Author Armistead Maupin reading from his works; Image by larrybobsf via Flickr

He’s a literary rarity with a harsh – and yet still romantic – sound.

Thanks to Sarah for suggesting Armistead as our Baby Name of the Day.

Chances are that your first association with Armistead is the writer, Armistead Maupin.  Yes, that’s his real name – he’s actually Armistead Maupin, Jr..  Maupin is famous for his series of novels, originally appearing chapter-by-chapter in the San Fransisco Chronicle.  The stories were a window into San Fransisco life, incorporating current events and real life figures.  The stories were published as books, and then adapted for television.  Despite the authenticity of his name, it does sound like a dramatic nom de plum.  A BBC documentary was titled “Armistead Maupin Is a Man I Dreamt Up” – an anagram, similar to a device famously used in his fiction, fueling speculation that Armistead could not possibly be his given name.

For me, the second Armistead is far more obscure: the upper-crust boyfriend in the 2003 Amanda Bynes vehicle What A Girl Wants.  Bynes played Daphne, an American who heads to London to meet her long-lost father, the aristocratic Henry Dashwood, played by Colin Firth.  Armistead is a  minor, minor character – the boyfriend of Dashwood’s would-be-stepdaughter, Clarissa.  Hijinks and a predictable happy ending follow.

Armistead is a rarity, but his history is pretty clear.

The Greek eremos denotes an uninhabited place, like the desert.  It is the source of our word hermit.  Hermit and ermit are both valid spellings in Middle English.  Hermits existed throughout the Christian world, devoting themselves to solitary prayer.  Just as many place names can be traced to a church or monastery, some place names indicate that there were near a hermit’s residence.  Despite their solitary lives, hermits did still interact with their neighbors.  Ermit sounded like armit; the final syllable is from the Old English stede – place – as in homestead.

A handful of notables have answered to the surname over the years, including a military family.  Major George Armistead was the commander at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.  He’s the one who commissioned a huge American flag, big enough to be clearly visible to the British.  It inspired Francis Scott Key to pen “The Star-Spangled Banner.”  For years, the very same flag greeted visitors to The Smithsonian’s Flag Hall in the National Museum of American History.  The flag stayed in the Armistead family for years before George’s grandson, Eben Appleton, arranged the donation.

Other Armisteads surface, like this Virginia lawyer.  But this is clearly a name tumbling towards obscurity.  It might remind some of La Amistad – a slave ship, and site of an 1839 mutiny and rebellion, chronicled by Stephen Spielberg in a 1997 movie.  Or might just be too much name for parents to consider.

But should Armistead be found on your family tree, it might be worth brushing him off.  He’s preppy and upper crust, but there’s a great story there.  He’d make an arresting middle name, or if you fancy the short form Army, a brash masculine moniker that remains at least as wearable as Gunner.

By Eddy Van 3000 via Flickr

The literary Esme hovers just outside the US Top 1000, but this similar-sounding name remains truly obscure.

Thanks to Olive Green for suggesting Ismay as our Baby Name of the Day.

Ismay survives primarily as a surname, and it might bring one bearer to mind almost immediately: J. Bruce Ismay.

Bruce inherited a company called the White Star Line from dear ol’ dad in 1899 and immediately set about building steamships that out-steamshipped anything the world had seen before.

Is the bell sounding in your head yet?  J. Bruce Ismay was chairman of the White Star Line when the RMS Titanic hit an iceberg.  What’s more, he was aboard the ship and was among those rescued.  He might have survived, but his career sank.

Does that make Ismay unlucky?  I don’t think so, but coupled with a striking similarity to the word dismay, it is possible to imagine Ismay as the perfect name for a tragic figure.  Ken Follett’s 2007 novel of medieval England World Without End is a treasure trove of lovely names like Caris and Philemon.  Ismay is mentioned briefly, as a penniless “thirteen-year-old orphan girl” who survives the plague but nearly starves to death.

Esme – from the French word “to love” – was given to more than 230 girls in 2009.  (Add in Esmee, Esmie, and Esmae and she’s approaching 300.)  Ismay is barely a blip, given to fewer than five girls.

