Elowen / Elowyn

Meaning: (Elm, Elm Tree)

Origin: (Cornish)

Pronunciation: (ELL-uh-wen, ehL-OWWaaN or EHL-owWehN)

Gender: Female


This was the name I was looking at the other day when I saw Arwen which I wrote about, it's below this one on the post list. This name Elowen / Elowyn reminded me of a Lord of the Rings kind of name thought it isn't in the novels. It's a beautiful name, lovely meaning, easily pronounced. I love this name in every way.

Arwen

Meaning: (Fair, Fine, Muse, Royal, Maiden, Variant of Arwyn. Literary: an elf maiden in Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings", where in the elven language, Arwen means "noble woman".)

Origin: (Welsh, English)

Pronunciation:(ARR-WIN Arr-sounds like car. Win-Sounds like fin, Are-wen)

Gender: Female

I was looking up a name I will soon post and I saw this name then I realized it was the elf princess's name in Lord of the Rings. Liv Tyler played Arwen in the movies. Again seeing as this is a name in a famous novel it could be seen that you named you character after Tolkien's character. Of course you can change the spelling or just leave it. I wanted to add this because in the past I didn't much like this name but now I haven't heard it in a while I see it is a very beautiful name. A scene in LOTR actually inspired me to write my series I've been working on since I was like 17 yrs old.

Dejah

Meaning: (Already, Remembrance, Use of the French "déjà vu". Also short form of Dejanira, from the Greek name Deianeira, the wife of Hercules. Variant of Deja.)

Origin: (French, Spanish)

Pronunciation: (DAY-hah, DAY-zhah, DAY-juh, DEE-juh)

Gender: Female, possibly Uni-Sex

I keep seeing the movie John Carter advertised on T.V and the princess in the movie is named Dejah. John Carter is based on the Martian Series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Seeing as this is already a name in a series of novels it can still be used but many might think you got it from Burroughs novels. Oh and the pronunciation is a bit tricky. The above pronunciations are all the ways I could find to say this name. In Burroughs novels I believe if it pronounced DEE-juh, I think. It is pretty and unique.

Faina

Meaning: (Crown, Garland, Shinning, Light, Young Deer, Variant of Fawn.)

Origin: (Old French, Russian, Old Greek)

Pronunciation: (Fay-ee-na, fah-EE-nah, f ah ee n ah, Faa-IY-Naa)

Gender: Female

I get emails from Amazon.com advertising there books of the month. I read some details about this one book and it had a character named Faina and I thought I might have heard the name before. I looked it up and love the meanings. It has a unique look but is an old name. It's such a beautiful name.

Basil

Meaning: (Royal, Kingly, Regal, Brave, Valiant, Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. Due to him, the name (in various spellings) has come into general use in the Christian world, being especially popular among Eastern Christians. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors. Medieval Personal Name. Movie Star Basil Rathbone.)

Origin: (Greek, French, English, Arabic, American)

Pronunciation: (BAZ-el, BAYZ-el, Go to this site and run your cursor over Basil to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=basil&submit=Submit)

Gender: Male

I was flipping around on T.V the other day and started watching The Great Mouse Detective a movie I used to love when I was a kid. The mouse on there is the Sherlock Holmes of the mouse world and lives below the actual Sherlock Holmes residence. The mouse is called Basil of Baker's Street. The author of the books which the movie was based on chose the name Basil in honor of Basil Rathbone the actor which played Sherlock Holmes in many early Sherlock Holmes movies. Basil is traditionally pronounced BAZ-el but many say BAYZ-el because of the Herb. I say it both ways depending on the contexts.

Sela

Meaning: (Princess, Lady, Moon, Light, Shine, Heaven, Sky, Rock, A River in Iceland, Biblical Place name, 1. A location on the boundary of Amorite territory after the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land. (Jg 1:36) The site is unknown today. Some would identify this Sela with the one in Edom (2Ki 14:7), but there is no evidence that Amorite territory ever extended so far S into the region controlled by the Edomites.
2. A major Edomite city that was captured by Judean King Amaziah and renamed Joktheel. (2Ki 14:7) Sela may be the unnamed “fortified city” referred to at Psalm 108:10. This city is identified by some with Um el-Biyara, a rocky acropolis lying about 100 km (60 mi) NNE of the northern tip of the Gulf of ʽAqaba. This site is located in the western corner of the plain where the Nabataean city of Petra was later built. Accessible by means of a narrow, twisting gorge and surrounded by precipitous sandstone cliffs, this plain is well protected. The impressive ruins of Petra, including temples, tombs, and dwellings hewn out of the rock, were no part of the ancient Edomite city of Sela. Scholars have recently favored identifying Sela with es-Selaʽ, about 4 km (2.5 mi) NNW of Bozrah.3. A place mentioned in a pronouncement against Moab. (Isa 15:1; 16:1) There is uncertainty as to whether or not it is the same site as No. 2.)

