These name choices are entirely my opinion, and you might not agree with them.  But after reading through the Below The Top 1000 list from the SSA, I picked out the best names I could find that were spelled properly or at least very close to the original. What do you think? Do you agree with my choices or do you have your own favorites from the bottom of the list?

　　Girl Names

　　• Alessandria – This is a form of the Italian Alessandra which is in turn a form of Alexandra. Many people like Alexandra and Alexandria, so why not Alessandria? It’s longer and more princess-like than some people prefer, but it’s got a lot of nicknames to choose from for any type of girl.

　　• Amadea – A female form of the Italian Amadeo, from the Latin Amadeus. It means “love of God” and is a perfect name for someone seeking a name that has religious meaning, is ancient sounding, and is still very feminine.

　　• Cassiopeia – This is one of the more underused Greek mythology names with a lot of punch and frilly beauty. In Greek myth Cassiopeia was the wife of Cepheus and the mother of Andromeda. She was changed into a constellation and placed in the northern sky after she died.

　　• Daciana – This is a Romanian name related to Dacia. It was the old Roman name for the region that is now Romania. There are some sites that list its meaning as “wolf.”•

　　Elodia – Either a Spanish form of Alodia or an alternate form of Elodie, Elodia is soft and beautiful but still not overly frilly, with Ellie and Lia as very simple, very now nicknames. I really like Lola.

　　• Florina – This is a feminine form of the Late Roman Florinus and obviously means “flower.” I think it’s pretty without being overly frilly, similar to Florence and longer than Flora. You can get some pretty nice nicknames from it and it’s very soft and sweet.

　　• Graziana – An Italian name that means “grace,” it can also be spelled Graciana. If you have an Hispanic/Italian heritage and are looking for a sweet name or a virtue name, this might be for you. It’s a little overly feminine, but it has the friendly nickname Gracie as well as the more spunky Zia or Gia.

　　• Letitia — From the late Latin name Laetitia which means “joy, happiness.” This was the name of an obscure saint, who is revered mainly in Spain. It was in use in England during the Middle Ages, usually spelled Lettice, and revived in the 18th century. It’s a sweet name and Tisha is great for a teen, while Lettie is cute for a younger kid.

　　• Nanette – An underused French name, Nanette works for all ages and has a nice variety of nicknames: Nannie for a little girl and Etta for a grown woman.

　　• Rohana – Based on my research, this name most likely means “sandalwood.” It’s got a lovely, velvety sound. Rohana doesn’t offer a wide array of nicknames, but Ro and Roa are sweet enough, and it’s not frilly in my opinion. It’s one of my favorites on this list.

　　• Silviana – This is another name I’ve considered myself. It means “woods, forest” and is just feminine enough for me. With tons of nicknames, it could work on any type of girl. This is my absolute favorite on the list.

　　• Soteria – In Greek mythology, Soteria is the female personification of safety, preservation, and deliverance from harm–a  great thing to wish for your daughter. Nicknames Tia/Ria/Sia and Terra work well on most any girl.

　　• Thisbe – The story of Pyramus and Thisbe (shown) is the Greek myth that influenced Shakespeare‘s Romeo and Juliet. It’s a great story and Thisbe is one of the underused names that should get more attention. We like tons of other –e ending Greek names, why not Thisbe?

　　• Tzippora – This is the original spelling of Zipporah, minus the final H. Though the T might be hard for people to remember to put at the beginning, the name itself is gorgeous. It means “bird” and in the Bible, she was the wife of Moses. Besides, Zippy is the cutest nickname.

　　• Viveka – This is another one that was on my own list, though spelled Via. This is a variation of the Scandinavian name Viveca; its hard K sound gives it an edge, but the Vivi nickname could liven it up.

　　Boy Names

　　• Absalom – I’m surprised this cool biblical name isn’t more popular. I love it and the meaning, my father is peace, is a meaningful one. The old fashioned nickname Abe works for this name and Sal is a possibility too.

　　• Artemus – This one is on my own list. I really love Artemis for a girl, and this spelling removes the goddess link, making it much more usable for a boy. There was a Saint Artemius, which is close, giving this spelling a bit more legitimacy.

　　• Desiderio – This is the Italian or Spanish form of Desiderius. Is it just me, or is this name really cool for an ancient name? It was the name of several early saints and was also borne in the 8th century by the last king of the Lombard Kingdom, not to mention being the full name of Desi Arnaz. The nicknames Des, Desi, Dezzy, Rio are all cool.•

　　Gawain – This Arthurian name, though it’s very old, really updates Wayne to me. Sir Gawain was a nephew of King Arthur and one of the Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He is identified with the earlier Welsh hero Gwalchmei.

　　• Icarus – This name isn’t for everyone, but I find it very cool. In Greek myth Icarus was the son of Daedalus, locked with his father inside the Labyrinth. They escaped from the maze using wings devised from wax but Icarus flew too close to the sun and the wax melted, plunging him to his death. Icarus could have the very normal nickname of Russ.

　　• Llewellyn – This is a Welsh name and a very handsome one at that. It’s soft and sweet without being overly so. Lew, Wen, and Lyn are all easy nicknames that make this name much more accessible.

　　• Natalio – This is the male version of Natalia. I don’t see why this one isn’t more popular either. It’s got a strong sound and lots of very boyish, very cool nicknames. There’s Nat and Nate of course but I really love Tally and Leo.

　　• Peregrin – Another name that I can’t believe isn’t more popular. Perhaps it’s because people think it’s misspelled? This is the spelling used in The Lord of the Rings trilogy for Peregrin Took, aka Pippin’s name. I find it very handsome and dashing .

　　• Remus – The name of one of the mythical twin founders of Rome: Romulus and Remus. In more recent times, Remus was the first name of Lupin in the Harry Potter world. Remus, like Icarus, has the approachable nickname of Russ.

　　• Severus – Though this name sounds very severe, as its meaning suggests, I really like it. It was borne by several early saints and more recently was the first name of Potion teacher Severus Snape of the Harry Potter world.

　　• Sherwood – I might be the only one who thinks this is cool, but I really do. It makes me think of Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest. It means “bright forest,” which I think is a wonderful meaning.

　　• Silvanus – Though I prefer the simple Silvan, this is an excellent name too, a Roman name derived from the Latin silva ,”wood, forest”. Silvanus was the Roman god of forests. This name appears in the New Testament, belonging to one of Saint Paul‘s companions, also called Silas.

　　• Thelonius – I would have thought this one would be more popular as a long, older, and more obscure way to get to Theo. It’s got a really cool sound and a great connection to jazz musician Thelonious Monk.