11 Adorable Baby Names For The New Year

By Linda Rosenkrantz forNameberry.com

A new year is dawning, a time of hope and aspiration and rebirth and resolve. For the baby born around this time, there are some lovely and particularly apt choices (for girls in particular) whose meanings embrace these concepts. Here are some of the multi-cultural best -- and with them our best wishes for a very HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!

Aurora

Soft, poetic and romantic, <a href="http://nameberry.com/babyname/Aurora" target="_blank">Aurora</a> is the name of the Roman goddess of the dawn whose tears turned into the morning dew -- not to mention being the name of Disney’s sleeping beauty. It’s a name that is definitely on the ascent, having climbed more than 500 spots in the past decade.

Dagny

An interesting name with Scandinavian roots, <a href="http://nameberry.com/babyname/Dagny" target="_blank">Dagny</a> means “new day” and is the appellation of the powerful protagonist of the Ayn Rand novel <em>Atlas Shrugged</em>. Could make an appealing sibset with a brother named Viggo.

Eos

One of the more unusual choices for a New Year’s babe, <a href="http://nameberry.com/babyname/Eos" target="_blank">Eos</a> is the name of the Greek Titan of the dawn: it’s ancient, but with a sleek, modern feel, and a novel namesake for a Grandma Dawn.

Esperanza

The Spanish name meaning “hope” has been seeing some cross-cultural buzz of late, very probably influenced by the popularity of the cool Grammy-winning jazz singer/bassist/cellist <a href="http://nameberry.com/babyname/Esperanza" target="_blank">Esperanza</a> Spalding. Her name currently ranks at Number 881.

Nadia

<a href="http://nameberry.com/babyname/Nadia" target="_blank">Nadia</a>, is an exotic but accessible Russian name meaning “hope.”  It entered the U.S. popularity list in 1976 -- not coincidentally the same year that young Romanian gymnast won the Olympics; and it’s now at Number 293. More recently, Nadia was seen as a character on Lost.  Photo: Actress Andrea Gabriel attends the Arthritis Foundation 'Commitment to a Cure' 2012

Neo

The sole male option on this list, <a href="http://nameberry.com/babyname/Neo" target="_blank">Neo</a> is a Greek prefix meaning new, and gained attention via the charismatic character in The Matrix (aka Thomas A. Anderson), played by Keanu Reeves. Neo definitely has a cool sci-fi edge and also fits right in with trendy Leo and Theo.  Photo: Actor and Director Keanu Reeves arrives at the 'Man Of Tai Chi' Premiere during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at Ryerson Theatre on September 10, 2013 in Toronto, Canada.  (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Nova

<a href="http://nameberry.com/babyname/Nova" target="_blank">Nova </a>reappeared on the popularity list in 2011 after a hiatus of 73 years, and this year increased more than 150 places. As a star that suddenly becomes thousands of times brighter and then gradually fades, Nova is part of a mini-trend of celestial names that also includes Luna and Orion.

Oriana

<a href="http://nameberry.com/babyname/Oriana" target="_blank">Oriana </a> is a lovely Latin name meaning “dawn,” related to the more well known Aurora. Feminine and romantic, but strong, she appears in medieval tales, seventeenth  century plays, an eponymous Tennyson poem and was also used as a reference to Queen Elizabeth I.

Roxana

<a href="http://nameberry.com/babyname/Roxanna" target="_blank">Roxana</a> and sister Roxanne derive from the Persian meaning “dawn.” Roxana was the wife of Alexander the Great, Roxanne the object of desire of Cyrano de Bergerac, who says “Your name is like a golden bell.” Key attribute: the saucy nickname Roxy.  Photo: Short movie Cyrano de Bergerac filmed in the year 1900 by Clément Maurice in France ,whit famous French actor Benoît-Constant  ...

Taraji

This is a Swahili name meaning “hope” that was brought into the spotlight via actress and singer Taraji P. Henson, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2009 for her work in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and starred in the TV drama Person of Interest. <a href="http://nameberry.com/babyname/Taraji" target="_blank">Taraji</a> entered the Top 1000 in 2009; Taraja is a variant.  Photo: Actress Taraji P. Henson attends 'The Weinstein Company Presents The LA Premiere Of 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom'

Zora

<a href="http://nameberry.com/babyname/Zora" target="_blank">Zora </a> is a Serbo-Croatian name meaning “dawn,” and is a significant literary namesake via Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston.  Other related “Z” names include Zorya (Slavic mythological goddesses of the dawn), Zelenka, Zaria and Zorina.  Photo: Zora Neale Hurston  Photographer: Carl Van Vechten.  Permission Portrait of Zora Neale Hurston | LC-DIG- ...

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.