Origin: (Hebrew, Old Greek, Latin, Biblical)

Pronunciation: (SIYLah, SEE-lə, SEL-ah, SAY-la)

Gender: Female

I was watching CSI: New York the other day and one of the actresses has the first name Sela. I think it is a beautiful name with lots of really pretty meanings. It's short, sweet, easily pronounced.

Henna

Meaning: (Home Ruler, House Owner, Lord of the Manor, God was Gracious, God has Shown Favor, A shrub that bears clusters of small cream-colored, four-petal flowers at the tips of its branches; their strong fragrance is especially enjoyed by Middle Eastern peoples. Often a sprig of henna is put in bouquets, and women wear it in their hair and in their bosom. From ancient times henna has also been employed as a cosmetic. This shrub (Lawsonia inermis), which still grows wild in Palestine, attains a maximum height of about 4 m (13 ft). It is mentioned only in The Song of Solomon (1:14; 4:13; 7:11). Henna paste, which is made from pulverized leaves of the plant, is used as a cosmetic. When the paste is washed off, the stain, commonly an orange or reddish color, remains. Henna has been used to dye the nails of fingers and toes, fingertips, hands, feet, beards, hair, and even the manes and tails of horses, as well as skins and leather. The Hebrew root from which ko′pher is thought to be derived has been defined as “cover,” seemingly indicative of its use as a dye.—Compare Ge 6:14.)

Origin: (German, Hebrew, Finnish)

Pronunciation: (he en na, hen-nuh, Go to this site and run your cursor over Henna to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=henna)

Gender: Female

I thought of this the other day and I think Henna would make a cool name. It is a plant which is rarely used as a name and the other meanings are really nice. I saw on Yahoo Answers that the views on this as a name are not so good but I think in a novel it would be cool on a character. It is easy to pronounce and is kind of pretty. It sort of looks like the name Hanna or Hannah so if you don't want to use those names this could be a great alternative.

Geneva

Meaning: (Woman, Of the Race of Women, Juniper Tree, May refer to the Swiss city or refer to the juniper tree, whose old Dutch name was "genever", hence "gin", which is flavored with juniper berries. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The Geneva Conventions provide standards for the humane treatment of the prisoners and victims of war.)

Origin: (Old French, Celtic)

Pronunciation: (jeh-NEEV-ə, Jə-NEE-və, jeh-NEE-vuh, Go to this site and run your cursor over Geneva to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=geneva+&submit=Submit)

Gender: Female

I was looking at some other name the other day and Geneva popped in my head. I instantly thought of both the Geneva Conventions and Geneva, Switzerland. The meaning of Geneva I like and found interesting. Geneva has a feminine delicate sound and look. It is a very pretty name.

Merida

Meaning: (A Woman who has Achieved a Place of Honor, Derivative of Emerita, Mérida, Spain was an ancient Roman city. It was founded in 25 B.C. with the name Emerita Augusta, meaning "the bachelors (discharged soldiers) – of Augustus", the emperor who had founded the city. Mérida is an evolution of this ancient name.)

Origin: (Latin, Spanish)

Pronunciation: (Mare-a-da, Meer-ee-duh, Meer-uh-duh, Mer-i-duh, Go to this site and run your cursor over Merida to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=Merida)

Gender: Female

I saw that Pixar movie Brave advertised the other day. The main character is name Merida. I liked the look and pronunciation instantly. The meaning is good as well. It has a foreign sound and look but it has an old fashioned look to it as well and from the history info I saw this name is really old. This would be a great name in a Historical Fiction novel but with it's look I can see it too in a sci-fi / fantasy novels. But it too can fit any genre in between.

Nala or Nahla

Meaning: (Nala: Stem, Hollow Reed, Successful, Olive, Queen, Gift. Nahla: A Draught, A Drink Of, Drink of Water.)

