Achilles

Meaning: (Pain, Greek legend character from Homer's 'Iliad,' killed by an arrow to the heel. ) 

Origin:(Greek) 

Pronunciation: (a-KILL-eez) 

Gender: Male 

I am quite surprised I haven't added this name before. Its definitely an oldy but a goody. Its not a name you probably would hear often anymore but would be a good ones used in wide variety of settings and genres. It would be fun to see it cause you wouldn't really think much of this being used apart from the Iliad but I oddly like the look and sound of this name. 

Indigo

Meaning: (Blue Dye, Blue Dye from India)

Origin: (Greek, English, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (in-dih-goh, in-di-goh)

Gender: (Uni-Sex)

I have a novel idea for a few years now that has a main character named Indigo and when I was thinking of a name to add I realized I haven’t added Indigo and I wondered why because it is such a cool name. It has a nature based meaning and honestly the color itself is a beautiful blue purple so it would be a cool name if associated with a character based on a physical attribute like indigo colored eyes or hair or something, not to say that a name has to be based on a physical attribute but it could. A fun thing would be to pair it with other color/plant names like Periwinkle *see on list of posts*, Lilac *see on list of posts*, Lavender *see on list of posts*, Rose ect. All in all I like this name and can’t wait to bring my edgy girl Indigo to the page, she’s going to be a fun one, lol!

Cassia

Meaning: (Cinnamon, Cassia Spice which is a variety of Cinnamon)

Origin: (Greek, Latin)

Pronunciation: (cas-ee-uh, KAH-sha, KASS-ya)

Gender: (Female, Uni-Sex)

I have seen this name used a bit more of late and I really do like it. I have used the other variant Keziah *see on list of posts* before which I love but this version seems more feminine and softer in its look. Either way I love the meaning and the all around look and it fits in the past and present and future so it is versatile.

Aelia

Meaning: (Solar, Sun, Helios, Feminine form of Aelius which was the family name of the Roman Emperor Hadrian)

Origin: (Greek, Ancient Roman)

Pronunciation: (IE-lee-a, ai-eh-l-y-ah)

Gender: (Female)

I was looking up sun related names of the past and came across this one and I like how it looks with the Ae at the beginning as I tend to see these names being almost alien looking lol. I love the history of this name and how it can fit in different eras. I can see a beautiful dark beauty being named this. I also love the way it sounds when said, just so beautiful.  

Euodia

Meaning: (Sweet Fragrance, Prosperous Journey, Good Way, Prospering)

Origin: (Biblical, Greek)

Pronunciation: (yoo-od-EE-ah, yew-oh-DEE-ah)

Gender: Female

I was reading an article in The Watchtower magazine at my religious meeting not long ago and it was talking about the conflict between two biblical women Euodia and Syntyche *see on list of posts*. When I saw the names I was like those are so interesting but kind of pretty in the same respect. They have such amazing gorgeous meanings and they are rare but unique and it gives an amazing charm. Euodia is lovely and very feminine and flows well like I can see a Grecian historical woman being named this. The pronunciations are pretty straight forward and easy enough.

Tudor

Meaning: (God’s Gift, Gracious Gift, Welsh form of the Old Celtic name Teutorigos, meaning “Ruler of the People” (cognate with Theodoric). As a surname it was borne by five monarchs of England beginning with Henry VII in the 15^th Century.)

Origin: (Welsh, Celtic, Greek)

Pronunciation: (ˈtü-dər, tyü-dər, go to this link and run your cursor over the name to hear how it is pronounced: http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-tudor )

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

Again this is not a name I would have thought of as a given name but the other day I was looking around and some professor on C-Span had the given name Tudor and I was like what I’ve never seen that before. The meanings are very beautiful and strong. Most people know of the monarchs in England with this surname so they should be familiar with the pronunciation though I still can’t see this as a given name for some reason. I did a report in my last year of high school many years ago on Tudor architecture which I found to be interesting, just thought I’d say that, lol.

