Girls Names I Love

Presley is a much more popular name for little girls than you might think, entering the charts as a girls' name in 1998 and hovering around Number 200 for the last decade.

Valeria -- the original form of the name, used by early Christians --has been experiencing significant popularity in recent years. While Valeria was nearly always on the charts, the name peaked in 2009 at #72, surpassing the longtime Franco-American version Valerie. Today Valeria and Valerie are at about equal rankings, sitting in the 150s.

Cute boyish short forms like Teddy and Frankie and Billie are in some ways a relic of the past, of the days before unisex names, when girls were given feminized versions of their father's names, but they are starting to come into their own again.

One of the original French names chosen by midcentury parents for their sophistication and je ne sais quoi, Desiree has since become completely assimilated in the US. It ranked in the Top 1000 from 1954-2017, but has since dropped back out.

In Nabokov's notorious novel, Lolita is the pet name given by the pedophilic narrator, Humbert Humbert, to his victim: a young girl called Dolores and nicknamed Lola or Lo by her mother. Still, it seems that a few parents are prepared to look past this problematic association, seeing this as a offbeat option for those who defy convention. We would recommend thinking seriously about the background of this name before bestowing it on your daughter.

Associated with the ancient Rosetta stone, this is also the pretty Italian pet form of Rosa.

Simple and pretty and user-friendly, the Welsh Sian was used by U2's Dave "the Edge" Evans for his daughter. In Welsh, it is also spelled Siân.

Deriving from "Lilian", as an elaborate form of the flower name, "Lily", Lilianna is a clean and polished spelling for those wanting the pronunciation Lily-Ann-uh.

This alternate spelling of Holly is still quite popular in the UK but hasn't seen use in the US since the end of the millennium.

Lulah is a charming feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a variant of Lula, which itself could be a diminutive of Louise (meaning "renowned warrior") or Talullah (meaning "leaping water" in Native American Choctaw language). Alternatively, it might connect to Arabic origins where similar names mean "pearl." Lulah has a delicate, vintage quality that evokes the early 20th century when similar names were more common. Though relatively rare in contemporary usage, it fits with the trend toward reviving gentle, old-fashioned names with a melodic quality. The name carries a sweet, Southern charm and musical resonance with its repeated 'l' sound.

Honour is a feminine virtue name derived from the Latin 'honor,' representing high respect, recognition, and integrity. Used primarily in English-speaking countries, particularly with British spelling (versus the American 'Honor'), it emerged as a given name during the Puritan era alongside other virtue names like Grace, Faith, and Patience. Though never extremely common, Honour has maintained a steady, understated presence in naming records. The name carries dignified associations with moral uprightness, honesty, and principled behavior. In recent decades, virtue names have experienced renewed interest, with Honour benefiting from this revival among parents seeking names with clear positive meanings and traditional roots. The name's straightforward pronunciation and spelling (in British English contexts) make it accessible despite its relatively uncommon usage.

Harri and Harrie are two underused short forms of the under-appreciated classic Harriet. Another adorable nickname, Hattie, is used more than three times as much as Harriet.

A surname style choice, familiarly used in the UK, Darcey is a variation of Darcy and Darcie. Popularized by ballerina Darcey Bussell, it currently ranks in the Top 400 in the UK, below the aforementioned -y and -ie spellings.