Ismay’s origins are murky.  It appears that the surname evolved from a feminine given name, but that exact name is lost to time.  Among the possibilities:

• Spelled Esmay, it is tempting to connect Ismay to Esme – the pronunciations are quite similar;
• Some point to Germanic names as her source, possibly transformed by the Normans.  As late as the fourteenth century, I found an Ismania in England.  Ismena and Ismenia have been spotted, too.  I’m a little unclear as to the German source for any of these;
• The closest match is Ismene, a Greek mythological name derived from isme – knowledge.  She’s the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, the only one to survive the grisly events of their tale.  Barbara Kingsolver gave the name to a character in The Bean Trees, too;
• There are a few whispers of a Celtic origin, but I’ve hit a brick wall looking for evidence;
• She does have a certain reputation as a Scottish name, but the best I can find are references to Ismay as a smoosh of Christine and Mary.  Chrismary, Chrismay, Ismay … maybe so.  There are a very few references to women named Chrismary and Chrismay in US Census records.

Visit Montana and you’ll find Ismay on the map.  But that’s no clue to her origins – instead, Ismay, population 26, got its name from Isabella and May Earling, the daughters of a railway president who scattered bits and pieces of his family’s names all over the Midwest.

But with both Isabella and that long a sound so popular, it is a surprise that Ismay hasn’t attracted more attention.  She’d fit right in with choices like Daphne – slightly unexpected, history aplenty, not likely to be shared.  Plus there have been a handful of well born women named Ismay in the not-so-distant past.  You can watch footage from the elaborate 1930 wedding of an Ismay here.

She combines a medieval vibe with a modern sound.  If you’re looking for a rare, not-frilly name for a daughter, Ismay could be the one for you.

Number 3 by Phil Parker via Flickr

First, a long overdue congratulations to Carolyn on the birth of Nolan Curtis, a little brother for Meredith.  Wishing you joy!

Second, I’m on Twitter.  Let’s be clear: I haven’t got a clue what I’m doing on Twitter.  If you’d like to follow me while I flail, please do.  I’m @appmtn.

Elsewhere online:

• Thanks to British American for directing me to a thread where I found the following sibset: Aurora Dawn and Rain Storm. Only they decided Rain didn’t suit daughter #2, so she was rechristend Gwenyvere Rain.  I like Aurora and Guinevere, and even with the daffy respelling, it is a huge improvement;
• WeeDecor’s Winter list is out. I’m intrigued by Caffrey from the boys’ list, and I’m delighted to see Liv.  Is it me, or is Emmelyn/Emmalyn/Emmeline going to be the next stealth hit;
• Trafton?  I despair.  But other names spotted by ForReal in Pennsylvania fill me with joy: Tressa Jade, Ivy Wren, Bianca Florentina.  Then there’s Henry Swarm – let’s hope that’s a maiden name passed down after much conversation, and not a sci fi reference I’m missing;
• There’s a great list of recent additions to the British line of succession up at Mer de Nomes.  Queen Cosima sounds lovely, doesn’t it?
• Nancy delves into variants of the name Unique, which isn’t terribly unusual at all but makes me think of the pink-spotted Backyardigan Uniqua.  Sui Generis, on the other hand, would be a stand-out, though you’d be confused for just plain Sue;
• Speaking of Sioux, For Real spotted a Gabriella Sioux.  Are the parents from Idaho?  Fans of Siouxie Sioux?  I wonder;
• There’s a new book out called Bring Back Beatrice! It is a sound concept, but I think the author misses a few things.  First, she describes it as “a clarion call to break away from the pack when choosing a name.”  Great advice.  Trouble is, lots of people like Beatrice.  And Cora.  And Daphne.  It’s probably a decent sourebook if you want to be ahead of the next trend, but falls short of offering truly timeless advice.

