Thora

Meaning: (Thunder, Grandma Thora is the grandmother in the Arthur children’s books and TV series, Thora Borgarhjort or Thora Town-Hart, is the daughter of Herrauor, the Earl of Gotaland in Norse Mythology, Feminine form of Thor the Norse God of Strength, Thunder, and War.) 

Origin: (Scandinavian, German)

Pronunciation: ( THOHR-a, thor-uh)

Gender: Female

I was watching a movie the other day with actress Thora Birch in it and wondered why I had never put the name Thora on my blog before. Also lately with the movie Avengers out people have the name Thor on there minds so how about the female version Thora. It has a powerful meaning and a simple look. It's pretty and I have not heard it in books before.

Marcello

Meaning: (Little Marcus, Young Warrior, Form of Latin Marcellus meaning Hammer, a diminutive form of Marcus, which is of uncertain derivation. Most believe it has its root in Mars, the Roman Mythological God of War. Others, however think it might be from Mas (Manly) or from Greek Malakoz (Soft, Tender), Variant of Marcel (French), Dedicated to Mars.)

Origin: (Italian, Latin, French, Spanish, Roman Mythology)

Pronunciation: (mar-SEHL-loh, mar-CHEL-oh, mahr-THE-lo (Spanish), mahr-SElo (Latin American Spanish), maar-THEHLow)

Gender: Male

I love the show Stargate and on one episode they were talking about this alien named Marchelo and I saw that Marcello was a more proper spelling and I really like this name. The meaning is decent and I love Italian names.

Clovis

Meaning: (Famed Warrior, Shortened form of Clodovicus, a Latinized form of Chlodovech, Clovis was a Frankish King who united France under his rule in the 5^th Century.)

Origin: (Ancient Germanic, English, French)

Pronunciation: (KLO-vis) 

Gender: Uni-Sex

I was reading a magazine about books the other day and it was advertising a book set in the early 1900's and one of the main characters daughters was named Clovis. At first I didn't like it and then it sort of reminded me of Clover *a name on my list of posts.* Clovis is usually a male name but in the book it was a female name so I put it as a Uni-Sex name here on my blog. It is unique but still old fashioned.

Pilar

Meaning: (Pillar, Pilar was a character in the book ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ by Ernest Hemingway.)

Origin: (Spanish)

Pronunciation: (pee-LAR, pee-LAHR)

Gender: Female

I heard this name the other day and I like it a lot. It's beautiful and has an exotic look to it. I really would love to use this name for one of my characters I just have to find the right character and story before I can use it. I hope someone else uses this name too for there character as this name is unique and very rarely used on book characters.  

Aura

Meaning: (Breeze, Soft Wind, Gentle Breeze, Wind, Breath, Golden Light, Golden, In Greek Mythology Aura was the Goddess of the Dawn Wind, daughter of Perivoia and the Titan Lelantas, The word is used to describe the atmosphere surrounding an individual.)

Origin: (Greek, Latin, English)

Pronunciation: (AWR-ah, Are-uh, AR-uh, Or-uh)

Gender: Female

I was looking for a show to watch on T.V the other day and read the info on this show and the character was named Aura. I didn't watch the show but I really liked the name. I think I read this name on another blog before but didn't give it much thought then. It's a beautiful name with beautiful meanings. It's short and simple but still unique and lovely.

Mala

Meaning: (Necklace, Garland, Garland of Flowers, Rosary)

Origin: (Indian (Sanskrit), Hebrew, German, English)

Pronunciation: (MAHL-uh, maa-laa, Go to this site and run your cursor over the name Mala to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=mala)

Gender: Female

This is a pretty name with a pretty meaning. I was watching this movie the other day about this alien world and these human people that came to get rid of the locals and terraform the world. The main alien woman was named Mala. It's a short name that is pretty and foreign sounding which I love.

Shawn

Meaning: (God is Gracious, From the Shady Grove, Form of Sean which is Irish form of John.)

Origin: (English, Irish, Hebrew)

Pronunciation: (SHAWN) 

Gender: Uni-Sex 

I usually don't add really popular common names but occasionally stories call for them. With recent talk of the upcoming Olympics and Olympians I have been seeing that gymnastics lady Shawn Johnson on T.V a lot.  I like the name Shawn on women because it's not as common in my opinion.

Katana

Meaning: (Sword, Sabre)

Origin: (Japanese)

Pronunciation: (Ka-ton-ah, Kuh-than-uh, kuh-tana)

Gender: Female

Historically, katana (刀^?) were one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (日本刀, nihonto^?) that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan, also commonly referred to as a "samurai sword". Modern versions of the katana are sometimes made using non-traditional materials and methods. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katana

The above information was from the Wiki page check it out if you like. I saw this name the other day when watching a show and the people went to a Japanese restaurant named Katana. I think the name looks pretty and has a strong meaning. Katana swords are unique and I've actually seen and handled one.