Origin: (African, Swahili, Sanskrit, Latin, Arabic)

Pronunciation: (Nah-lah, NAH-lə)

Gender: Female

Now Nala is said to be a variant of Nahla but as you see there meanings are very different and Nahla is said to be mainly from Arabic origin and Nala of African origin. Either way they seem to have the same pronunciation and look. Oh what a difference one little letter can make, lol. I was watching The Lion King the other day as it was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. The lioness that was friends with Simba and later his mate was named Nala. I love the way it is pronounced and how it looks and the meaning. As for using this as a character name I think this name can work for an exotically pretty character.

Dustin

Meaning: (Valiant Fighter, Brave Warrior, A Fighter, Thor’s Stone, Dusty Area, The fame of actor Dustin Hoffman has been a major influence on contemporary usage. Popularity is also influenced by the rhyming similarity to another favored name, Justin.)

Origin: (Old German, Old English)

Pronunciation: (DUS-tin, DUHS-tin)

Gender: Male


I was watching a show the other day and this name popped up on the screen for the person. I have liked it for a while because of WWE Wrestler Dustin "Dusty" Rhodes so I said why not add it here. I have a character in one of my novels named Dusty Rose. I think Dustin is a very nice name. It has a great strong meaning and a good look. It's easy to pronounce which is a plus as well. Good Nicknames: Dusty, Dus. Also it has a good aging quality, it's a name that can work with a character at any age. It isn't crazy unique but not overly common either which I like and I am sure others will too.

Theophilus

Meaning: (Friend of God, Loved by God, The person to whom Luke addressed both his Gospel and the Acts of Apostles. (Lu 1:3, 4; Ac 1:1) His being called “most excellent” may indicate a high position of some kind, or it may simply be an expression of high esteem. Theophilus apparently was a Christian, having been orally taught about Jesus Christ and his ministry. Luke’s written statement served to assure him of the certainty of what he had learned previously by word of mouth.)

Origin: (Biblical, Hebrew, Greek)

Pronunciation: (thee-AHF-ə-ləs (English), thee-AWF-uh-lis, Go to this site and run your cursor over Theophilus to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=theophilus&submit=Submit)

Gender: Male

I was looking up a name and meaning the other day and I saw this name near it. I thought I really like that name and then I thought ow the other day I saw this name when I was reading a scripture in my bible. This name has a great meaning and has a cool look and sound. Possible Nicknames: Theo, Phil.

Roscoe

Meaning: (From the Deer Forest, Roe Deer Wood, From an English surname, originally derived from a place name, which meant "doe wood", Transferred use of the surname derived from a place-name in Lancashire, on the northwestern coast of England. The name is derived from the Old Norse elements rá (a roe deer) and skógr (a wood).)

Origin: (English, Old Norse, Old German)

Pronunciation: (RAHS-ko, RAHS-koh)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I saw this in a movie the other day. It was a woman's name in the movie so I suppose this can be a uni-sex name. I don't know which gender I like it on more though. It has a good meaning and a decent look and sound to it.

Johannes

Meaning: (God is Gracious, God is Merciful, Johannes is the Latin form of the personal name that usually appears as "John" in English language contexts. It is a variant of the Greek name Ιωάννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name Yehochanan meaning "Yahweh is gracious". The name became popular in Northern Europe, especially in Germany. Common German variants for Johannes are Johann, Hans (diminutized to Hänschen or Hänsel, known from "Hansel and Gretel", a fairy tale by the Grimm brothers), Hannes, Jens (from Danish) and Jan (from Dutch). Common English variants for Johannes are Johanan, John, Johnny, and Jonny. In French is Jean, in Spanish Juan, in Portuguese is João, in Catalan is Joan, in Russian - Иван, in Lithuanian - Jonas, in Romanian is Ion and in Italian is Giovanni. In Indonesia, it is Yohanes. The Irish or Scottish Gaelic equivalent is Eoghan or Eóin, and in Welsh it is Ieuan or Ifan, anglicized as "Evan". In Estonian Juhan, Jaan, Jaanus, Joonas and Hannes do come from the same root; Juss and Juku are the familiar names for Johannes. The astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) and the composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) are famous bearers of this name.)

