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

nickname, ’polite, kind’. Patricia Arquette named her daughter Harlow, so why not consider this other great early screen icon?

      GARCELLE. Modern invented name. Although it sounds like it could be a genuine French name, it’s an invention.

      

GARCIA. Spanish and Portuguese, ’fox’. Evocative ethnic surname choice for a girl.

      

GARDENIA. Flower name. More exotic and powerful than garden varieties like Rose and Lily. Deeni, Denia, Gardeenia, Gardena, Gardinia.

      GARDNER. English, ’keeper of the garden’. One of the best of this fashionable occupational group, strong and particularly well suited to a girl, also with alluring connection to glamour girl Ava Gardner. Gardener, Gardie, Gardiner.

      GARLAND. Word name. Fragrant and celebratory, and also has a celebrity-tribute tie to the star of The Wizard of Oz. Garlan, Garlande, Garlandina, Garlen, Garlin, Garlind, Garlinde, Garlyn, Garlynd, Garlynde.

      GARNET. Jewel name, from the French, ’pomegranate’. One of the jewel names in use a hundred years ago, due for revival along with sisters Ruby and Pearl. Garnetta, Garnette, Granata, Grenata, Grenatta.

      

GARY. English, ’spear man’. While not generally thought of as unisex, this is a male name that, like Perry and Barry, has occasionally been used for girls over the years. Gari, Garri, Garry.

      GAURI. (GAU-ree) Hindi, ’fair, pale’. Gauri the Brilliant is one of the many names for the Hindu goddess Shakti, but it’s not very euphonious to the Western ear. Gawri, Gori, Gowri.

      

GAY. Word name. Out of the question these days. Gae, Gai, Gaye.

      

GAYNOR. Welsh, ’white and smooth, soft’. Early androgynous name with a positive association, related to the Cornish megastar Jennifer. Gaenor, Gayna, Gayner.

      GAZELLA. Latin, ’gazelle’. Graceful. Gazelle.

      GEENA. Variation of GINA. Actress Geena Davis (born Virginia) put her own distinctive stamp on the spelling of Gina. Geania, Geeana, Geeanna, Gena.

      GEELA. (GEE-lah) Hebrew, ’joy’. Gay, nearly giddy, gee-whiz feel; also too reminscent of a gila monster. Geela, Geelah, Geelan, Geila, Geiliya, Geiliyah, Gila, Gilah, Gilalah, Gilana.

      GELSEY. Persian, ’flower’. Given a lithe and graceful image by ballerina Gelsey Kirkland, but since surpassed by Kelsey and Chelsea. Gelsomina, Jelsomina.

      GEMINI. Latin, ’twins’. Astrological sign with enough rhythm to make a plausible astral name. Gemella, Gemelle, Gemima, Gemina, Geminine, Gemmina.

      GEMMA. (JEM-mah) Italian, ’precious stone’. Very popular in 1980s England, but it hasn’t been seen in the Top 100 since 2002. Gem, Gema, Gèmma, Gemmey, Gemmie, Gemmy, Jemma, Jemsa.

      GEN. Japanese, ’spring,’ or diminutive of names beginning with ’Gen’. Commonly used in Japan, and so much more distinguished than Jen.

      GENA. Variation of GINA. Actress Gena Rowlands publicised this name, which she pronounces with a soft e.

      GENE. Diminutive of EUGENIA or variation of JEAN. This is still usually the boy’s spelling. Genie.

      GENEEN. Scottish variation of JEANINE. Somewhat flat-footed spelling variation. Geanine, Geannine, Gen, Genene, Genine, Gineen, Ginene.

      GENEROSITY. Word name. Full-hearted new virtue choice, though five syllables is a lot to handle. Generous.

      GENESIS. Word name. The name of the first book of the Bible, not nearly as original for babies as you’d think, since it has recently been used for thousands of baby girls in the US. Genes, Genese, Genesha, Genesia, Genesies, Genesiss, Genessa, Genesse, Genessie, Genessis, Genicis, Genises, Genisis, Gennesis, Gennesiss, Genysis, Jenesis, Jenesyss, Jennasis, Yenesis.

      

GENEVA. French, ’juniper tree’; Swiss place name. Unlike its somewhat formal Swiss city namesake, this is a lively and appealing place name that also has a real history as a female name. Geena, Gen, Gena, Geneieve, Geneiva, Geneive, Genever, Genevia, Genevre, Genovela, Genovella, Genoveva, Ginebra, Ginevre, Ginneva, Janeva, Janevra, Jeaneva, Jeneva, Jenovefa, Jineeva, Jineva, Joneva, Jonevah. International: Genève (French), Genevra, Genoveffa, Ginevra (Italian).

      GENEVIEVE. (zhahn-vee-EV or GEN-uh-veev) French ’woman of the people’; Celtic, ’white wave’. Perfect choice for anyone who wants to retain the gen sound but is tired of all the overused Jen names. The medieval saint Genevieve, patroness of Paris, defended the city against Attila the Hun. Gen, Gena, Genaveeve, Genaveve, Genavie, Genavieve, Genavive, Geneva, Geneveeve, Genever, Genevera, Geneveve, Genevie, Genevievre, Genevive, Genivieve, Gennie, Genny, Genoveve, Genovieve, Genovive, Genvieve, Gin, Gina, Ginata, Ginett, Ginetta, Ginette, Gineveve, Ginevieve, Ginevive, Ginnetta, Ginnette, Guinevieve, Guinivive, Gwenevieve, Gwenivive, Janeva, Jenevieve, Jennavieve, Jennie, Jenny. International: Geneviève, Yevette