Invented Girl Names

A mysterious name found in fantasy fiction and climbing in popularity as a kind of combo of Jamie and Tanya. 

Jamya

A diminutive of Anxela in the Galician language of north-eastern Spain. Also used as a modern invented name in the US, for example as a backwards spelling of Alex.

Xela

Hot R & B singer Kelis Rogers's name is a combination of those of her parents' -- Kenneth and Eveliss. 

Kelis

Kynnedi is a feminine name that represents a modern, creative spelling variation of Kennedy. While Kennedy originated as an Irish surname meaning 'helmeted chief' or 'armored head,' Kynnedi adapts it with a distinctive spelling that emphasizes its melodic pronunciation. This variant emerged during the trend of customizing traditional names with unique spellings, particularly in the early 2000s. The name gained popularity following the prominence of the Kennedy political family in America, transforming from a surname to a given name. Kynnedi maintains the strong, presidential associations of Kennedy while offering a fresh, individualized presentation. The name balances strength with femininity and carries connotations of leadership and American heritage while standing out with its distinctive orthography.

Kynnedi

An English place and surname with a fierce natural meaning. Loxley is a village and river name from Yorkshire, England, famous for being the purported birthplace of Robin Hood. Loxley Chase was an extensive historic forest bordering Sherwood Forest in the Middle Ages.

 Sharing sounds with cool names from Lily to Lux to Paisley, Loxley is a highly unusual option that packs a modern style punch.

Loxley

Brenley: a compound of trendy syllables or Brinley variation? It's totally up to you. It was chosen by American Idol contestant Triston Harper and his wife Paris Reed for their daughter in 2025.

Brenley

A feminine spin on the surname name Copeland.

Copelyn

Laniya is a feminine given name that appears to be a modern coinage combining popular phonetic elements. The prefix 'La-' has been common in American naming practices (as in names like Latoya or Layla), while the '-niya' ending evokes names like Aniya or Saniya, which may have connections to Arabic origins meaning 'caring' or 'concerned.' Alternatively, it could be viewed as a variant of names like Alania or Lania. Laniya gained noticeable popularity in the United States primarily in the early 2000s and has continued to be used in the following decades. The name has a melodic quality with its flowing vowel sounds and three-syllable structure. Laniya exemplifies contemporary naming trends that favor distinctive, euphonic names with rhythmic sound patterns and a modern aesthetic appeal.

Laniya

A novel creation in the vein of Amari and Akari. Imari is also a place name, connected to the Japanese city, and is the English term for Arita porcelain.

Imari

Ziana could be used as a Xiana variant or nickname for Luziana or Graziana, but fair warning — it's also the name of prescription acne medication.

Ziana

Parents have been creating their own names from existing appellations since the beginning of time. So have authors, from Shakespeare to George R. R. Martin. As far as modern attempts go, Esmarie, which combines Esme and Marie, has a nice natural flow and a sound that is very pleasant. 

 
The meaning of Marie is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Esmarie

This modern invention sounds a lot more common than it actually is due to its similarities to hot names such as Amaya, Maya, and James.

Jamiah

Created by Sarah J. Maas for the heroine of her Court of Thorns and Roses series of YA novels. The name was based on the Old English word for "fair" or "beautiful" and has an ethereal charm.

Feyre

A possible, and not too successful, attempt to individualize Jocelyn or formalize Jacey. 

Jacelyn

Jamiya appears to be a contemporary given name that emerged in the United States in the late 20th century. The name likely draws from the popular name elements 'Ja-' (seen in names like James, Jamaal, and Jasmine) and '-miya' which could relate to the Japanese word for temple or shrine, though this connection may be coincidental rather than intentional. Alternatively, it might be a creative variation of names like Jamila or Jamilah, which have Arabic origins meaning 'beautiful.' Phonetically, Jamiya follows contemporary naming patterns that favor melodic, vowel-ending names for girls. The name began appearing more frequently in American naming records during the 1990s and 2000s, reflecting broader trends toward distinctive, mellifluous names with creative spellings. Its usage demonstrates how modern naming often draws from diverse phonetic influences to create names with a pleasing sound and unique character.

Jamiya

An attractive and unusual name that may be a variation of Cleo, Clea was possibly invented by Lawrence Durrell for a character in his Alexandria Quartet.
 Actress Clea DuVall is one noted bearer of the name, another is Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward's youngest daughter, who was named Claire Olivia, but always called Clea.

Clea

Part nature name, part mid-century favorite, Glenda came into use in the 20th century as a feminine form of Scottish Glenn, likely inspired by Linda and Wanda too. While Glenn would give it the meaning "valley", if you do consider it a smoosh name with Linda, Wanda, or Brenda, you get means such as "beautiful valley", "tender valley", "Wend's valley", "sword valley" or "fire valley".
 
Could Glenda rise back up the charts as a clunky cool option? Perhaps one day, but with around 20 girls called Glenda in each recent year, it hasn't yet begun to climb.

Glenda

Raylan may be on the rise as a baby name thanks to (male) TV lawman Raylan Givens, but the name is also occasionally used for girls: the statistical gender split is 15 to 1.  The -lan ending might be thought of as Lynn-like, with Raylan an updated spin on such midcentury concoctions as Rae-Lynn.

Raylan

Arleigh

A fictional name from the League of Legends video game franchise. Its meaning has been suggested as "fighter, leader or powerful", due to the carrot.

Irelia

 are as creative as they come. The only way to ensure that your daughter will have a one-of-a-kind name is to invent one yourself! Unless, of course, you invent 

 good of a name and it catches on... (ahem, Abrielle and Wrenley).

In addition to Abrielle and Wrenley, other 

 include Kaylee, Milani, Haisley, Nevaeh, Jaliyah, Mazikeen, Novalee, and Skyla.

We tend to think of invented girl names as a modern phenomenon, but plenty of classic and well-established names are the result of someone's ingenuity. Shakespeare invented the name Jessica, for example. Other

s, such as Khaleesi and Jovie, and celebrities with invented names have been known to popularize the likes of Miley, Kimora, and Banksy.

Many made-up girl names are a combination of 

Below, see our entire collection of invented names for girls.

Invented and made up modern baby girl names including history, origin, and popularity. (Page 16)