumsky) the name has again become all the rage! Penelope can be shorted to ‘Penny’, ‘Nell’ and ‘Poppy’.
Famous Penelope’s include:
- Penelope Cruz (Famous US Actress)
- Penelope Wilton (Actress from Downton Abbey)
- Penelope Plummer (1968 Australians Miss World Contestant)
Rainer
Origin: Scandinavian, Norse, German, Dutch, Spanish
Meaning: ‘Advise the Army’
Pronounced: Ray-Nah
Rainer is the feminised name of ‘Ragnar’ which is derived from the Vikings in Scandinavia (remember Ragnor Lothbrook from Vikings?). The name Ragnar has been around since the 9th Centure and other variants of the name include: Ragnachar, Ragina and Ranieri.
Famous Rainer’s include:
- Rainer Maria Rilke (Author and Poet)
- Prince Rainer of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (German Prince)
Reagan
Origin: English, Irish
Meaning: ‘Descendant of ‘Riagan’ Riagan meaning ‘Impulsive’.
One of those names that were purely a surname until the last decade. A variant on the name is ‘Regan’. Regan is a popular character in ‘The Walking Dead’.
Famous Reagan’s include:
- President Ronald Reagan
- Reagan Gomez-Preston (Actress)
Raven
Origin: English, Norse
Meaning: ‘Black Bird’
An Old English name, called after the bird.
Famous Raven’s include:
- Raven Symone (Actress from The Cosby Show)
Stella
Origin: English, Dutch, German
Meaning: ‘Star’
The name was created by poet Sir Philip Sidney for his collection of ‘sonnets’. Wasn’t commonly used until the play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ debuted in 1947.
Taissa
Origin: English, Portuguese, Russian
Meaning: ‘Bandage’
Not a common name, but gaining traction in 2017. Is the female form of ‘Thais’ who was a companion of Alexander the Great.
Famous Taissa’s include:
- Taissa Faminga (US Actress from American Horror Story)
Temperance
Origin: English
Meaning: ‘Moderation and Restraint’
Another Puritan name (ie like Charity, Patience and Honor). Became popular recently with the resurgence of old fashioned English style names. Also made popular by the TV series ‘Bones’ with the main character called ‘Dr Temperance Brennan’.
Violet
Origin: French, English
Meaning: Small Purple Flower
Flower names used in France and England in the early 19th Century are again very popular in 2016 – and we think they will be again in 2017.
Willa
Origin: English, French, German
Meaning: Feminine form of the name ‘William’ which means ‘Protection’ ‘Will’ and ‘Desire’
Many of the old-fashioned English male names were feminised – this not being one of the most popular choices back then. However, it has been resurrected in recently years, particularly in the United States.
Famous Willa’s include:
- Kerri Russell (US Actress) named her daughter ‘Willa Lou’
- Willa Cather (Author and Poet)
Ygritte
Origin: American
Meaning: ‘Hero’s Daughter’
The name Ygritte was made up for a character in the popular tv series ‘Game of Thrones’. It was created by famous Author, George R.R Martin.
Zelda
Origin: German
Meaning: ‘Dark Battle’ or ‘Blessed and Happy’
Although the name Zelda has been around since the early 1920’s, the name has been rarely used as it was considered very exotic. Therefore it has been used extensively in TV, Movies and Book Characters. With the popularity of the Nintendo name ‘Legend of Zelda’ – the name has gained popularity in recent years.
Famous Zelda’s include:
- Zelda Zonk (was Marilyn Monroe’s ‘pseudonym’)
- Robin Williams (US Actor and Comedian) called his daughter ‘Zelda’
- Zelda Wynn Valdes (1905 – 2001) was an African-American Fashion Designer and Costumer