Romantic Names for Girls
Romantic names for girls – loosely defined as creative and elaborate names that suggest an earlier era and a Latinate emotionality – have become more fashionable in recent years. As we grow more comfortable with the notion of equality for girls, we may also become confident enough to give our daughters elaborately feminine names rather than having to make our point with androgynous, modern monikers like Blair or Blake.
Of course, not every romantic name is a feminist statement. These names may just feel fresh again after decades of sleeker, more straightforward girls’ names like Mary and Betty, Karen and Lisa. Even Jennifer and Ashley pale in the face of these flagrantly feminine names.
The rise of Isabella and Sophia to the Top 10 means that Romantic Names are now mainstream. Some choices further off the beaten track:
The names of romantic heroines also carry a special romantic aura, even when they’re less elaborate than the classically romantic names like Seraphina and Lilliana. While some of the most romantic heroines of literature have decidedly unromantic names – nothing can really elevate Jane of Jane Eyre and Cathy of Wuthering Heights to the level of romanticism – other names take on a more romantic glow thanks to the heroines who bear them.
Some examples from literature, classic and modern, as well as romantic films include:
CHRISTABEL – Possession
CLARE – The Time Traveler’s Wife
CLEOPATRA – Antony and Cleopatra
DOROTHEA – Middlemarch
EMMA – Madame Bovary
JULIET – Romeo & Juliet, The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society
ROSE – Titanic
SABRINA — Sabrina
SCARLETT – Gone with the Wind
TESS – Tess of the D’Urbervilles
VIVIAN – Pretty Woman
And then there are romance novels, both conventional and paranormal. Names of the newer romantic heroines include:
BRYNA – Spellbound
CHLOE – The Dark Highlander
DOUGLESS – Knight in Shining Armor
IDESS – Ecstasy Unveiled: Demonica Series
MAIA – In Twilight’s Shadow
PHOEBE – It Had To Be You
VASILISA/LISSA – The Vampire Academy (Vasilisa is also the name of the heroine of a classic Russian fairy tale)
Thanks to our intern DANIELLE MIKSZA for help researching the names.
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17 Responses to “Romantic Names for Girls”
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Sarah Bayly Says:
Katie Says:
I think Jane from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is very romantic, and I wholeheartedly agree to Clare from the Time Traveler’s Wife. Though I would still spell it Claire… maybe.
Ellen_B Says:
I can’t see Sophie from Sophie’s Choice as a romantic name. Seems more tragic to me.
Andrea Says:
I’m going through a Romanov phase again in my reading. One of their cousins was Marie of Romania. She named her youngest daughter Ileana after a very romantic Romanian folk tale about a princess who is saved by a prince. Quite a frilly, romantic name and Marie commented in her book that she had reached the point where she insisted on naming her own children what she wanted after being forced to use traditional royal names for the first four.
EvanescenceDolly Says:
I totally agree with Katie! I plan on naming my first daughter after her ![]()
I like:
Adoria
Anastasia
Angelica
Antonia
Artemesia
Forsythia
Isadora
Magdalena
Melisande
Paloma
Raffaela
Ramona
Anna
Christabel
Clare
Cleopatra
Dorothea
Emma
Juliet
Lara
Lucinda
Rose
Roxane
Sophie
Tess
Vivian
Chole and
Phoebe!
Alicia Says:
I LOVE Mariella, but DH was very opposed. Another super fem name I pushed for was Aurelia. I did get Juliet for the middle though.
JNE Says:
Love Isadora – my daughter was *almost* an Isadora. Also a fan of Valentina and Magdalena… and I’m not generally a “romantic names” type.
Jessica Says:
I love romantic, feminine names. If I have a daughter, she will be Josephine- for my father Joseph and for Jo March in Little Women, she’s an excellent heroine. If I have a second daughter, she’ll be named Aurelia (and I hope she’ll be born in the fall, because I chose the name for it’s meaning of golden. I adore the golden aspen trees in the fall where I live, and I wanted a nature name that was a nod to the aspens, without being an outright nature name like Aspen, Willow, Canyon, Sky, Cedar – all of these are names that are really popular for kids in my town, but I wanted something more classic feeling.) Thanks for the blog entry- lovely names all around.
jessica Says:
Rosella, isey, melody, hazel, ariel
Anonymous Says:
Oh i love the name Seraphina and the nickname will be ‘Sera’, not only romantic but it also sounds so angelic.
Janel Says:
Tatiana is always going to be a favorite of mine! It sounds so pretty, and delicate, but in a good way! If I can convince any man I marry to name our first daughter Tatiana, I deffinetly will (I’m still single, and not too close to marriage). I adore Tatiana!
Tori Says:
These names are simply stunning. I love the craze of romantic names. Anastasia is such an inspirational name especially with the history of Princess Anastasia, I also love Isabella, Sophia, Angelica, Liliana these vibrant romantic names are gorgeous most the names on that list are beautiful. I also like the other names such as Juliet, Vivian (prefering Vivienne) Scarlett etc. Every beautiful names which are simply stunning for girls.
ally mac tyana Says:
Sagittarius
The girl next door Says:
I adore romantic names for girl’s, most my favourite names feature on this name list. The names I adore are; Anantasia, Angelica, Arabella, Evangelina, Gabriella, Isadora, Lilliana, Mariella and Valentina. I love Anastasia because the name has such an interesting interesting. Angelica sounds simply gorgeous and angelic along with Evangelina. Isabella, Arabella and Valentina have this great Italian feel that I adore. Gabriella and Mariella sound gorgeous with Isadora being simply adorable.
I also love the less obvious romantic names such as Christabel which used to be the name of my best friend in primary school in the first two years. Clare but with the spelling Claire the book ‘The Time Traveller’s wife’ was great along with the film also Claire is the name of my aunt. Emma is a lovely cute, easy flowing name. Rose is my favourite name of all time with Juliet and Vivian (spelling I prefer Vivienne) being on my favourite name list too. Scarlett is a lovely name too. Furthermore Sophie and Chloe are really cute but not really romantic also I prefer Sophia too Sophie.
The names are simply gorgeous and I think if I have any daughters they will have very romantic names.
H8myname Says:
Hm. Well, I really want to like romantic names, but they’re just too frilly and fussy for my taste.
Caitlin Says:
I like some of these names, particularly Tamara and Evangelina. Other names I like (and am considering) are:
Evangeline
Florence
Alice
Esther
Madeleine
Leonie
Alyson
Luna
Rosalie
Rowan
and Scarlett
hannahmarie1 Says:
I absolutely adore romantic, girly names for females. I plan on naming my future daughters Lilliana Grace, Savannah Autumn, and Mia Caroline.
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Hi,
I love your website, it’s very inspirational. I think unusual baby names are great. I called my little girl Ostara – after the pagan goddess of Easter (which is when she was born) and it really suits her.
It even inspired me to start my own business http://www.2greenmonkeys.co.uk, which makes personalised embroidered baby names on organic sleepsuits, blankets etc.
Is there there anywhere on your site, where you link to gifts for unusual named babies? Or could you possibily feature my website in your blog?
Many thanks, Sarah
Sarah