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If you're trying to figure out some great names for a baby girl, you can go the usual nicey-nice route of looking to flowers and birds for inspiration … but if you want a baby girl name with a bit more edge and originality, look to the season instead: Halloween! If you dare, you'll be hopping on a new trend.
"We are still more apt to name girls 'nice' names, but dark, ominous names are often far more interesting," says Laura Wattenberg, founder of Baby Name Wizard and Name Candy.
Don't believe us? Take a gander at some of these Halloween-themed names below.
- Buffy — The vampire slayer, of course. Yet while everyone loves this kick-butt show, the name has remained a rarity. It's a great nickname for Elizabeth.
- Elvira — She might be "The Mistress of the Dark," but the name actually means "amiable" and "friendly." The name isn't at all popular in the US, but it's #34 in Sweden.
- Blair — Witch Project, that is. Blair started out as a Scottish last name (think Linda Blair, star of the horror film The Exorcist, or Selma Blair, star of many a scary movie), and became a popular first name for boys in the 1950s. In the 1980s, it caught on for baby girls, but these days, it still falls in the unique category. Add an "e" (Blaire) if you want to be even more original.
- Carrie — The prom queen from the Stephen King classic horror movie. While she was an outcast, her name has been outrageously popular for several hundred years, consistently hitting the top 100 list up until 1985. Time for a Carrie comeback?
- Morticia — The gorgeous, Goth matriarch from The Addams Family. Since it sounds so much like "mortician" — a profession that deals daily with dead people — this name has never, ever broken into the top 1,000 names in the US. And we get it! Still, if you're looking for originality or aiming for a daughter who dresses all in black, you'll have a winner.
- Sabrina — The Teenage Witch. It's a pretty name, and hey, she was a "good" witch.
- Samantha — That nose-scrunching 1950s housewife/witch from Bewitched. It's the 11th most popular name in the US right now. Sam, Sammie, and Sammy are great nicknames.
- Endora — The magical meddling mother-in-law on Bewitched. But her name is likely based on a more ancient reference to the Witch of Endor in the Bible.
- Raven — From Edgar Allen Poe's famous poem where the bird croaked "Nevermore" ad nauseam. It's been used as both a boy's or girl's name. Cute nickname: Rae or Rave.
- Aurora — The "sleeping beauty" cursed by the evil fairy Maleficent (of Disney fame). And in spite of its sleepy overtones, Aurora was borne by the Roman mythological goddess of dawn, so go figure.
- Alexandra — One of the three Witches of Eastwick in the same-named movie (played by Cher). Numerous celebrities have given their daughter this name (Sean Astin from Lord of the RingsJersey Shore. But, um, don't let that stop you. Besides, "Alex" is such a cool nickname for a girl.
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- Christine — That murderous car from the Stephen King novel. It's timeless, ranking as one of the most popular 100 names for decades, with only a recent decline.
- Salem — The town where the famous witchcraft trials took place. In spite of this rather macabre reference, it has roots in numerous religions: In Muslim cultures, it means "safe"; its biblical meaning is "perfect peace."
- Abigail — The girl who started the Salem witch trials by accusing certain women she disliked of casting a spell on her. But aside from this one bad apple, Abigail has vintage charm that earned it the #8 spot in popularity in 2013. The name or its nickname, Abby, has also graced two First Ladies (three counting the fictional one on West Wing), as well as characters in Mad Men and The Lovely Bones.
- Hazel — From witch hazel (the herb) and Witch Hazel, the animated cartoon character, who's known for her vanity. It's pretty trendy right now. Emily Blunt and Julia Roberts named their daughters Hazel.
- Wanda — The secret identity of the Scarlet Witch in The Avengers is Wanda Maximoff. (She'll be played by Elizabeth Olson in the upcoming movie The Avengers: Age of Ultron.)
- Matilda — The name (it means "strong") of Merlin the magician's mom and, of course, Roald Dahl's character Matilda, a little girl with telekinetic powers. Michelle Willams and Heath Ledger named their daughter Matilda. An alternate spelling is Mathilda.
- Luna — After the moon. "Luna Lovegood" also appeared in the Harry Potter books, which could explain its popularity in the mid-2000s.
- Agatha — In spite of its spiderweb-ish overtones, Agatha is actually patron saint of breast cancer patients, martyrs, wet nurses, bakers, bell-founders (whatever that is), fire, earthquakes, and eruptions of Mount Etna. That's pretty impressive if we must say so ourselves.
- Bella — What Twilight fan could resist the name of our vampire heroine?
- Regan — That creepy girl from The Exorcist. It's actually been a popular name for boys and girls, and why not? It means "regal" or "king."
- Trixie — Sounds a lot like trick … or treat! This cute name may seem better suited to dogs, but it's actually a nickname for the far more serious Beatrice of Beatrix. None of these derivations have hit the top 1,000 in the past 100 years, so if you want unique, this fits to a tee.
- Esmerelda — The gypsy heroine from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (made even more famous by the Disney animated movie). It's of Spanish origin and means emerald, which makes which jewelry to buy her a cinch.
- Annabel — From Annabel Lee, a poem by Edgar Allen Poe. Of uncertain origins, it means either "lovable" or "graceful beauty" — both good things. Plus, it has a host of nicknames: Anne, Anna, Bel, Bella, take your pick.
- Jezebel — Derived from the Hebrew word for "wicked," also the evil wife of King Ahab in the Bible. Still a rarity, the popular feminist blog Jezebel upped the name's cool factor — and besides, if it's too much, you can also use the nickname Bella (that Twilight thing again).
For more great baby name ideas that are inspired by Halloween, visit Baby Name Wizard.
*Image iStock.com/FamVeld *