Dorcas

Meaning: (Gazelle, Deer or Doe or at least denoting an animal of the deer kind. Famous bearer: The New Testament Dorcas who 'abounded in good deeds and gifts of mercy,' was a charitable woman raised from the dead by Peter.)

Origin: (Greek, Biblical)

Pronunciation: (DAWR-kəs (English), dor'-kas, DOHR-kis, to hear how this name is pronounced go to this site and run your cursor over this name to hear how it is pronounced: http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-dorcas )

Gender: Female

In “The Winters Tale” by William Shakespeare this is the name of the shepherdess in the play. I first heard this when I was watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 when America Ferrara’s character Carmen *see on list of posts* played Dorcas in “The Winters Tale” when she went to some acting camp thing. Then the other day I saw it again and I decided to add it here even though it might not be the most beautiful sounding or looking name. The meanings are decent and definitely exude that feminine aspect from long ago when deer’s and gazelles were supposed to be delicate and so certain women were described similarly, doe eyed, delicate, graceful like a deer, ect. Good nickname options are Dora or Dory / Dori.

Unfortunately it sounds like dork and everyone in message forums for this name have basically said it, a lot, so that could be a pain for the author or character and reader alike, but it could be used and show the struggle of having such a name. Maybe too the characters parents can be lovers of the bard and they chose the name because “The Winters Tale” is their favorite William Shakespeare play.

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.

Amethyst

Meaning: (Jewel. A purple or violet gemstone. Also 'Against intoxication.' According to ancient Greek superstition an amethyst protected its owner against the effects of strong drink.)

Origin: (Greek, English (Rare))

Pronunciation: (A-mə-thist, AM-ə-thist, go to this link and run your cursor over the name Amethyst to hear how it is said: http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-amethyst )

Gender: Female

The real first name of rapper Iggy Azalea, she was born Amethyst Kelly. I hadn’t thought to add this gem name until I saw it was Iggy Azaleas real name and then I started to see it as a name. It goes well with other gem / jewel names, Opal *see on list of posts*, Beryl *see on list of posts*, Emerald or Esmeralda *see on list of posts*, Sapphire *see on list of posts*, Ruby, Pearl, Jade *see on list of posts*, Peridot *see on list of posts*, Olivine *see on list of posts*, Ambra *see on list of posts*, and Carnelian/Cornelian *see on list of posts*.

I think this is an interesting rarely used gem name and I like it for that quality. Also Amethysts are very beautiful gems. I think it would be amazing if the character is named Amethyst upon birth because her eyes are purple to violet like an Amethyst gem. I also like the Greek thought that Amethysts would protect the wearer from the effects of strong drink. All in all I really like this name and would like to see it used a bit more but not so much so that it becomes over used like some gem names.

Halcyon

Meaning: (Calm, Peaceful, Tranquil, Happy, Carefree, Derived from the name of a Greek mythological sea bird. Commonly used in the expression 'halcyon days. It is derived from Alkyon meaning 'Kingfisher'; Halkyon 'Kingfisher'; Hals 'Sea'. Halcyon is a genus of kingfisher birds; the name thus means 'kingfisher'. Etymologically, the name is Latinized from Halkyone (Greek), which is itself a variant of 'Alkyone'. The root elements are the Greek Alkyon and Halkyon, with the 'h' added by mythological associations. Ovid wrote in Roman mythology that Alcyone's father Aeolus, the god of the winds, held back the storms whenever Alcyone, as a kingfisher, laid her eggs on the beach. This gave rise to the term 'halcyon days', the mythical seven days in winter when storms do not occur.)

Origin: (Greek)

Pronunciation: (HHAELSiy-ahN, HAL-see-uhn)

Gender: Female, Possibly Uni-Sex

Alcyone *see on list of posts* has the same meaning and comes from the same root and associated the same mythology but looks different so authors may wish to use one over the other for a character. Look at Alcyone on this blog to get more of the mythology associated with both names. I was listening to music and Ellie Goulding has a CD from a few years ago called Halcyon Days and I became interested in that phrase as I had literally never heard of it before so I had to Google it. The meaning of this and the mythology behind the phrase is really quite lovely and I like it all a ton. Both Alcyone and Halcyon have great meanings and interesting looks about them.

