Classic, elegant, unusual names that aren't "try hard"

[CannyFradock]

I know I'm pretty much asking for the holy grail of names here, but I'm totally at my wit's end. I just want something y'know...nice for either gender that isn't uber common or attached to a million connotations. I'd quite like a literary, historical or European-sounding name if possible. Any ideas?

[Malcontentinthemiddle]

I have a Kate and she's not met another one in 14 years....

Sorry, but I think Oberon and Lysander are about as try-hard as it gets!

[Hedwig3]

I like Lucian and love Margot.

[zozzle]

I agree with BlameIt... I think the name Zoe fits the criteria in every respect.

[MerryMarigold]

Zoe was a bit like Tracy when I was growing up, tons of them.

[emsies]

Gosh really Malcontentinthemiddle! Maybe it's this area. I taught in a girl school and it seemed like every class had 3 kates (mix of Kates, Katies, and the Catherine/Katherine's tended to shorten to Kate too) so its probably one of the most popular names in my mind. Love Catherine though... who knows!

[zozzle]

Merry - I've only met a couple of Zoe's in my life and wouldn't have given it the Tracy connection at all - bit more arty sounding as its a saint's name (and a few empresses in history, and mentioned in NT in relation to eternal life in original greek) so totally different type of name in my book.

But I guess everyone has different associations with names.

[MerryMarigold]

There were loads in my school, and also the way it was said - "zowAY"!

[NattersAndMutters]

You could go with the Auberon version, then people will think Waugh rather than Midsummer Night's Dream.

I do like Anselm.

[said]

@ "Nobody is seriousl thinking of calling a poor little boy Oberon, are they??
Saw Orion the other day on here...

[TillyIpswitch]

Oberon is a vastly different kettle of fish from Orion.

[IvyAndGold]

I know a 6mth old Lucian, but everyone comments on what a lovely and underused name it is :)

Juno is lovely too, might at the to My List

[Malcontentinthemiddle]

We've encountered Katies and C/Katherines and Caitlins, but no other child just called Kate-short-for-Katherine in her classes or year group, I don't think. It is quite surprising, but I wonder if it's almost double-bluff: y'know, you don't call then John or Mary because they're boring, and you opt for what you think is unusual and then it turns out everyone was thinking the same name was nice and unusual at the same time (surely what happened with Felix a few years ago....)

[Bandwithering]

Kate is a perfectly fine name and there is nothing wrong with it, but I was at school with a few Kates and I've worked with Kates and surprisingly, imo because it's a name I associate with my own generation, I knwo a good few children who are Kates, Katies and Katys. There is Kate middleton, Kate Moss, Kate Mosse, Kate Hudson.................... there are a lot of them of every age in every country.

[Bandwithering]

kate silverton, kate winslet, kate bush, mary-kate olsen! kate bosworth, kate spade

[Bandwithering]

Kate Morton, Kate Atkinson

[Malcontentinthemiddle]

Yes, people who only know us slightly often seem to get confused and think it is I who am called Kate....

I wouldn't really mind if there were more of them, I still love the name and always have. Though I must confess I see KatIes as being a different kettle of fish altogether....

[munstersmum]

Clementine

Franklin

[Thehusbandsatcricketagain]

Angus
Seth
Henry
Francis
Benedict

Fiona
Angela
Frances

[Thehusbandsatcricketagain]

oh & Meryn

[Elsjas]

Julia is nice. Timeless and not too common. There will be a million Kates and Catherines over the next couple of years so would avoid if you want something more unusual.