Serenity
Popularity rank in the US: #60
Meaning: Tranquil; calm; clear
It's a crazy, chaotic world, but your very Zen infant is an island of calm in rough seas. Serenity is as musical as a brook and as above-the-fray as a drifting cloud. In Latin, "serenus" means "clear and calm." There is no mistaking the peaceful message in this pretty name.
Summer
Popularity in the US: #182
Meaning: Summer season
It's the Summer of Love all the time when sunny little Summer takes over the nursery. She is the season of all good things, so garland her with daisies and let the sun shine. Summer comes from Old English, "sumor," for the warm days and mild nights that inspire barefoot romps on the lawn and gossamer goddess energy.
Rowan
Popularity rank in the US: #239
Meaning: Red
The rowan is an important tree in Celtic lore with protective, healing, vision-granting and clarity-enhancing properties. The bright red berries that cover the tree in autumn give the rowan its Gaelic name. Rowan trees play a role in Greek and Norse mythology as well as in Druid and pagan practice. The name is strong for a boy, but also works for girls – Brooke Shields' daughter is Rowan Francis.
Marley
Popularity rank in the US: #202
Meaning: Pleasant wood; forest edge
You're still wailin' and Bob Marley is your reggae idol. Tribute names were hippie accolades to the great ones: Janis, Jimi, Donovan, Dylan and, of course, Marley. The name is a word from Old English, but the real edge for your little girl or boy is that Jamaican reggae beat, with its message to "Lively Up Yourself," and the "dread rastaman" who delivered it.
Orion
Popularity rank in the US: #383
Meaning: Boundary; light of heaven
This child will outshine any constellation so why not give him a mantle of star-shine to wear? Orion, the Hunter, is one of the brightest constellations in the night sky, almost entirely young blue giant stars and the massive red giant Betelgeuse. The legend of Orion comes from Greek mythology – the powerful hunter tangled with the gods and was banished forever to his prominent place in the sky. If you can handle the star power, Orion won't have too much competition from all the little Noahs and Masons.
Crystal
Popularity rank in the US: #477
Meaning: Ice; clear glass
Crystal is clearly so mesmerizing that it flowered as a hippie girl name and hasn't lost much of its sparkle. The English "crystal" comes from the Greek "krystallos." Crystals are healing, light refracting, centering and beautiful – all good reasons to have one of your very own.
Moon
Meaning: Month; brightness
Maybe your baby will hop, skip and jump on the moon one day – just like American astronauts did in the '60s. Moon is an ancient Indo-European word describing the magical phenomenon of a shining orb that waxed and waned over the course of a month in the night sky. Rock legend Frank Zappa named his baby girl Moon Unit. You might christen your cherub with Moon Shadow, Moon Beam, Moon Dance – or just lovely, luminous Moon.
Sage
Popularity rank in the US: #654
Meaning: Wise
The old soul in the nursery may babble and coo, but those eyes hold the wisdom of the ages. The plant is a savory evergreen herb, used for both traditional healing and cooking; Simon and Garfunkel's 1966 "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme" would make a charming lullaby. Sage comes from both Latin and French and blends comfortably with almost any name you pair with it.
Rainbow
Meaning: Curved light spectrum
Rainbow was such a colorful and hopeful hippie name that it almost became a cliche. It's a simple English compound of two words that together evoke both an arc of light in the sky after a storm and the dyes you're going to mix for that eye-popping T-shirt. The good news is, there won't be Rainbows everywhere your rainbow princess looks; the name is a little too vintage hippie for widespread appeal. The better news is that Rainbow has a lovely, cool and calming nickname, Rain, elegant enough for everyday use.
Dharma
Meaning: Duty; nature
In the Hindu and Buddhist cultures, dharma is both the law of the gods or the right way of doing things and the essential qualities of a being. The dharma of sugar is to be sweet, like your irresistible hippie baby. The TV sitcom "Dharma & Greg" boosted the name's popularity for girls, but Sanskrit is far enough outside the mainstream to ensure your girl or boy Dharma is the only one in kindergarten class.
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