MadeafAmerican (South, Rare), Filipino (Rare), Popular Culture In the case of the Tyler Perry character, the name was taken from a phrase (madea or madear) used in the American south meaning "mother dear". It may also be a variant spelling of Medea.
MinnijeanfAmerican (South, Rare), African American (Rare) Combination of Minnie and Jean 2. This is borne by Minnijean Brown-Trickey (1941-), who was one of the Little Rock Nine, a group of nine African-American teenagers who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957 after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional three years earlier... [more]
Oakiem & fAmerican (South) American English regional name (Appalachian) influenced by Oak + -ie which is a common suffix added to names throughout Appalachia.
OpaliafAmerican (South, Rare, Archaic) From the name of an ancient Roman festival of the earth goddess Opis or Ops, which was held annually on 25 August. It may also be used as an elaboration of Opal or be considered a contracted form of Opalina.
PecolafAfrican American, American (South) Meaning unknown, perhaps an invented name. The American author Toni Morrison used it in her novel The Bluest Eye (1970) for the protagonist, a young African-American girl named Pecola Breedlove who descends into madness as a result of abuse.
PerianfEnglish (Rare), American (South) Combination of Perry and Ann. It was brought to some public attention in 1959 by Perian Conerly, a Mississippi-born sports columnist for The New York Times and the wife of New York Giants quarterback Charlie Conerly; in late 1959, she appeared as a contestant on the American game show What's My Line?... [more]
PerniefAmerican (South) This appears sporadically outside the U.S. Top 1000 and was found mainly in Southern States. My speculation is that it is an offshoot of Calpurnia, but I cannot verify if this is the source of the name.
PhantommAmerican (South, Rare, Archaic) From the English word "phantom" a synonym for "ghost", ultimately from Greek φάντασμα (phántasma) "phantom, ghost", "vision, dream", "fantasy".
PherabyfAmerican (South, Archaic) Apparently a Southern U.S. invention. First appears in the mid-1700s in Virginia and North Carolina. Could be a variation of Phoebe, although it is also curiously similar to the Arabic name Fariba.... [more]
PlutinafAmerican (South, Archaic) Probably an invented name, used primarily in the Southern United States in the 19th century. Plutina Cox is the heroine of Waldron Baily's novel 'The Heart of the Blue Ridge' (1915), set in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
PoesyfAmerican (South, Rare, Archaic) Originally a variant of Posy, this name was sometimes associated with poetry, from Old French poesie, ultimately from Greek poesis "composition, poetry," from poein "to make or compose"
SalettafAmerican (South, Archaic) Variant of Saleta. However, the earliest usage of Saletta seems to predate the French Marian apparition. In these cases a transferred use of the surnames Salette and Saletta is more likely.
SeawillowfAmerican (South, Rare) Seawillow Margaret Ann Wells was named Seawillow after the unusual circumstances of her birth. The community Seawillow in Texas is named after her.
SippiefPopular Culture, American (South) The stage name of blues singer Sippie Wallace, born Beulah Thomas. Sippie was a nickname she gained in childhood, as a gap between her two front teeth meant that she "sipped" on food and drink.
SnowdiefAmerican (South) Possibly derived from a surname. This was used by Eudora Welty in her short story collection The Golden Apples (1949) for a central character, Snowdie MacLain.
SwaneefAmerican (South) American English regional name (Appalachian) influenced by Swan with the addition of the suffix -ie which is a common suffix added to names throughout Appalachia. It may also be influenced by the Shawnee indigenous tribe of Oklahoma located in Oklahoma and within Appalachia.
T9Cf & mAmerican (South) This very rare name is an exception to the rule that numerals are normally not allowed as part of the spelling of names in the United States. It's a creative rebus-like spelling of a slang intensive term for "tiny" found in the Southwestern United States... [more]
TexanafAmerican (South, Rare) Means "Texan" in Spanish, referring to a female inhabitant of the state of Texas. It may also be used as a feminine elaboration of Tex... [more]
ValenafAmerican (South, Rare) Either a contracted form of Valentina or an invented name coined from the syllable Val- and the once-popular name suffix -ene.
VenniefAmerican (South) Not sure, it was given to 6 girls in Alabama in 1913, looks like a diminutive of a longer name that became independent, perhaps Venetia or Venicia.
VerdiefEnglish (American), American (South) Meaning uncertain, possibly a variant or diminutive of Verity or Vera 1. This name was most well used in the Southeastern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries... [more]
VersafAmerican (South) This name sporadically appears outside the U.S. top 1000 in the American South in the early 20th-century. It is most likely inspired by the Latin word "versus" (verse; line) probably used by Southern Baptists in reference to the verses of the Bible... [more]
Vestalm & fEnglish (American, Rare), American (South) Meaning unknown, possibly derived from the surname Vestal or an elaboration of Vesta. A notable (female) bearer of this name was Vestal Goodman (1929-2003), a Southern gospel singer.
ZereldafEnglish (American, Archaic), American (South, Archaic) Variant of Serilda. It was regionally popular in the Midwestern and Southern United States in the 19th century, borne by the Kentuckian mother of Jesse James, outlaw, as well as her husband's niece, whom Jesse later married... [more]