Halcyon seemed a name of a chemical or something when I first saw it so others may assume the name is something odd at first but again if used just right by an author this could be really great in a story, whether used as character name or the Halcyon Days phrase used to mean something in the story.  

Birdina

Meaning: (Little Bird, Bright Maiden, Full of Praise and Glory, name of a character in the 1955, MGM released 'The Glass Slipper,' their musical take on the famous Cinderella story.)

Origin: (Greek, English, Germanic, Pop Culture)

Pronunciation: (B-ERDIYNAH)

Gender: Female

I was watching the movie ‘The Glass Slipper’ a few months back, I’ve seen it a few times and love it each and every time as I love movies with actress Leslie Caron in them. She plays the Cinderella character, BTW. This I think I remember was the name of one of the evil step-sisters. I do really love the name. I love the nickname options of Birdie or even Bridie *see on list of posts*. So if Birdie is chosen as the nickname I think it would be great when used with the full name Birdina rather than the name it’s usually a nickname for which is Bernice. The meanings are great and the whole name itself is fresh and rare to me which I love as well.

Madigan

Meaning: (Little Dog, Son of the Hound, High Tower, This is a famous Irish clan surname recorded as Madden, Madigan, and MacAvaddy. It derives from the pre 10th century Olde Gaelic O'Madain, translating as 'The descendant of the son of the hound'. Most Irish surnames originate from a chief's nickname, O'Kennedy, for instance means 'The descendant of the ugly headed one!' The O'Madain's originated from lands on the River Shannon in County Galway, at one time holding over 25,000 acres. Even today nameholders are still numerous in that part of Ireland. The Madigan branch of the clan are regarded as almost exclusively a Clare-Limerick family, although a branch are to be found in Counties Antrim and Derry in Ulster. Early surname holders included the Rev. Samuel Madden (1680 - 1760), a famed philanthropist, whilst Richard Madden, (1798 - 1886) was the author of the book 'The United Irishman'. During the infamous 'Potato Famine' of 1846, many name holders emigrated to both England and America. Amongst these were Walter Madden and his wife Mary, and their children Richard aged five and Alice, a baby. They sailed from Galway, bound for New York on the ship 'Junius ' on May 1st 1846. Another recording is that of Hannah Madigan aged twenty two, who left Belfast on the ship 'Howard' for New York, on July 23rd 1846. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Dermot O'Madadhain, which was dated circa 1100. He was chief of the Ui Maine, Connacht, during the reign of King Henry Ist of England, known as 'The Just", 1100 - 1135. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.1135.)

Origin: (Irish, Celtic, Greek)

Pronunciation: (MA-di-gehn, MAEDihGAHN)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I’ve posted about Madden *see on list of posts* before and Madigan can come from that but is its own name as well so I decided to add it as such. The meanings are decent and the name is pretty cool looking to me. It seems a name that could replace much more common Irish names like Mackenzie Kenzie / Kinzie *see on list of posts*. It’s a great older name as well so it could potentially fit in different eras but maybe not as much as a first name as more of a last name if used in the past but more of a first name use in the current era and future. A cute nickname though could be Mad which could be an ironic play on a crazy acting character. If you want a much more normal nickname then Maddie / Maddy or Adi / Addi / Addie could work.

Cole

Meaning: (People’s Victory, Peaceful, Cabbage Farmer, From an Old English appellation meaning “Coal,” referring to someone with dark hair or complexion; also a nickname for Nicholas. From a surname which was originally derived from the Old English byname Cola: Old English byname meaning “Charcoal”, originally given to a person with dark features. The name is known from the Old King Cole in the nursery rhyme, who is based on the 3^rd Century King Cole of Colchester in Essex. In recent times, the name has often been bestowed in honor of the American songwriter Cole Porter (1891-1964).)