In celebrity news:

• Supermodel mama Eva Herzigova welcomed her second son, Philip, a little brother for George.  I think that’s the kind of slightly off-trend sibset that defies fashion;
• 30 Rock’sElizabeth Banks welcomed a son, Felix;
• Okay, Posh named her pooch Luna, so they’re stumped for a girl’s name.  Yawn.  I cannot believe for second that a couple who came up with Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz, won’t come up with an inventive name for a girl;
• Now that Mariah’s due date is approaching fast, I’m paying more attention to suggested names for the twins.  Somehow I think they’re likely to disappoint.

Last week’s post for Nameberry was Power Girl Baby Names; tomorrow’s post is inspired by one of the names on that list – thanks to RachelMarie for the inspiration!

That’s all for this week.  As always, thank you for reading!

Thanks to Kelly for suggesting Rebecca as Name of the Day.

Choose your fictional Rebecca.  From Vanity Fair’s opportunistic Becky Sharp to the buoyantly optimistic Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, the name has been worn by dozens of characters.

Real life Rebeccas are equally plentiful.  In the US, the name peaked at #10 in the 1970s, but has never truly fallen out of favor.  Even in her least popular year – 1926 – Rebecca ranked #185.  In 2008, she was #119 – past her moment, but still in steady use.  She’s also in the Top 100s in Italy and Denmark, Canada and the UK.

And why not?  The Old Testament Rivkah was wife to Isaac and mother of Esau and Jacob.  She’s considered a compassionate and loyal character.  Along with Isaac, Abraham and Sarah and Jacob and Leah, she is believed to be buried in the Cave of the Patriarchs near Hebron, south of Jerusalem.  It’s among the holiest sites in the Ancient World for Christians, Muslims and Jews.

Some link the name to the word for noose or binding, while others suggest that it actually means connected – a similar word, but with a very different spirit.

Rivka became Rhebekka in Greek.  During the early seventeenth century creation of the King James Bible, the Rebekah was favored.  Both names were in amongst medieval Jews.

Rebecca is generally considered the Latin form, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a woman using the spelling much before the 1600s.  That’s around the time she caught on with Puritan parents and came to the American colonies.  Unlike fellow Biblical picks Keziah and Jemima, Rebecca has remained.

Besides the two literary characters mentioned earlier, there’s:

• Television’s Becky Conner, one of the daughters on Roseanne and Rebecca Howe, Kirstie Alley’s character on Cheers;
• More recently there’s Becky Bloomwood, heroine of the Shopaholic chic-lit series turned movie;
• Similarly, Rebecca Dopplemeyer graduated from the pages of the Ghost World graphic novels for a big screen adaptation;
• Actresses wearing the name include Rebecca Romijn, Rebecca de Mornay and Rebecca Gayheart;
• “Rebecca Came Back from Mecca” was a popular song in the 1920s.

But the most memorable Rebecca might be the one we never see.  Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel Rebecca was a hit and Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 Oscar-winning adaptation remains a classic.  Despite the fact that Rebecca is unseen – and not blameless – the name benefits from the romance and drama of the story.

Just like Damien was boosted by The Omen, Rebecca’s ascent was helped along by the book and film.  In 1937, Rebecca ranked #166.  By 1941, she was #86 and would climb every year into the 1970s.  A German-language musical version debuted in Vienna in 2006, and it is said to be headed for Broadway.

As for Rebekah, she’s a valid variant, but far less common in recent years.  She reached the 140s in the 1980s and 90s, and stands at #354 today.

There’s nothing unusual about Rebecca, but she remains a solid choice – steadfast but with a touch of romance.  For parents today, she might strike that elusive balance of familiarity without being shared – at least not by other girls in her class.