Enza

Meaning: (Giant)

Origin: (German)

Pronunciation: (EHNZah, en-zuh)

Gender: Uni-Sex

There is very limited information I could find on Enza. If anyone knows any other meanings ect. Then feel free to comment and let me know. I will try and keep researching and edit if I find anything else on this name. I found this name when reading somethingng the other day. I love the look and that it's short and easily pronounced.

Elvina

Meaning: (Friend of Elves, Elfin, Good Elf, Magical Being, Friend, Noble Friend, True to All, Truly Foreign, Truly Lively, Blond, Also possibly a place name or from an Old German name meaning Foreign, True.)

Origin: (Old English, Latin, Old Norse, Gothic)

Pronunciation: (ehLVIY-Naa, el-vine-uh)

Gender: Female

I was reading something the other day and I came across this name. I loved the meanings when I researched them. It's a beautiful name with a beautiful look. It has an exotic look but also a very Fantasy aspect to it as well.

Celestine

Meaning: (Heavenly, Of Sky)

Origin: (French, Latin, English)

Pronunciation: (cihl-is-teen, SEL-əs-teen, say-les-Ten, Go to this site and run your cursor over the name Celestine to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=celestine)

Gender: Female

I love the Turner Classic Movies Channel. The other day I was flipping around and I started watching this movie on TCM the characters kept commenting on the maids pretty name which was Celestine. The movie was French with Englishh subtitles. I really came to like the name myself. The meaning is pretty and it's a bit prettier than Celeste.

Bronte

Meaning: (Thunder, The Sound of Thunder, From a surname, an Anglicized form of Irish O’ Proinntigh meaning “Descendent of Proinnteach.” The given name Proinnteach meant “bestower” in Gaelic. Most famously known as the last name of Charlotte, Anne, and Emily- 19^th Century English Novelists.)

Origin: (Teutonic, English (Rare), Greek, Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (Bron-tay, BRAHN-tay, BRAHN-tee)

Gender: Uni-Sex

One of my favorite classical writers is Charlotte Bronte. I never thought Bronte would be good as a first name but the other day I was watching this show on T.V and this ladies name was Bronte. After researching the name I came to really like it as a first name. The meaning is good and it looks nice and is easily pronounced.

Tycho

Meaning: (Greek name Τυχων (Tychon) meaning "hitting the mark". This was the name of a Greek saint. The name was borne by the 5th-century Saint Tychon (-450), who opposed the worship of Aphrodite on Cyprus, and later by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (Tyge Ottesen Brahe, 1546-1601), famed for his accurate planetary observations. Variant forms of the name include the Russian Tikhon, the Scandinavian Tyge, and the Scandinavian Tyko.)

Origin: (Ancient Greek, Latin, Old Greek)

Pronunciation: (TIE-ko, TAYKow)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I was watching a sci-fi movie the other day set in the far future. One of the characters was named Tycho and I learned when resereaching the names from the movie that many were ancient names that sounded like they could fit in the future. So I suppose that is why they used them. This name is strong and has a nice meaning and interesting history.

Ryder

Meaning: (One Who Rides, Horseman, Rider, Knight, Mounted Warrior, Mounted Messenger, This interesting and unusual name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and has two possible meanings. The first of these is from the late Olde English pre 7th Century term "ridere", a derivative of "ridan", to ride, and is an occupational surname given originally to a mounted warrior or a messenger. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, however, and the introduction of their feudal system, the term "Rider" or "Ryder" was soon displaced by "Knight" in its growing sense of a tenant bound to serve his lord as a mounted soldier. Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary. The second possible origin of the modern surname is from the Olde English "ried, ryd", clearing in a wood, used with the suffix "-er" as a topographical name denoting residence in or by such a clearing. Topographical surnames were among the earliest created, since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognisable distinguishing names in the small communities of the Middle Ages. The modern surname can be found recorded as Rider, Ryder and Ridder. The marriage of John Ryder and Mary Wales was recorded at St. Nicholas', Cole Abbey, London, in January 1593. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas le Rider, which was dated 1204, witness in the "Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire", during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was 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/Ryder#ixzz1rxVlGS76 )

Origin: (English, Irish, Dutch)

Pronunciation: (RYE-der, RIY-der)

Gender: Male, possibly Uni-Sex

I was watching a movie the other day and saw actress Winona Ryder in it and thought I had never actually added the name Ryder. I think it is a strong name and goes great with the name Ripley *on the list of posts*. It's got a great history but works great in modern times as well.

Ripley

Meaning: (Separate; Uncultivated Land, Shouting Man’s Meadow, Cleared Strip of Land, A Surname which originally came from an English name, meaning ‘Strip Clearing’.)

Origin: (Old English)

Pronunciation: (RIHPLiy, RIP-lee)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I have come to love this name after watching the Alien movies with Sigourney Weaver. Sigourney's character is named Ellen Ripley but goes by Ripley most of the time. I actually like Ripley with the nickname Rip (apart from the Rest in Peace connotation). The meaning is decent as well.