Integrity

Meaning: (One who is Truthful; Of Good Character, the Quality of being Honest and having Strong Moral Principles, Moral Uprightness.)

Origin: (English, English (Rare), American)

Pronunciation: (ihNTEHGRAHTiy)

Gender: Female

I saw this word when I was driving and saw a billboard that said Integrity Hills and I was like that’s gorgeous and I wonder if it could be used as a name. This is a virtue that is a rare name unlike other virtue names like Honor, Serenity, Justice, Prudence, Chastity, Mercy, Felicity, Truly (pretty rare too), Clarity (pretty rare too), Cherish (pretty rare too), and Harmony *see all these on list of posts*. I love the meanings. Also since one of the bearers of the name Aristides *see on list of posts* was said to be just and was renowned for his Integrity it would be cool if Aristides was paired somehow with the name Integrity.

Aristides

Meaning: (From the Greek Αριστειδης (Aristeides) which meant "the Best Kind", derived from αριστος (aristos) "Best" and ειδος (eidos) "Kind, Type". This name was borne by the 5th-century BC Athenian statesman Aristides the Just, who was renowned for his integrity. It was also the name of a 2^nd Century Saint.)

Origin: (Ancient Greek (Latinized), Spanish, Portuguese)

Pronunciation: (ah-ree-STEE-dhes (Spanish), ə-reesh-TEE-dəsh (Portuguese), ə-reesh-CHEE-jəsh (Brazilian Portuguese))

Gender: Uni-Sex

I was looking for a name and stumbled upon this one and I hadn’t put any really old names such as this on in a while. The meaning is very nice and the name itself seems strong. Since it has such a long history of use it could be used in just about any era. I think it would look awesome if paired with an ancient name like Galia *see on list of posts*! Like Galia Aristides! Also since one of the bearers of this name was said to be just and was renowned for his Integrity it would be cool if paired somehow with name Integrity *see on list of posts*. The only downfall at first for me was I had no idea how to pronounce it but when I looked at the pronunciations I then saw it and it’s pretty easy to say for me now! I saw it ah-ree-STEE-dhes (Spanish) more then the others listed above which are harder for me to say.

Galia

Meaning: (God Shall Redeem, Calm, Single, My Father Rejoices, Joy of My Father, Variant of Gal which means Wave.)

Origin: (Hebrew, Old Greek, Old Norse)

Pronunciation: (GAHL-yah, GAH-lee-ah, gah-lyah, Gaa-LIY-aa, GAA-LYaa)

Gender: Female

I totally forget where I saw this name but I really liked it when I saw it. The meanings are really great and it’s a beautiful name that seems very ancient but also a bit of out of this world. The look is simple and is seemingly easily pronounceable. It’s just lovely and elegant and seems a very ancient Lady or Princesses name. I think it would look awesome if paired with an ancient name like Aristides *see on list of posts*! Like Galia Aristides!

Gwendola

Meaning: (Gwen: White, Fair, Pure, Holy, Blessed, White Circle, Moon, Happiness, It has been used as a name in its own right since the 5th century, when it was borne by a Welsh saint and a daughter of the legendary Welsh king Brychan. The name has strong Welsh associations, although it has been widely adopted by English speakers since the 20th century.

Dola: The Crown Brings Honor, Dola is an alternate form of Adeola (Nigerian), In Slavic mythology, Dola (pronounced doh-luh) are the protective spirits which embody human fate. They can appear in the guises of a god, a cat, a man, a mouse, or a woman. They have their own preferences and provinces; and they would hound you if you made choices that were not planned by Fate. Dola means "The Slavic spirit of mortal fate". The name penetrated common language and is often used to describe long-lasting change of fortune caused by external factors (or absolutely stochastic). It's comparable to good or bad luck, but unlike luck, dola applies to important aspects of life, such as career, health, marriage, having children etc.)

Origin: (Gwen: Old Welsh, Celtic Dola: Nigerian, Slavic Mythology)

Pronunciation: (Gwen: GWehN Dola: doh-luh Gwendola: GWehN-doh-luh)

Gender: Female

I was in a nursing home visiting two friends who are of the same religion that I am and when walking to their rooms I was looking at the tags of names on the outside of the doors and saw the name Gwendola and was like that’s interesting and I’ve never heard that one before. Well I couldn’t find the meaning for the name as a whole so I had to break it down and do a meaning for Gwen and then Dola separately.

Of course I’ve done Gwen in other names before and always thought the meanings were gorgeous and I love Welsh names so that a plus with me. And since it has a long history of use where on its own or with another name it would do well in so many eras. Dola had some really pretty meanings like the Crown Brings Honor. The Slavic Mythology was very interesting indeed! Together the name Gwendola embodies a few different interesting cultures but it creates a beautiful name and I wonder how the parents of the woman in that room at the nursing home came to name her Gwendola.

Ava

Meaning: (A variation of Eve. May be from the Latin "Avis," meaning "Bird." It could also be a short form of the name Chava ("Life" or "Living One"), the Hebrew form of Eve. Saint Ava was a 9th-century princess, daughter of Pepin II of Aquitaine. Ava was also the name of a medieval German woman poet. This name is the origin of the Norman French name of Aveline, which in turn gave rise to the English given name of Evelyn.

As evidence for the name is lacking between the later medieval and the modern period, the Oxford Dictionary of First Names supposes that it was coined anew as a modern innovation, presumably as a variant of Eva or (like Eva) used as an Anglicization of the Irish name Aoife.

