Cayenne

Meaning: (Spicy, Hot Spice)

Origin: (French)

Pronunciation: (ki-anne ki - pronounced as kit without 't' anne - rhymes with 'pan', ki-enne - enne rhymes with 'in', Go to this site and run your cursor over Cayenne to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=cayenne)

Gender: Female

Yes Cayenne as in the Cayenne Pepper. This name I think could work for a character with a hot head or is a free spirit who is quick witted and hot tempered. It would be interesting to see a character named this. It would definitely catch my attention and make me wonder why she was named this. I think it is actually kind of pretty too.

Europa

Meaning: (Wide Eyes, Wide Faced, Intelligent, Open Minded, In Greek Mythology, Europa is a Phoenician princess who was kidnapped by Zeus disguised as a bull. The continent of Europe is named after her, as is a moon of Jupiter.)

Origin: (Greek, Greek Mythology)

Pronunciation: (Yur-oh’-puh)

Gender: Female

I am on a bit of a Greek Mythology trip right now. Many of the names on the list below this are all names with a Greek Myth history. I was think of Europa the other day when I was thinking about Europe. I think this would make a cool name in a novel. It has a strong sound and would be interesting to make a history up for a character named this.

Penelope

Meaning: (Weaver, Duck, With a Web Over her Face, Worker of the Loom, Mythology: Penelope, wife of Odysseus, fended off suitors by weaving during the day and unraveling at night a tapestry she said had to be completed before she would wed another husband. The name has come to signify a loyal, capable, and clever woman. The name is also possibly derived from the Greek name "penelops" for a kind of duck that was said to have rescued and nurtured Penelope when she was exposed to die as an infant. It has occasionally been used as an English given name since the 16th century.)

Origin: (Greek)

Pronunciation: (pen-NELL-a-pee, peh-NEHL-ə-pee)

Gender: Female

I didn't remember it was Odysseus wife until I started researching the name. I was thinking of this name the other day when watching Criminal Minds on T.V. The technical analyst to the team is named Penelope Garcia. Penelope Cruz is a real life bearer of this name that many will think of. I think the name is pretty and the meaning is nice. It has a long history so the name can be used in Historical Fiction novels quite well.

Persephone

Meaning: (Bringer of Destruction, Greek Mythology: daughter of Damion (sometimes Zeus) and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld; she was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld. The myth of her abduction represents her function as the personification of vegetation which shoots forth in spring and withdraws into the earth after harvest; hence she is also associated with spring and with the seeds of the fruits of the fields. In Roman mythology, she is called Proserpina.)

Origin: (Greek, Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology)

Pronunciation: (per-SEHF-ə-nee, per-SEF-uh-nee)

Gender: Female

The first half of the meaning could waver some but the myth behind the name explains the reason for the meaning. She was forced to go to the underworld for 3-4 months every year. Her mother mourned and withdrew her vegetation from the fields. This was a way the ancients explained the winter season, sometimes a harsh destructive season. Also she was the queen of the underworld a destructive place many believed. I almost wanted to use this name as the first name of my pen name but I chose another instead. This is a long name but can have many nicknames. It has a unique history.

Rosalie / Rosalia

Meaning: (Rose, Rose Garden, Pretty Rose, Rose Festival, Variant of the Italian Rosalia. Rosalia is a saint's name. Mostly 19th-century use. The name was borne by Saint Rosalia, a 12th-century Sicilian virgin and patron of Palermo. The Rosalia was also the name of a religious ceremony in which roses were placed on tombs in remembrance of the dead. The form Rosalie was introduced to English speakers in the late 19th century, and it gained popularity due to the vogue for flower names then. This form was also used by Oscar Wilde in his comedy Lady Windermere's Fan (1892). The name was later popularized by the Broadway play Rosalie (1928), which was also adapted as a musical film (1937).)

Origin: (French, Latin, German, Italian)

Pronunciation: (Rosalie: ROH-za-lee Rosalia: RowZahLIYah, roh-za-LEE-ah, roh-ZAYL-yah)

Gender: Female

I have used both Rosalie and Rosalia in two different stories I wrote. I think they are both lovely names. I think that there is some reluctance to use the name Rosalie as well because of its popularity in the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Myers. I don't think that another author popularizing a name should make or break another writers decision to use a certain name.

Klaus

Meaning: (Victory of the People, short for Nikolaus or Nicholas.)

Origin: (German, Danish)

Pronunciation: (KLOWS, Klaus rhymes with House. Note: When spelled with a K Klaus is never pronounced like pause. It is pronounced like house.)

Gender: Male

I first heard this name years ago when watching the movie based on the book, Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events. The boy in the story was named Klaus. I know people will think it is like Claus. They both come from forms of Nicholas or Nickolaus but I just like Klaus pronounced the way it is better than Claus. It is a name not heard often and I can see where writers might be hesitant to use the name in their novels but I hope that not too many are swayed away from using this nice, unique, rare name. It could be used quite nicely in a Historical Fiction novel.

Victoria / Viktoria / Vittoria / Victoire

Meaning: (Victory, Victorious, Conquer, Victress, Female Winner, Feminine form of Victor,
Victoria was a goddess who smiled on the ancient Roman people for many centuries. Early Christians adopted the name, probably due to Saint Paul's praise of "God, which giveth us the victory". It was borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from North Africa. Royal associations from 19th-century England's Queen Victoria and the four-syllable pronunciation give Victoria an air of dignity, formality and distinction. Though in use elsewhere in Europe, the name was very rare in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when Queen Victoria began her long rule of Britain. She was named after her mother, who was of German royalty. Victoria's short forms and nicknames are very informal by contrast. Vittoria is an Italian form; Viktoria is Czech; Victoire is French. Many geographic areas are named after the queen, including an Australian state and a Canadian city.)

Origin: (English, Latin, Italian, Czech, French)

Pronunciation: (Victoria: Vik-TOH-ree-ə, vic-TOR-ee-ah, vik-TAWR-ee-ə (English), Vittoria: vee-TOR-ee-ah, vih-TOR-ee-ah, Victoire: veek-twAr, veek-TWAWR)

Gender: Female

I have used Victoria and Viktoria in several of my stories. I have always liked the name and when I was younger I had wished to have been named Victoria nicknamed: Vicki. As I got older I came to love my name but I still like Victoria though. It has a strong meaning and is a regal name and I love regal names.