Origin: (Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Finnish)

Pronunciation: (Jo-hanns, yoh-HAH-nehs, yo-HAH-nes (German), yo-HAHN-nus (Dutch), Go to this site and run your cursor over Johannes to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=johannes&submit=Submit)

Gender: Male

I thought of adding this name because the other day I was watching a movie that talked about Johannesburg, South Africa. I kind of like Johannes it has a very foreign look and sound but still not too crazy. There have been a few great composers with this name or close variants as well.

Edie

Meaning: (Prosperous in War, Strife for Wealth, Variant of Edith, Edwina, Eden.)

Origin: (Old English)

Pronunciation: (EE-dee)

Gender: Female

I was watching Law & Order: Special Victims Unit the other day and one of the temporary characters was named Edie. I really liked the name when I saw and heard it. I like that this name can be a nickname for any of the names under meaning or can be a stand alone name. It is short, has a good sound to it and a great strong meaning.

Bray

Meaning: (Cry Out, Borderland, Brick Layer, Broad, Wide)

Origin: (Middle English, Old French, Celtic)

Pronunciation: (brAI, BREY)

Gender: Male


I have added female names with Brae or Bray somewhere with in them and I said I would add Bray alone as a male name. Now I have gotten around to it. I have always like the name Bray since I was in my teens and I watched this show that had this guy named Bray in it. He was brave and he was one of my favorite characters in the show. Anyway I like how the name Bray is short, easy to say with a decent meaning. It isn't as showy as some names but that may be good. Make a character with a simpler name speak for it's self.

Ellesmere

Meaning: (Ellis Pond, "Mere" is related to the word "marine" that came to mean a pond or a swamp. Recorded in a number of spellings including: Ellesmere, Elesmere, Elsmere, Elsmer, Elsmore and even Elismere, this is an English surname. It is locational and originates either from the town of Ellesmere in the county of Shropshire or Ellesmere Port, in the county of Cheshire. The Shropshire town has produced most nameholders although the surname is equally well recorded in both regions. The Shropshire place name is first recorded in the famous Domesday Book of 1086 in the spelling of Ellesmeles, which according to Ekwalls "Place names of England" means "Elli's lake" with Elli being an early personal name. However given the questionable spelling it is possible that a more logical explanation lies in the Old Norse word "elri" meaning alder trees, and hence the lake amongst the alders. Locational surnames were usually given to peoiple as easy identification and after they left their original homesteads. In this case early examples of the name recording taken from surviving church registers of the 17th century include David Elsmore, at the church of St James, Clerkenwell, in the city of London, on June 1st 1616, Samuel Elsmore, whose daughter Elizabeth was christened at St Mary's church, Shrewsbury, on February 19th 1618, and Elizabeth Elsmere, who married Annelsey Bailey, at St Lukes, Chelsea, on February 14th 1754. Read more: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Elsmere#ixzz1kuUT6ueu)

Origin: (Middle English)

Pronunciation: (Elle-us-meer, Ellis-meer, ell-esm-ere, EHLZMIHR, Go to this site and run your cursor over Ellesmere to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=ellesmere)

Gender: Male Name, possibly Uni-Sex

I was looking up a name the other day and saw this name. It reminds me of a location in a sci-fi / fantasy book or something. I definitely like the look, meaning, info I found on this name and the pronunciation. There is little I don't like. This would make a cool character name or location name.

Ambra

Meaning: (Jewel, Amber, Amber Colored)

Origin: (Italian, French, Egyptian, Gaelic, Arabic)

Pronunciation: (ahm-br-uh, AEMBRah)

Gender: Female


I was watching this thing about healthy eating and this lady from Italy was named Ambra. This is the Italian version of Amber but I like it way better than Amber. Amber is way too popular a name and I just don't care for it (no offence to any Amber's out there.) I really like the meaning and pronunciation. I like the look of Ambra as well.

Ellesse

Meaning: (Other, Foreign, Variant of Ella, Eleanor, Ellen.)

Origin: (Old German, Italian, English)

Pronunciation: (eh-less, Elle-es, sounds like LS, Elle-es-say, Sounds like LSA, Go to this site and run your cursor over Ellesse to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=ellesse)

Gender: Female

I was looking up something about actress Alexa Vega the other day and saw that her middle name is Ellesse. I instantly liked the look of it and the two main pronunciations are nice and easy. This is a really nice, pretty name.

