My Future Girls
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- Beatrice
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"she who brings happiness; blessed"Description:
Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, the lovely Beatrice with its long literary (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history is being looked at with fresh eyes by parents seeking a classic name with character and lots of upbeat nicknames, like Bea and Bee.
- Cambria
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Most names that start with Cam- are on the upswing, so why not this obscure term for Wales as well as for a prehistoric time period.
- Cecily
Origin:
Feminine variation of CecilMeaning:
"blind"Description:
Cecily is as dainty as a lace handkerchief. Cecily has a wide assortment of namesakes. One Cecily was the mother of King Richard III, whose beauty gained her the title "the Rose of Raby," Cecily Parsley is a Beatrix Potter bunny, Cecily Cardew is a character in The Importance of Being Earnest, and the author of the Gossip Girl books is Cecily von Ziegesar.
- Colette
Origin:
French, short form of Nicole, feminine variation of Nicholas, GreekMeaning:
"people of victory"Description:
Like the French author with whom the name is most closely associated, Colette is a chic and charming name that is being rediscovered. After disappearing for nearly 30 years, Colette rejoined the Top 1000 in 2012 at Number 659 and has continued to rise since then.
- Eden
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"place of pleasure, delight"Description:
Eden is an attractive, serene name with obvious intimations of Paradise, one of several place names drawn from the Bible by the Puritans in the seventeenth century.
- Elettra
Origin:
Italian variation of Latin ElectraMeaning:
"shining, bright"Description:
Less electric and melodramatic, more serene, than Electra. Isabella Rossellini's daughter (and Ingrid Bernman's granddaughter) is named Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann.
- Emeline
Origin:
French form of German AmelinaMeaning:
"work"Description:
An old name, with a history separate from Emily and Emma and a different kind of vintage feel, that's a possible alternative to top-of-the-pops names. More common spelling is Emmeline.
- Emery
Origin:
English from GermanMeaning:
"industrious"Description:
The superpopularity of Emily and Emma has recently boosted the unisex Emery, especially since it became a celebrity baby name when it was chosen by Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn.
- Greer
Origin:
Scottish, contraction of surname Gregor; LatinMeaning:
"alert, watchful"Description:
This attractive Scottish surname choice, has a certain amount of glamour thanks to feisty British-born red-haired forties Academy Award winner Greer Garson, who was born Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson--Greer was her Irish mother's maiden name). Greer was chosen much more recently by Kelsey Grammer for his daughter and by Brooke Shields in the Grier form. As a surname, it's associated with feminist writer/activist Germaine Greer.
- Greta
Origin:
German, diminutive of MargaretheMeaning:
"pearl"Description:
Greta is an Old World name long tied to the iconic Garbo. Along with other Old Hollywood glamour names, Greta seems to be showing slight signs of a comeback; it was chosen by David Caruso and by Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline for their daughters.
- Indra
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"possessing drops of rain"Description:
In the ancient Hindu religion, Indra is the warrior god of sky and rain, though in modern America, this might make a better girls' than boys' name. You can spell it Indre, like the French river, if you prefer.
- Luciana
Origin:
Feminine variation of LucianusMeaning:
"light"Description:
Lushly elaborate name that makes Lucy more grownup and sensual. Carnie Wilson chose it for her daughter. Lucianus is an ancient Roman family name and Lucianus of Samosata was an early satirist. Heard most often in the Italian and Spanish cultures, Luciana is usually pronounced loo-chee-anna.
- Meliora
Origin:
Latin, CornishMeaning:
"better; honey"Description:
Unusual and lush Roman name adopted, improbably, by the Puritans.
- Nellie
Origin:
Diminutive of Helen, Eleanor, et alDescription:
This ready-for-revival nickname name recalls the old Gay Nineties and bicycles-built-for-two era. In the US, Nellie is one of the most popular unique girl names, lying just beneath the Top 1000. About five times as many baby girls are named Nellie in the US today as shorter form Nell.
- Penelope
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"weaver"Description:
Penelope is an unlikely 21st century baby name success story. Off the Top 1000 for 25 years, Penelope jumped back on in 2001 and has been heading uphill ever since, propelled by the trend for mythological names, Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, and some high-profile celebrity babies.
- Tressa
Origin:
CornishMeaning:
"third"Description:
More unusual than Tessa, this would make an interesting, meaningful and attractive choice for a third child.
- Willa
Origin:
Feminine variation of WilliamMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
Willa has become increasingly fashionable, with its combination of Willa (born Wilella) Cather-like pioneer strength and the graceful beauty of the willow tree.
- Zinnia
Origin:
Flower name, from German surnameMeaning:
"Zinn's flower"Description:
Zinnia is an unusual floral choice with a bit more edge and energy than most and beginning to find its way onto namers' wish lists of botanical possibilities. Named after an eighteenth German botanist called Johann Gottfried Zinn, it appears in Roald Dahl's Matilda as the young protagonist's mother.