A Song of Ice and Fire: Female

Arya

Sanskrit; Modern variation of Aria

"noble; air/song"

Arya was derived from an Indo-Iranian word meaning "Aryan" or "noble." It is a masculine given name in Iran, Indonesia, Bali, and Sanskrit-speaking regions of India. In Hindu- and English-speaking…

Joanna

Variation of Johanna

"God is gracious"

Joanna derives from the Greek name Ioanna, which in turn came from the Hebrew name Yohannah. It is featured in the New Testament as a woman who accompanied Jesus on his travels and eventually reached…

Leona

Latin

"lioness"

A strong, grounded choice that still has plenty of energy and charm, Leona is the feminine form of Leon, itself derived from the Greek word for "lion". Associated with courage, leadership, and…

Lyra

Greek

"lyre"

Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's found new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's book series, His Dark Materials and its subsequent movie and TV adaptions.…

Mya

Variation of Maia, Maya, or Mia, Greek, Scandinavian, Hebrew, Burmese

"mother; larger, greater; bitter, beloved; emerald"

This distinctive spelling was popularized by the R&B singer Mya (Harrison) and entered the US Top 100 in 2009 after the singer appeared on Dancing with the Stars . While it has since declined in the…

Alyssa

English variation of Alicia

"noble"

Alyssa was in the Top 20 from 1997-2010 and peaked as the 11th most popular girls’ name in 1998 and 1999 but has become less popular in recent years. It's related to the flower alyssum as well as to…

Mina

Hindu equivalent of Pisces or diminutive of Wilhelmina, German

"resolute protection"

Most famous as a Dracula victim (where Mina is short for Wilhelmina), Mina is a name that can stand on its own or be a diminutive of any name ending in -mina, most usually Wilhelmina. This Old World…

Elia

Spanish feminization of Elio, Italian and Spanish

"sun"

Though the most famous Elia, screenwriter Kazan, was male, this name sounds like a spin on many popular girls' names, from Ella to Ellie to Isla and Leah. While the Italian pronunciation has the…

Catelyn

Variant of Caitlin

This spelling of Caitlin is closely associated with Game of Thrones matriarch Catelyn Stark, whose name is pronounced CAT-lin on the show.

Gilly

Literary name

Gilly is a name that's popped up from time to time in different contexts: As a nickname for Gillian, for instance, and as the name of a town in Switzerland. But it's increasingly associated with…

Meera

Hindi, Sanskrit

"light, saintly woman; prosperous"

Meera Bai, also spelled Mirabai, was a great female Hindu mystical poet whose works are popular throughout India. She was a fifteenth-sixteenth century Indian princess who devoted her life to writing…

Beth

English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew

"pledged to God"

The sweetest and most sensitive of the pet names for Elizabeth, now also one of the most dated.

Val

Diminutive of Valentina, Valerie, etc, Latin

"strength, health"

Occasionally used as an independent name, but why.

Lysa

Lysa is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may function as a diminutive of Elisabeth or Melissa, a variant spelling of Lisa, or derive from names in various European languages. In…