Kiira's Favorites -- Female

Tess

English, diminutive of Theresa

"to harvest"

Cosy and warm but with plenty of substance and strength, Tess is a literary diminutive that works perfectly well as a stand-alone name. Stylish in the Netherlands, it currently sits outside the Top…

Katja

German; Scandinavian; Finnish; Dutch; Slovene; Croatian, from Greek

"pure"

A sweet and international short form of Catherine, pronounced like Katya and used in various European languages.

Fionn

Irish

"fair or white"

Fionn is the Irish form of the name modernized as Finn, but popular in this form in Ireland, where it's in the boys' Top 20. A couple dozen baby boys in the US were named Fionn last year and no baby…

Cerise

French

"cherry"

Infinitely preferable to the tease-inspiring English version of the word.

Etana

Hebrew

"strength of purpose"

Girlish for Ethan: attractive and unusual.

Corisande

Greek

"chorus-singer"

Corisande is a very unusual, haunting choice, with the aura of medieval romance--it is found in early Spanish romantic tales, arriving in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. 'La…

Vivia

Italian variation of Vivian

"life"

Vivia, the fresh Italian version of newly popular name, streamlines and even vivifies the original.

Vienne

Variation of Vienna, place-name

Vienne came to Western consciousness as the name of the French heroine of the popular 1990s book and then movie Chocolat . Vienne is a variation of Vienna, the name of the Austrian capital that has…

Jolán

Greek

"violet"

One of a number of similar forms of the "violet" name family used throughout Europe — others include Yolanda, Violante and Iolanthe.

Ysolt

Ysolt is a feminine name derived from the medieval romance of Tristan and Isolde (also spelled Iseult, Isolt, or Yseult). This ancient Celtic name likely means "ice" or "fair, beautiful one" in its…

Theora

Greek

"a thinker or watcher"

Soft and gentle, but feels like a less meaningful contraction of Theodora.

Gaetana

Italian place-name

Gaeta is a southern Italian region; this makes a sunny first name.

Linnet

French

"flaxen haired"

Although the accent in Linnet is on the first syllable, it could be confused with the dated Lynette.

Anwen

Welsh

"very fair, beautiful"

Anwen is one of the simplest and best of the classic Welsh girls' names, more unusual than Bronwen but with the same serene feel.

Carys

Welsh

"love"

Light, pretty and distinctive in appearance, Carys is one of that sweet group of girl names with a loving meaning. A relatively modern name, it didn't come into use in its native Wales until the late…