Origin: (Greek, Old English, Anglo-Saxon, Latin)

Pronunciation: (KOHL, KOL, KowL)

Gender: Uni-Sex

My list is backed up for a while so I am finally getting to these names. Back during NaNoWriMo 2015 I had posted about it and a fellow blogger Apolla 13 commented about her experience with it and then told me a bit about the story she chose to write about. So for all of my posts for March I will be doing some of the names of her characters for the story she wrote for NaNoWriMo 2015 as I really like many of these names and have yet to add them so I am adding them now.

Apolla 13 one main character is named this. The twin brother of Cole is Warren *see on list of posts*. It’s interesting that Warren and Cole have similar meaning names in a way. Cause I see Warren as Defender, Watchmen and Cole as People’s Victory, so warrior and then triumph / success, war and then peace that follows. I wonder if Apolla 13 chose it that way or it was just a pleasant coincidence. Or maybe I am just seeing the names that way.

Cole I never saw as being used on a female but Apolla 13 used it that way and I am sure she is not the only one to do so, so I decided to put it as Uni-Sex. The meanings are great in general except Cabbage Farmer which is interesting in a way at least but odd too. It’s an easily pronounced and recognizable name. The dark features meaning kind of reminds me of Keira / Kyra / Kira *see on list of posts* or Lila / Lilah *see on list of posts* or Kieron *see on list of posts* or Darcy / Darcie *see on list of posts*. So Cole could be a great alternative to Keira, Lila, Kieron, and or Darcy if you want a name to mean something to do with dark features like Cole’s meaning.

I wouldn’t have thought noble when I see this name but as seen under meaning there was a King named this in the 3^rd Century. So it has both a noble use and a long history of use. All in a all a decent name though I tend to not use too common of names for my characters so I don’t know if I’ll ever use this. This name is easily recognizable and easily pronounced which is great for author and reader alike.

Evanthia

Meaning: (Derives from the words “Ev” and “Anthos” which mean Nice and Rosebud, therefore Evanthia means the Nicely Blossoming Flower.)

Origin: (Greek, English)

Pronunciation: (eh-VAHN-thee-ə, eh-VAHN-thee-a) 

Gender: Female

While looking up Evadne *see on list of posts* I saw this name. It has a beautiful meaning and has an interesting look. It does have a very Greek look about it which I think makes me think of very foreign beautiful person with flowing dark hair and a sun kissed complexion. It has a very ethereal look and feel to it when said so this is a very good name for fairy tales and sci-fi / fantasy novels or even just a regular story in the regular time. It’s diverse and I find it appealing.

Elysande

Meaning: (Ely: Jehovah is God, High, Ascent, Name of a river in South Wales and a cathedral and town in Cambridgeshire, England. Also possibly a variant of Eli. Sande: Defender of Men, Protector of Mankind, Shining Upon Man, Sand, Sandy Plain, and Sande is a variant form of Alexandra (Greek): Latinate feminine version of Alexander. Sande is also a derivative of Cassandra (Greek).)

Origin: (German, Hebrew, English, Greek, Norwegian)

Pronunciation: (Ely: EE-liy, IYLay Sande: SAEND Elysande: EE-liy-SAEND, IYLay-SAEND)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I forget where I saw this name but when I saw it I really liked it but like a lot of names now I had to break up the parts of the names to get the meanings. This reminds me of names I’ve seen ending in Sande as well like Melisande *see on list of posts*. The meanings are nice and strong. The pronunciation is pretty good and easy enough.

I think it is a nice name but I am not enamored with it but I do think it is pretty and reminds me of a Goddesses name or maybe someone from Greek Mythology.

Catriona

Meaning: (Pure, Clear, is the French form of the Latin 'Katharina', from the Greek 'Aikaterina'. Famous bearer: the heroine of 19th century author Robert Louis Stevenson's novel 'Catriona'. )

Origin: (Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scottish, Literature, Greek)

Pronunciation: (ka-TREE-na, ka-TREE-oh-na)

Gender: Female

I heard this name someplace but I don’t remember where but then a while later I saw this as the name of a woman that died, she committed suicide and I think she was the girlfriend of actor Jim Carrey. It was really sad.

