Elegant Girls That End With "Ette"

Charlotte

French, feminine diminutive of Charles

"free man"

Charlotte, the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is the latest classic name to join Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella at the top of the popularity list. It is now among the most popular girl…

Violet

English from Latin

"purple"

Violet is soft and sweet, yet with a vivacious edge. Today, Violet is the top flower name for girls, outranking Lily and Iris in the Top 100, and the most popular color name for girls, pulling ahead…

Margaret

Greek

"pearl"

Margaret is derived from the French Marguerite, which in turn came from Margarita, the Latin form of the Greek Margarites. Margarites was based on the Old Persian word margārīta , meaning "pearl."…

Juliet

English from Latin

"youthful or sky father"

One of the most romantic names, the lovely and stylish Juliet seems finally to have shaken off her limiting link to Romeo. In Shakespeare's play, it was Juliet who said "What's in a name?" Juliet…

Scarlet

Color name

The Scarlet spelling makes it less a name, less Gone With The Wind and Scarlett Johansson, and more the bright red color that inspired it in the first place. About 650 baby girls were named Scarlet…

Bridget

Anglicized variation of Gaelic Brighid

"strength or exalted one"

Bridget is the Anglicized form of Brigid, an Irish-Gaelic name that was derived from the word brígh , which means "strength." Bridget is the name of the most famous female saint of Ireland, who…

Odette

French, from German

"wealthy"

Odette is the good swan in Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake , a role for which Natalie Portman won an Oscar ---and it would make a particularly sophisticated yet upbeat choice. In fact, it charted in…

Alouette

French

"lark"

Alouette is a sweet Gallic twist in the stylish bird name genre made familiar via the charming French children's song, Alouette, gentile alouette .

Annette

French

"grace"

Annette is a French diminutive of Ann which was among the first wave of widely-used girls' names from France, now neglected for so long that it's almost starting to feel stylish again.

Bernadette

German

"brave as a bear"

Although feminizations ending in "ette" are not particularly popular now, Bernadette is a pleasant, feminine, but strong name that doesn't feel prohibitively dated. And though strongly associated…

Cosette

French literary nickname

"little thing"

Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables . In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some…

Georgette

French, feminine variation of George

Has a musty 1940s feel. Try Georgia -- or Georgiana.

Harriet

English variation of French Henriette

"estate ruler"

Harriet has long been considered a stylish, upscale name in England, but it's still waiting to be revived in the US—though some parents seeking a solid, serious semi-classic are beginning to consider…

Janet

Diminutive of Jane

"God is gracious"

Janet started as a pet form of Jane but has long been used independently. Jane is a feminine form of John, which derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan. Janet can also be considered a variation of…

Lizette

French, diminutive of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Whether you spell it Lisette or Lizette, a somewhat dated diminutive that nevertheless retains some charm.

Lynette

French elaboration of Lynn or Welsh

"idol"

Linda begat Lynn which gave way to Lynette, which peaked in the late 1960s. Lynette has been off the Top 1000 for a couple decades now, and the Lynn variations finding the most favor are those that…

Manette

French, diminutive of Marie

Manette might be a fresh way to spin Mary or Marie, but popular French Manon has more grace and heft. Manet takes Manette in an artistic direction.

Ninette

French diminutive of Ann

"grace"

Not quite Nanette and not quite Ninon, this is one of the more unusual 'ette' options. There was an eponymous Spanish film, starring Elsa Pataky, based on a novel.

Nicolette

French, diminutive of Nicole, feminine variation of Nicholas, Greek

"people of victory"

Frilly and feminine, Nicolette is the name of an enchanting princess in the medieval French romance, Aucassin et Nicolette , but really got its publicity from the heyday of Desperate Housewives and…

Paulette

French, feminine diminutive of Paul

"small"

It's interesting how names imported to the US from other countries and cultures have fashion cycles based on their culture of origin. Paulette along with cousins Annette and Claudette were the most…