Now, on to the random name spotting:

• Hat tip to Photoquilty for the heads up on Today’s story about bizarre baby names, including Marijuana Pepsi. Yes, really!  And she’s lovely, and nope, she doesn’t shorten it to Mari;
• My neighbors have welcomed a daughter named Murielle!  They weren’t sharing pre-baby, but did say that they found the name on their family tree.  Can’t wait to learn more, but maybe I’d better stick with saying congratulations first;
• One of Clio’s Christmas gifts was a Parents-branded ladybug popper thing-a-ma-jig.  Very cute.  The lagniappe was a toy catalog tucked inside, complete with cute kids identified by name.  The model kids were called the predictable Emma, Ava, Charlie and Brady, but there was also a Delana.  Is it a twist on Delaney?  Or a smoosh of Della and Anna?  I’m intrigued, and I can’t find it mentioned elsewhere;
• Not only does Laura of Heavenly Homemakers make her own vanilla wafers, she named her four boys Asa, Justus, Elias and Malachi.  Yes, it’s true.  If I follow a link to your blog to find a recipe, my second click is your “About” page to see if you share your kids’ names;
• Bewildertrix spotted a Harryo Lucy, twin sister to Poppy Grace.  I’ve been thinking about Harryo ever since I watched The Duchess.  Harriet was her daughter’s name, but she answered to the nickname Harryo;
• I’d never use it, but I love Richlinde, recently profiled over at Legit Baby Names;
• While flipping through an old Martha Stewart Living, I spotted a sibset: sisters Io and Adda, and brother Ray.  I’m always impressed when parents manage to use short names and still make them distinctive;
• Remember my How Close is Too Close post?  Discovery Health has a new show called Make Room for Multiples.  A couple named their triplets James, John and Jack – then welcomed twin boys called Jason and Jacob;
• For Real spotted a Daphnee.  Is it a typo, or will an -ee spelling emerge as Daphne variant?  Should we be expecting to meet Daphni and Daphnie, too?

In year-in-review news:

• I was thinking about writing a Celebrity Baby Names Year in Review post, but instead I’ll just point to this Nameberry article at Celebrity Baby Blog.  What they said;
• Nancy has a nice round-up of a few of the recent Most Popular Names of 2009 posts.  William is #1 in Tennessee;
• Data guru Laura Wattenberg has declared Emily and Jacob the Top Names of the Decade.  She’s referring to total use, of course;
• And I say again, Isabella’s popularity is not related to Twilight. Nor is Aiden’s popularity in Arizona related to Jon & Kate Plus Eight.  And their son is Aaden.

A few starbabies arrived just before the clock struck twelve, including:

• Black Crowes’ frontman Chris Robinson welcomed a daughter named Cheyenne Genevieve.  Chris is also dad to Ryder Russell with his ex, Kate Hudson.  Ryder and Cheyenne sound like siblings, but I’m surprised by the choice – Cheyenne is fading fast from her peak of #68 in 1997 and sounds rather uninspired for such a stylish dad;
• Indy car driver Hélio Castroneves and girlfriend welcomed a daughter called Mikaella. Call me crazy, but I like the spelling.  I’m just weary of any -ayla sounding name;
• Van Morrison is a dad – again – at the age of 64.  New baby is named George Ivan Morrison III.  (Hmmm … can’t confirm this on his website, and the original link is gone.  Am I imagining things?  See the comment below – thanks, Joyce!  The birth announcement was a hoax, but hey, Van as a nickname from George Ivan is still pretty cool.)

There’s an interesting article on double naming quoted at the Omaha World-Herald.  You’ll note that she’s mostly talking about English and French practices.  In the US, you can give a child a compound name, but unless you smoosh it together, Ava-Leigh is usually recorded as Ava L., not Avaleigh.  NOTE:  Please see Meredith Cane’s comment below.  She is, indeed, the expert quoted on double names.  But Cleveland Kent Evans wrote the article, and his research incorporates more than just Ms. Cane’s observations.  And 48 variant spellings for Lily-Mae is something else!

That’s all for this week.  Many thanks for reading!

It’s been a quiet week as the US readies for the holiday.  

Well, not entirely quiet.  The second Twilight flick,  New Moon, premiered.  Names spotted among those turning out for the festivities included designer Rachel Roy brought her 10 year old daughter Ava.  Rachel and husband Damon Dash also have a toddler called Tallulah Ruth.  (via Celebrity Baby Blog)  It’s interesting to see parents who embraced Ava ten years ago, when she was still on the rise, using Tallulah more recently.  Anyone else think that the once-outlandish name that had everyone abuzz when the Moore-Willis clan used it will go mainstream?  And if a search for “baby names Twilight” brought you here, check out this post: Not Just for Vampires Anymore.