Beautiful, Radiant, and Joyful. Known as the greatest woman warrior in the world, Aoife was the mother of Cuchulainn’s only son, Connlach. Aoife Dearg (“Red Aoife”) was a daughter of a king of Connacht who had her marriage arranged by St. Patrick himself. In 2003 Aoife was the third most popular Irish girls name for babies in Ireland.)

Origin: (Hebrew, Latin, Greek, Germanic, French, English, Irish)

Pronunciation: (AY-və, A-və, Ah-vah)

Gender: Female

I was in a nursing home visiting two friends who are of the same religion that I am and when walking to their rooms I was looking at the tags of names on the outside of the doors and saw Ava and said you know I’m not usually one for short common names but maybe others are and the name Ava has a lot to offer an author for their character. It has great meanings and is easily recognized and pronounceable. It has a great history of use and such a long history that it could be used in just about any era.

It says that Eva which Ava comes from is an Anglicization of Aoife *see on list of posts* which I had forgotten about which is surprising as Aoife is one of my favorite Irish names and I think I’ve used it before in one of my novels but can't remember. Anyway Ava would be great as a first or middle name or it could maybe be in a double-barrel name like Ava Marie or Ava Belle or Ava Kelly.

Aislyn

Meaning: (Dream, Vision, Day-Dream, The name has been Anglicized as Esther.)

Origin: (Irish, Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (Ash-leen, AYz-lin, eye-leen)

Gender: Female

I saw this as the name of a main character in a novel a few months ago but I didn’t read the book as it wasn’t my cuppa tea but I did like the name as it looks like a name on one of my old naming lists from years ago and I thought I had added it to my blog but apparently I hadn’t. I love the look and the meanings though I don’t see it being an anglicized version of Esther *see on list of posts* when I see this name.  The closest pronunciation to the way I pronounce it I found is AYz-lin. It’s just one of those Irish names that looks nothing like they are pronounced but for some reason I love Irish names.

Mako

Meaning: (Child of Truth, Truth, Grateful, and a noted bearer is Princess Mako of Akishino (眞子内親王, b.1991), the elder
daughter of Fumihito, Prince Akishino and Kiko, Princess Akishino, and a
member of the Japanese Imperial Family. She is the first-born granddaughter of the reigning Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.)

Origin: (Japanese)

Pronunciation: (MAH-koh, MAA-Kow)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I saw this on a show a few months ago but the way they were pronouncing it and the way I began to pronounce it is apparently really wrong. They pronounced it may-kow not like it is MAH-koh or MAA-kow. I love the meaning of Japanese names as they are so beautiful and this is no different. It’s short and beautiful and I just love it a lot and would love to see it used more often in literature. 

Adara

Meaning: (One who is Beautiful, a Virgin, Fire, and Noble)

Origin: (Old Greek, Arabic, Hebrew)

Pronunciation: (ah-dah-rah, a-DAH-rah)

Gender: Female

I forget where I saw this one but I love the meanings a lot! The name is short and beautiful and not at all common. I can see a beautiful adventurous woman in ancient times on a balcony overlooking the sea with a hint of mischievousness in her eyes and who is ahead of her time in all she does. However though I like it I can’t see using it anytime soon and I’m afraid this may be a name I soon forget about and it falls to the back of my mind.

Zara / Zahra

Meaning: (Seed, which appears to predate the Arabic and Russian meanings. In Arabic, Zara means Star or Flower, and is sometimes spelled Zahra. In Russian, Zara means Princess. Some people believe that Zara is a form of Sarah. Eastern Splendor, Blossoming Flower, Dawn, and Lady.

It was first introduced to English speakers via literature, used by William Congreve for the name of an African queen in his tragedy The Mourning Bride (1697). It appeared again shortly after, as the title of the play Zara (1735), Aaron Hill's translation of Volaire's tragedy Zaïre (1733). The first name was however rarely used till the mid-20th century. It was later chosen by Princess Anne and Mark Philips for their daughter Zara Philips (1981-); the departure from royalty naming convention generated much discussion then. Their choice of the name did not boost its popularity until Zara Philips became famous in her own right in recent times. The trendy Spanish clothing retailer Zara (1975-) could have also increased the adoption of the name.)

Origin: (Arabic, Russian, Hebrew, Literature)

Pronunciation: (ZAHRaa)

Gender: Female

I was listening to singer Zara Larsson song the other day and realized I’ve heard this name a lot in recent years but have been on the fence about adding it but I said whether I like it or not some other author might find it to be perfect so I’ll add it and so here I am. I think it looks like it's trying to be a new age version of the plainer Sara or something. However the name has been around a long time and could be used in many different eras but my thought still goes to my earlier thought of people using Zara to spice up Sara. The meanings are lovely and very feminine! I’m still on the fence if I like it or not but at least its short and recognizable and pronounced easily enough by most people so that is a plus for an author. It also gives off an attractive foreign vibe so that’s interesting!

Asra

Meaning: (Travel at Night, To Travel by Night, River of Paradise, It is related to Isra.)

Origin: (Arabic, Muslim)

Pronunciation: (ah–s-r-ah)

Gender: Female

I was looking at night meaning names and came across this one and I fell in love with the meanings and the name itself is beautiful! It’s short and seemingly pronounceable! It has a very gorgeous exotic look and feel to it which is divine! This names male counterpart meaning wise could be Tariq *see on list of posts*. They could be a brother and sister pair of characters as the names have the same origin and look interesting together.