The meanings are lovely and beautiful and the name overall is gorgeous. It is a great alternative to its variants Catherine *see on list of posts*, Katherine *see on list of posts*, Katrina, Katharina, Catha *see on list of posts* Katya *see on list of posts* and Aikaterina.

As for the pronunciation I prefer ka-TREE-oh-na but that is an English speaker’s flaw apparently. It is pronounced ka-TREE-na by most in Ireland and Scotland where this name is popular.

Good Nicknames: Cat, Riona (REE-oh-na or REE-na), Tri (TREE or Try), and Triona (TREE-oh-na or TREE-na).

Eleanora

Meaning: (Light, Torch, Bright One, Shining One, Other, Foreign, Latinate form of Eleanor. Derived from Alienor, a Provencal form of the Greek Helene, which is derived from the element ele (Light, Torch, Bright).)

Origin: (Greek, English, Old French, Old Greek, Italian, Old Provençal)

Pronunciation: (el-ə-NAWR-ə, ehLLeh-NAOR-aa, eh-lə -NOH-rə)

Gender: Female

This name has really lovely meanings that are very bright, airy and light as well, pun intended. It has an interesting look compared to the much more common Eleanor, even if an A is just added at the end. I know it sounds weird but I think it does look different. It seems to be a name I could see on a royal character. Yet this name seems also to be a name I would think would be on a character from The Wizard of Oz or something.

Coralina

Meaning: (From the Coral of the Sea, Coral Reef, and Diminutive of Cora)

Origin: (Greek, Spanish, Italian, English)

Pronunciation: (ko-rah-LEE-nə, KAORAHLIYNAH)

Gender: Female

I have added a few other names with Cora or Coral in it to this blog, such as, Corabelle *see on list of posts*, Coralie*see on list of posts*, and Coral *see on list of posts*. This is just another name with Cora and Coral in it but I think it is beautiful as well. It is a nice way to combine two short names Cora and Lina to create a longer but still beautiful unique name for a character.

I think it is beautiful and reminds me of a mermaid or someone who loves the water or who was named for a coral reef, maybe the child of oceanographers or marine biologists. I can’t for sure remember but I think I saw this as the name of a character in a Young Adult novel but I can’t remember if that is true and if so which novel. Either way I would love to see this used a bit more often as it is easy to pronounce and is lovely.

Doria

Meaning: (Of the Sea, Gift, Bountiful, Of the Dorian Tribe, Feminine form of Dorian: Of Doris, a District of Greece; or of Dores, a legendary Greek Hero.)

Origin: (Greek, English (Rare))

Pronunciation: (DOR-ee-ah, DAOERiy-aa)

Gender: Female

I was watching a rerun of CSI: Miami and one of the little girls who had to watch her mom die was named Doria and I really like the name but not that story line so much. I love any name with Dora in it, Dorabella *see on list of posts*, Andorra *see on list of posts*, Endora *see on list of posts*, and Adorabella or Adorabelle *see on list of posts*.

The meanings are beautiful and lovely. I think this is a lovely name and a bit of a shortening on Dora but with the same charm and would make a great nickname for any name with Dora in it.

Tobias

Meaning: (The Goodness of God, In England it became popular after the Protestant Reformation.)

Origin: (Greek, Hebrew, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English)

Pronunciation: (to-BEE-ahs (German), tə-BIE-əs (English), Tah-BAY-ahS (English), Tow-BIY-aaS (German), toh-BIY-əs)

Gender: Male

I was watching the Divergent movie (also a book) and the main male character Four had a real name which was Tobias. I love the name and the meanings. I also like the long history of use of this name. The obvious nickname will be Toby but that’s cool.

When I see this name I see a knight or peasant in medieval times. This has a very on a pilgrimage look or a I will save the fair maiden look which I love in a way but would also look great in the modern era as well. So a very diverse name.