In other celeb news, Tiffani Thiessen tells Extra that she and her husband aren’t considering “any freaky names.”  She doesn’t mention whether going through life as Tiffani-Amber colored her view.  We’ll have to wait and see.

On to some real life name-spotting:

• I just returned from Target.  I was buying toddler tights while another mom was trying to persuade her daughter to try on a coat, but the daughter?  Was fleeing to the just-steps-away toy department.  The name the mother was calling?  ”Miracle!  Miracle, come back here!”  Insert your own joke about it-taking-an-act-of-God to distract a 3 y.o. from the toy department here;
• Bewildertrix has spotted Leonidas George.  My baby brother swears Leonidas will be the name of his firstborn son, should that happy event ever come to pass.  She also uncovered an Elisabetta Ivy.  And a Zuma.  (No Gwen Stefani isn’t in New Zealand – he’s Zuma Louis, a non-celeb baby brother for Ava and Remi.)
• For Real Baby Names spotted Dafne.  It may be a valid foreign variant, but to me it is like Jorja/Georgia - this one just looks better as the more familiar Daphne. 

Now for two Language Lessons from that sage font of wisdom, Nancy:

• Hard G vs. Soft G – Sometimes they’re interchangeable – as in Jorja/Georgia – but other times, swapping a J for a G leads to confusion;
• Doubling consonants – Ditto doubling a consonant.  It’s another popular way to make a name “unique,” but it can also cause confusion.

Truly unusual names are always found at Nameberry, and this week’s posts were no exception.  Check out the Lost Boys’ Names of 1880.  Why aren’t more boys named Zeb?  Or Hardy?  Others – including titles like Squire and Commodore – are best left to history.  (I work with a man in his 50s named General.  I don’t get the impression that he thinks much about his name one way or the other.)  For a change, the girls’ list is almost less interesting – maybe because I wouldn’t raise an eyebrow if I met a 2 y.o. called Mahala or Texas. 

Let’s end on a controversial note: the shortcomings of the Baby Name Wizard.  I recently noticed a post on Swistle (a big BNW adherent) that troubled me.  Just a few days earlier, Nancy recounted a similar story on her blog.  

An expectant mother, mom to Sophia, wrote to Swistle about the name Allegra.  She and her husband loved the name Allegra.  Loved the way nicknames Allie and Sophie sounded together.  But she worried about the allergy medication association.

Swistle wrote: “I love the name Allegra—and every time I want to suggest it, I back away because of the allergy medicine. I’m ANGRY at the company that stole it.”

Swistle’s poll was evenly split: 52% no to Allegra; 48% yes.  But here’s the thing: Swistle’s framing of the question – “Is the name Allegra too associated with allergy medication to be used for a baby?” made it pretty clear that she thought Allegra was beyond consideration.  (Swistle is usually so judgment-free that I was really surprised by that.)

The mom herself recently wrote in:

“We ended up naming our daughter Lucy. I love her name, but I regret not being gutsy enough to go with Allegra. Personally, I’d encourage anyone considering the name to go for it. No matter what name you choose some people will like it and others will hate it.”

Lucy is a fine name.  I like it lots.  But how sad that much naming advice often tends to push parents to the middle, rather than embracing the names that we really love. 

I suspect the allergy medication reference is fleeting.  When the blogger at For Real Baby Names spotted a Dexy Adelaide, I mentioned the 80s pop hit “Come On, Eileen” – and sent ForReal running to Google.  Dexy, it appears, no longer means “one-hit wonder responsible for lodging the phrase too-rye-aye in my brain.”  And it hasn’t been that long.  It makes me think Allegra will be free of medication association by the time Allie hits the teenage years, if not sooner.

Thanks for reading!

Thanks to Mia and Nescharia for suggesting Phaedra as Name of the Day.

