10 African Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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African names are so stunning--gotta love all those long vowels--but are widely underused across America. And what a shame, because look at all these great ones! Here are ten dazzling choices beyond Nia and Zahara.

Behati- Behati is the African version of Beatrice, and most notably, the name of Adam Levine's supermodel fiancee. Could that be enough to propell her into the top 1000? As of right now, it's doubtful.

Eshe- Many of us look for names with beautiful meanings, and Eshe has just that--"life." I didn't include Eshe on this list, but you might consider her for a same meaning sibset. Eshe and Ava, maybe?

Fayola- Faye recently made it into the top 1000--albeit, at #908--and I expect to see a slow and steady rise from her. Fayola makes the perfect full name, and you'd be ahead of the trend.

Kessie- I've said this before, but this time I really mean it. Kessie has the absolute best meaning I have ever heard. Ready? "Chubby baby." Ahhh! Use Kessie as a nickname for Keziah if you find her too nickname-y.

Maisha- Maisha is a name with a couple different pronounciations and origins. The first is the Swahili way, my-EE-shuh. Pronounced MIESH-uh, she's a Bengali name. Both are lovely, though I hear the former much more often. Other, more popular spellings include Myesha and Myisha.

Masika- The only association most people have with this name is Masika Kalysha, model and star of Love & Hip Hop. She seems relatively new to the scene--with a bit more notoriety, I believe her name could become very popular.

Neema- How sweet is Neema? She has a gorgeous sound--one that would be right on trend in this age of Ninas and Mias.

Nemy- Very similar, yet with a whole different feel is Nemy. Contrary to her looks, she does not rhyme Remy, but rather, is pronounced NEE-mee. Nemy could be used as a nickname for Neema, but I enjoy the casual, carefree vibe of using her as the full name.

Safiya- Safiya is an African (and Arabic and Turkish) name that has a history of use in the Muslim community. She sounds like an offshoot of Sophia--and believe me, she would be confused for one--but the two are not related.

Tisa- Tisa is a cute and chirpy name usually reserved for the ninth born child in African families. I'm a fan of bending naming rules--so use her for whatever child you want--but I do think it'd be cute on the ninth born grandchild, or something along those lines.

10 K Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Have you ever played that game where you pick out your favorite name for each letter of the alphabet? Well, K is always my hardest letter. I just don't love K names. That being said, I really like some of the names on this list (Kahlo is a new guilty-pleasure name of mine). So take a look, and maybe a name or two will surprise you.

Kahlo- Love it, love it, love it. She's on trend, but not trendy, and has a great namesake (the best).

Kalila- Kalila, on the other hand, has a very trendy sound, which she probably won't retain for much longer. But, if you're looking for an unpopular name with a stylish sound, she could be your girl.

Katell- She's a form of Katherine that is never heard in the U.S. I think she'd make a great import, and a wonderful alternative to Kate.

Keela- Keela seems sweet and innocent, yet I can picture her on a woman of any age.

Kerensa- This was my top choice for the Kimye baby back when we were in denial over the whole  "North West" thing. She's got the movie-star glam and star potential.

Keziah- There are two girls in my grade with this name. One pronounces it KEZ-ee-uh, and the other kez-EYE-uh. I prefer the former (it's the original), but either works for this distinctive biblical name.

Kia- Short and sweet. I think the only reason people haven't embraced this name is because of the car brand, but I honestly don't think it's that big of a deal.

Kit- Remember that game I was talking about? Kit is always my answer for girls. Fair warning: if you name your daughter Kit, be prepared to buy all of the American Girl themed items. Though the doll's real name is Margaret.

Kedzie- She's got that andro-girly charm. A nice pick for parents who want something a little less popular than Kenzie.

Kimball- A unisex name that will probably work better for girls these days. Kimball would be a nice way to honor all the Kimberlys that will be grandparents in about ten years. So keep this one in your back pocket if you're my age.

Prediction: Kimye's Baby

By now we all know that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are having a baby. The big question everyone is asking is "What K name will they use?" We aren't sure that the baby will in fact have a K name, but if it does, here are my predictions.

Girl:
Kacia
Kaia
Kalila
Karina
Karma
Kendra
Kenya
Kerensa
Keturah
Keziah
Kinsey
Kizzy
Klementina

Boy:
Kade
Kane
Karston
Keane
Kenyon
King
Kingston

Best guess: Keziah and Keane