The Brilliant Book of Baby Names: What’s best, what’s hot and what’s not. Linda Rosenkrantz

of DION. Americanised version of the Greek Dione, with many subversions of its own. Deona, Deonne, Dion, Diona, Diondra, Dione, Dionis, Dionna, Dyon, Dyone, Dyonne.

      DIOR. French surname. Could join Chanel and Armani on the fashionista hit parade of names.

      

DISCOVERY. Word name. A lot to handle, but it does give a sense of openness, joy and awe.

      DIVA. Latin, ’goddess’. Once unique to the Zappa family, now you can have your own little prima donna. Deeva, Dyva.

      

DIVERSITY. Word name. As a name, it’s a bit too politically correct.

      DIVINA. Variation of DAVINA. A choice of two pronunciations, making this little girl divine or diveen.

      DIVINITY. Word name. A sister to Trinity, Genesis or Heaven.

      DIXIE. Latin, ’I have spoken’; French, ’tenth’. Saucy American showgirl, wise-cracking waitress. Dixee, Dixey, Dixi, Dixy.

      DJUNA. (JOON-a) Meaning unknown. Novelist Djuna (born Djalma) Barnes introduced this interesting name to the mix.

      DODIE. English, diminutive of DOROTHY. Good only up to the age of 2 1/2 years old.

      DOE. English, ’a female deer’. Soft and gentle-eyed middle name possibility.

      DOLLY. English, diminutive of DOROTHY and DOLORES. Goodbye, Dolly. Dolley.

      DOLORES. Spanish, ’lady of sorrows’. Though it’s related to the Virgin Mary, this name was once perceived as the height of exotic sensuality, a role since taken over by nickname Lola.

      Dalora, Dalores, Daloris, Dalorita, Delora, Delores, Deloris, Dolly, Dolora, Dolorcita, Doloriana, Doloris, Dolorita, Doloritta, Dolours, Lola, Loli, Lolica, Lolicia, Lolita. International: Dores (Portuguese).

      DOMINI. Latin variation of DOMINIC. Most distinctive of the Dominic-related girls’ names. Dominee, Dominey, Dominie, Dominy.

      DOMINGA. Spanish, feminine variation of DOMINGO. Nice for a little girl born on Sunday.

      

DOMINIC. Latin, ’lord’. Instead of trying to feminise it, actor Andy Garcia gave this historically male name to his daughter, making it instantly and appealingly unisex.

      DOMINICA. Italian, feminine variation of DOMINIC. Fashionably continental, much fresher than Dominique. Domenica, Domenika, Domineca, Domineka, Domini, Dominicka, Dominika, Domynica, Domynicka, Domynika.

      DOMINIQUE. French, feminine variation of DOMINIC. Had a surge of popularity in the Dynasty days, now has subsided in the wake of fresher French choices like Destry and Delphine. Domaneke, Domanique, Domeneque, Domenique, Domineek, Domineke, Domineque, Dominika, Dominiqua, Meeka, Mika.

      

DOMINO. Latin, ’lord, master’. One of those ultimate cool-girl names, played by Keira Knightley in a film about a supermodel-turned-bounty hunter, but kids might associate it with the game.

      DONATA. Latin, ’given’. Evokes a sympathetic feeling of generosity and charity. Donada, Donatila, Donatilia, Donatta.

      DONATELLA. Italian, feminine diminutive of DONATO. Stylish and dramatic, à la Donatella Versace.

      DONNA. Italian, ’lady’. The perfect housewife of the 1950s.

      

DONNELLY. Celtic, ’dark brave one’. Makes Donna into a cool twenty-first-century unisex Irish surname.

      

DOON, DOONE. Scottish surname. Photographer Diane Arbus named her daughter Doon, inspired by the sand dunes she walked among when pregnant.

      DORA. Greek, ’gift’; diminutive of THEODORA. Poised for a comeback, right behind Laura, Nora, Cora, and Flora. Dorah, Doro, Dory.

      DORCAS. Greek, ’doe, gazelle’. Classic name used by the Romans, the Puritans, and the Bard, but pretty much taboo today due to the objectionable connotations of both its front and back ends. Dorcia, Dorkas.

      DORÉ. (dor-AY) French, ’gilded’. Glitzy and pretentious.

      DOREEN. Variation of DORA; also Anglicised variation of Irish DOIREANN, ’sullen’. Much fresher Irish imports available for colleens now. Dairinn, Dorean, Doreena, Dorena, Dorene, Dorienne, Dorina, Dorine.

      DORETTA. Variation of DOROTHY. Frilly, feminissima, unstylish Dor name.

      DORIA. Variation of DOROTHY. Not quite Dora or Daria, this name suffers from an identity crisis. Dorria, Dorrya, Dorya.

      

DORIAN. Greek, ’from Doris’. Strictly male in the Oscar Wilde days, the attractive Dorian crossed the lake into the girls’ camp several years ago. Dorea, Dorean, Doreane, Doria, Doriana, Doriane, Doriann, Dorianna, Dorianne.

      DORINDA. Greek, ’bountiful gift’; also extension of DORA. Cinderella stepsister-type Victorian-valentine name. Derinda, Dori, Dorin, Dorrinda, Dory, Drinda, Dyrinda.

      DORIS. Greek, ’gift of the ocean’. Has long been on our so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out-for-babies list, and seems written there in indelible ink. Doria, Dorice, Dorika, Dorise, Doriss, Dorita, Dorrise, Dorrit, Dorrys, Dorys.

      DORIT. (do-REET) Hebrew, ’ of this generation’. Popular in Israel, sounds a lot more current than Doris. Dorith, Doritt, Dorritt, Dorli.

      DORKAS. See DORCAS. Dorca, Dorcas, Dorcea, Dorcia.

      DORO. Diminutive of DOROTHY. Improvement on Dotty, but still not quite a name.

      

DOROTHEA. Greek, ’gift of God’. Flowing and romantic Victorian-sounding name with a literary heritage and choice of two appealing nicknames. Dorete, Dorethea, Doretta, Dorine, Dorita, Doro, Dorota, Dortha, Dorthea, Thea. International: Díorbhail (Scottish Gaelic), Dorothée (French), Dorotea (Italian), Doortje (Dutch), Dorotea (Swedish and Italian), Dorete, Dorte, Dorthe (Danish), Dortea, Tea (Norwegian), Dorota, Dosia (Polish, Czech), Dorika, Dorottya (Hungarian), Doroteya,