The names share more than a ph.  All three  can be found in Greek myth.  Just like many a tale, Phaedra’s story sounds like something borrowed from Jerry Springer.  Girl meets boy, girls marries boy, girl meets boy’s stepson …

Or so the story goes.  Phaedra married the hero Theseus, and while they had a family together their happily-ever-after wasn’t quite what one would hope.  Because when Phaedra met Theseus’ son Hippolytus, she fell head over heels.

Some blame Aphrodite for meddling.  Either way, the virtuous Hippolytus turned down his stepmom’s advances.  A devastated Phaedra committed suicide, but only after leaving a note blaming Hippolytus for some very unchivalrous behavior.  Theseus read the note, believed his wife and ordered the death of his own son.

She’s not exactly a role model for your darling daughter.

Still there’s much to admire in the name.  The Greek phaidros means bright, lending Phaedra a straightforward and attractive meaning.  (And making Phaidra an equally valid spelling, though far less common than the already rare Phaedra.)  If you choose the FAY drah pronunciation, she picks up the popular “ay” sound of Kate and Faith.  Should you stick with FYE drah or FEE drah, she lines up nicely with fashionable choices like Fiona and Felicity.

There’s something undeniably creative about Phaedra, too.  She’s oft-depicted in art.  Her story has inspired writers from Euripides to Racine to Marina Tsvetaeva to Frank McGuiness.  Factor in music and she’s inspired at least four operas.

All this lends her an international appeal, too.  In French, she’s Phèdre.  In Italian and Spanish, Fedra.  She’s not exactly a household name, but she won’t be unknown anywhere in Europe.

Then came Nancy Sinatra.  In the 1960s, she collaborated with Lee Hazelwood on a trippy cowboy duet called “Some Velvet Morning.”

Nancy sang:

Flowers are the things we knew
Secrets are the things we grew
Learn from us very much
Look at us but do not touch
Phaedra is my name

She slants Phaedra away from the tragic myth and towards the mysterious possibility.  (And uses the FAY drah pronunciation.)

And get this – Lee Hazelwood’s granddaughter?  Her name is Phaedra.

Phaedra has never appeared in the US Top 1000.  And while her sound is simple, her spelling might be just a bit tricky for those who don’t recognize this one.

Still, if you’re looking for a sophisticated name that can be considered an underused gem, Phaedra is certainly one to consider.

Thanks to Natalie for suggesting Daphne as Name of the Day.

Daphne’s story is familiar to many.  She’s a nymph pursued by the god Apollo.  Desperate to escape, she prays to the gods – and is changed into a laurel tree, effectively thwarting her unwanted suitor but limiting Daphne’s career plans.

In the 1590s, Jacopo Peri composed Dafne, a sort of proto-opera wildly popular at the time.  It was just the first of several adaptations of the myth.  Richard Strauss also composed an opera based loosely on the story.  His Daphne debuted in Dresden in 1938 and is performed regularly.  Art depicting her transformation is plentiful.

Daphne was first used as a given name in the nineteenth century, before Strauss’ opera but long after her tale was familiar.  She may have been rediscovered along with other Victorian botanical novelties.  Besides the laurel tree connection, a type of flowering evergreen shrub found through Europe and Asia is known as the Daphne.

Today, Daphne probably brings to mind a trio of fictional characters:

• One of those pesky kids in the Scooby Doo franchise is crime solver Daphne Blake, a red-head with a penchant for purple fashions;
• On television favorite Frasier, Daphne Moon was the English live-in housekeeper/nurse and long-time love interest of Niles Crane;
• Most recently, Daphne Millbrook was one of television’s Heroes – a thief with superhuman speed.  She eventually does the right thing, but dies as a result.

Daphne is also a sprightly little piece of music by jazz guitar great Django Reinhardt and the given name of Melrose Place alum, actress Daphne Zuniga.

She’s ranked in the US Top 1000 every year since 1939, and most years before that, too.  But Daphne has never been a chart-topper.  She peaked at #266 in 1962 and today stands at #585.  That’s just over 500 new Daphnes in 2007 – about as common as Haven, Precious or Emery.

But unlike many uncommon names, there’s nothing strange about Daphne.  She’s simply never been terribly popular.  While her teasing nickname is built right in – daffy Daphne – it is a small defect.