Nellie / Nelly

Meaning: (Horn, Sun Ray, Shining Light, Torch, Bright, The Bright One, Most Beautiful Woman, Variant of Cornelia, Eleanor, Helen, Nelly.)

Origin: (Latin, Greek, English)

Pronunciation: (NEL-ee, NEHL-ee)

Gender: Female

I have been watching Little House on the Prairie lately as there is little else of interest in T.V right not. Anyway there is a girl on the show named Nellie and I haven't really been a fan of the name Nellie or Nelly but lately I kind of like the name Nellie. I think it would be better as a nickname as it is a variant of Cornelia, Eleanor, and Helen but it is alright as a stand alone name I guess. There are two well known Nelly's everyone knows of... Nelly the Rapper and Nelly Furtado the pop singer. So there can be pro's and con's to using this name for a character. As for me I prefer Nellie with the ie over just Nelly. I like that it is a bit old fashioned at least the one with the ie is anyway.

Hattie / Hatty

Meaning: (Home Ruler, Variant of Harriet, Henrietta.)

Origin: (Old German, American)

Pronunciation: (HAT-ee)

Gender: Female

I have used Hattie as the name of one of my characters crazy mother. This is also the name of Tori Spellings new baby. I like this name, it is old fashioned yet still modern in a way. It is sweet and it is short and easy to pronounce so there are few if any draw backs to this name.

Auden

Meaning: (Old Friend, Bold One, Daring, Recorded as Alden, Aldine, Auden, Adin, and others, this is a medieval English surname. It derives from the personal name of the pre 7th Century Ealdwine, meaning Old friend and the Latinized versions as Aldanus aand Alden are recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. Another early recording although not as a surname is that of Gamel filius Alden in the Pipe Rolls of Westmorland in 1196. Early examples of the surname recodings include Osgotus Aldwinus of Berkshire in 1196; Alexander Aldeyn of Oxfordshire in 1279, and William Audyn of Somerset, in 1327. John Alden was one of the Pilgrim Fathers who sailed on the ship "Mayflower" in 1620. Many of his descendants were merchant seamen, among them James Alden (1810 - 1877), who completed two circumnavigations of the globe. A coat of arms associated with the surname has the blazon of ared shield charged with three crescents within a bordure engrailed ermine. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Aelfwine Aldine.This was dated 1095, in the Feudal Documents from the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, during the reign of King William 11nd, known as "Rufus", 1087 - 1100. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling. Read more: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Auden#ixzz1kuIie3yY)

Origin: (Old English, Latin)

Pronunciation: (AW-den, awd-n, Go to this site and run your cursor over Auden to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=auden)

Gender: Uni-Sex

This name I saw on the blog www.babynameaddict.blogspot.com the other day. I looked it up and I liked the meaning and the surname information I found on this name. It is an interesting name and I like the look and pronunciation as well.

Vidar

Meaning: (Tree Fighter, Lumberjack, Wide Ruler, Forest Warrior, Mythology: a son of Odin who was immensely strong, and did not speak.)

Origin: (Old Norse, Scandinavian)

Pronunciation: (vih-dar, 'Vi' is pronounced 'Vi' in victory 'dar' is pronounced as 'dar' in dart, Go to this site and run your cursor over Vidar to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=Vidar)

Gender: Male

The other day I was watching a show about these young woman who had killed and the high profile cases involving them. One of the families (the mother, father, daughter) were killed (and the son was injured) were Jehovah's Witnesses *The same religion as I am*. It was an extremely sad case. The father's name was Vidar which I really love the name. The name might seem different to English speakers but I am sure it is common to other cultures that use this name. I think the guy was from Sweden so this is probably common there, but not entirely sure about that.

Clifton

Meaning: (Settlement by a Cliff, From a Town Near a Cliff, English Surname, Place Name.)

Origin: (Old English)

Pronunciation: (KLIF-ten)

Gender: Male

I was watching that show Beyond Scared Straight. It's about this program that take at risk teens who are out of control (Drinking, Drugs, Fighting, ect.) and takes them inside jails to show them where they will end up at if they stay on the track they are on. Anyway there was an inmate named Clifton and I might not like what he did or anything but when I saw and heard the name I was like that's a cool name. It's a nice older fashioned name in my thoughts but it seems to fit in modern times too.