For many parents, Daphne would hit exactly right the note – perfectly familiar, but rarely heard.  She also feels like a good substitute for parents disappointed to learn that the once-undiscovered Chloe and Zoe are now chart-toppers.

And therein lies Daphne’s challenge.  While she is rare today, she surfaces on message boards with predictable frequency.  Along with Esme, she’s one that just might rise dramatically in the next decade or so.

But for now, Daphne is a great choice – mythological, botanical and nicely rare.

Without further delay, here are a few names to consider.

We’ve written about Daphne elsewhere on ApMtn.  With roots in Greek myth and steady use throughout history, it’s the definitive D-name: spirited, straightforward and yet with roots.  While Daphne is an instantly familiar name, it’s one that your daughter won’t share with many others.  As of 2006, it ranked a mere #606 on the Social Security Administration charts.

Honoring a loved one named Daniel or Danielle?  Consider the Slavonic name, Danica.  While some Eastern European tongues will read her name DAH nee tza, the pronunciation favored in the US is DAN ee kah.  The name’s meaning – morning star – is lovely.  And the rhythm of this seldom-heard name feels quite modern and current.  So much so, that Danica has gone from obscurity – it did not appear in the Top 1000 from 1996 to 2004, but as of 2006, had rocketed to #352.

Among my personal favorites on the D-list, Davina has a certain English rose appeal – in fact, Lady Davina Lewis is 22nd in line to the British throne.  But the spritely and boyish nickname Davy saves Davina from a too-feminissa fate.  Unlike David, which has long been a chart-topper for boys, the female version of the name is nearly unknown in the US.  It left the Top 1000 in 1987 and is today unranked.  The result is a pleasing compromise between the familiar and the rare – and it’s a lovely way to remember Grandpa David, too.

Speaking of English roses, flower power name Dahlia might appeal to parents who feel that too many Violets are growing in their local kindergartens.  For PG Wodehouse fans, Dahlia is Bertie Wooster’s good-natured aunt.  To horticulture devotees, the dahlia is the vibrant, exuberant national flower of Mexico, though it bears the name of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.  The result is a name that is dainty without being at all flimsy.  And it could be either a simple, nickname-proof choice, or the springboard for getting to retro pet name Dolly.  Thanks to coolteamblt for suggesting this one for the D-list.  As of 2006, Dahlia had just peeked into the Top 1000, ranking at #988.

A subtly seafaring choice, Delphine is the adjectival form of dolphin.  (Like bovine for cows, or canine for dogs – but this one actually works for a given name.)  It’s traditionally interpreted as “woman from Delphi” and yes, that’s etymologically correct.  But we think the oceanic associations hold more appeal for modern parents.  Or, perhaps consider this literary use of the name: in 1802, Madame de Stael published her debut novel, Delphine, questioning the limitations placed on women in aristocratic society.  Napoleon exiled her from France for her pains.  More popular in France than the US, this name has not ranked in the Top 1000 since 1962.  (Girls’ names with a French flair – think Suzanne – were big in the 50s.)

She’s a plant, she’s a painting, but once upon a time, Danae was a Greek princess, locked in a chest and tossed into the sea with her infant son Perseus in order to thwart a prophecy.  (As with all things mythological, it failed utterly – Danae and Perseus survived and things unfolded as foretold.)  Danae had two valid pronunciations – the incredibly pretty dah NAH ee, and the far more manageable dah NAY.  The latter is favored by the only modern Danae that we’ve ever met.  Rembrandt, Titian and Klimt have each painted Danae, so it’s a name with history even if it is rather obscure.  It spent three years in the Top 1000 (1990 – 1992), but today remains almost completely unused.  If you can overlook the potential pronunciation drama – there really oughta be an umlaut in this name – it’s an interesting choice.

The surname Delaney is not nearly as popular as Madison, Taylor or Riley – yet.  For the moment, this three-syllable choice has an attractive rhythm and offers the nickname options of Della or Laney.  And while many of the last-names-first choices are worn by both boys and girls, this one seems solidly of the feminine.  But before you fall in love with this one, note that as of 2006, it was #193.  So while it’s far from common, it may yet spring into the familiar territory of the Top 100.  An alternative might be the surname Delancey.  With just one extra letter, Delancey is transformed from a Celtic charmer to an urbanista.  Venture to New York City’s Lower East Side, and Delancey Street is a major thoroughfare, celebrated in music, film and even comic strips.  It’s not fashionable, but it’s vibrant.  And unlike Delaney, Delancey does not appear in the Top 1000.

Ever since Drew Barrymore appeared onscreen in the blockbuster ET, her name has been a viable choice for girls, though it is still not as popular as Brooke, Paige, Blair or other simple single-syllable options for girls.  (In fact, while it ranked #205 for boys in 2006, it actually fell out of the Top 1000 for girls in that year.)  In Ms. Barrymore’s case, the name honors great-great-grandfather John Drew.  If you like the idea of Drew, but balk at using a gender-neutral name, you might consider reviving the ancient Roman moniker Drusilla.  While her history is often told as a tragic one – the best-known Drusilla was sister to mad Roman Emperor Caligula – it’s hard to ignore the appeal of this name.  With throwback names like Aurelia gaining in favor, this name is nicely wearable.  It does not appear in the Top 1000.

As with all Alphabet posts, there’s a name that we can’t help but scream: DON’T!  In this case, we suggest that you avoid:

Destiny

We defend noun names here on ApMtn.  Journey and Maxim, Wren and Ocean all pass muster.  But Destiny?  It seems like a moment where the parents haven’t fully grappled with the meaning of the word.  The idea of predetermination, of a fate that cannot be challenged is actually a poor concept for a child’s name.  Destined for what?  For greatness?  For infamy?  It’s a huge philosophical concept that sounds completely out of place on the playground.  What’s more, the spelling variations – Destinee, Destiney and Destini all rank in the Top 1000 – are truly horrorshow.  With a galaxy of meaningful, interesting names, why cling to this Top 50 choice?

You can do better for your daughter.

And so that’s the definitive list … for now.

They’ve never gotten their day in the sun. Arguably, the most phamous (okay, I’ll stop) famous Phoebe is the quirky Friend Phoebe Buffay; the best known Daphne may be the pretty Daphne Blake from Scooby Doo. More sidekicks or comic relief than heroines in their own right, these two are poised to step into the spotlight on their own merits.

Phoebe is about as ancient as a name can be. One Phoebe was a Greek Titan; another was a daughter of the sun god. She’s lent her name to a plant and a bird. Shakespeare used Phoebe for a character in As You Like It. There’s a Phoebe in the Bible and a moon called Phoebe orbiting Saturn. And, of course, the actor Phoebe Cates starred in Gremlins.

Better still, the name has never been white hot. In fact, it dropped out of the Top 1000 for most of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

The result is a name that is familiar, but not at all common.  That stands to change, however.  Phoebe ranked #366 in 2006.  It’s still not Madison, but it’s no longer obscure, either.

Daphne has never dropped out of use as completely as Phoebe, but neither is enjoying such a renaissance.

She, too, has roots in Greek mythology.  Remember the story of Apollo being hit by Cupid’s arrow?  Daphne was his object of affection.  (She slipped his grip only by turning into a laurel tree.)  The story is the subject of a Richard Strauss opera.  She’s lent her name to an asteroid and a group of plants.

It’s a musical name, too.  Jazz guitar great Django Reinhardt wrote a spirited little piece of music called Daphne, and the Smashing Pumpkins recorded Daphne Descends on their 1998 album Adore.

And, of course, actor Daphne Zuniga played Jo Reynolds, resident of Melrose Place for four seasons.

If you’re searching for something familiar but obscure, Daphne might just fit the bill. Though the name has been used pretty consistently since the 1880s, the highest it ever ranked was #266, and that was wayback in 1962.  In 2006, a mere 473 girls were named Daphne, ranking it just #606.

So there you have it – two truly phantastic (sorry, couldn’t resist!) choices to consider.