A name with many spelling variations, including Malek, Melik, and Maliq, Malik is a popular name of Arabic and Semetic origin that is used internationally as both a given name and a surname. In terms of meaning, it can be considered a royal name meaning "king", though other sources suggest it is an alternative transcription of Maalik, making "owner, possessor" a more accurate meaning.

Jennifer is the Cornish variation of Guinevere, which ultimately derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar. As such, it is connected to the queen of Arthurian legend, and sharees the same meaning of "white shadow", "white wave", or "white phantom".

Jenna was first noted on the 1980s TV series Dallas, later associated with one of the First Twin Daughters. Jenna is still being used, but no longer feels much fresher than Jennifer. You can also spell it Jena, but then many people will pronounce it jeen-a, as in Gina.

Guinevere was the name of the beautiful but ill-fated queen of Camelot, for so many years eclipsed by its modern Cornish form Jennifer. Today, Guinevere could be a cool possibility for adventurous parents intrigued by this richly evocative and romantic choice.

Epithet of the goddess Lakshmi with a watery meaning.

Alda's brother name Aldo has been a mainstay of the U.S. popularity chart for decades now, and the related Alden is soaring up as well. This version has never really caught on. (Maybe it's the association with Alan Alda: great actor, unlikely namesake for a little girl.) However, there is possible hope now that Alba and Alma are on the rise. Aida and Arden are more familiar alternatives.

Mythological spirit of the waters; spelled Undine, she was an Edith Wharton heroine.

Mythological water spirit with the more common spelling of Ondine, heroine of an Edith Wharton novel.

The last name of Finnish moderne designer/architect makes an original, creative choice with an unexpected water-related meaning.

A unisex name in Israel but in the U.S., it might as well be Sue.

An Italian word name that somehow feels incomplete in itself.

Wave is used as a name in its own right, but on girls, it's most often seen as a nickname for Waverly. It lends a beachy, bohemian air to the classy English surname.

Yennefer is the name of one of the protagists of The Witcher series, first books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski and then a video game and now a Netflix series. Yennefer is a powerful fighter and sorceress. As a name, we don't think Yennefer is any improvement on millennial mom name Jennifer, but nickname Yen has it all over the dated Jen.

Wave made, well, waves when it was revealed to be the name of Cardi B and Offset's son. Evocative of crashing waves at the beach, large surfing barrels, and tumultuous and stormy seas, Wave is a name with a lot of personalities.

Malek may be a variation of the more popular Malik, made familiar via actor Ramy Malek. It might also be a Dinka name, used in Southern Sudan, meaning "brown bull" or a Greenlandic name meaning "wave, ocean" (typically spelled Malik).

Tsunami is a Japanese word, derived from the elements tsu meaning "harbor," and nami, "wave." It was first used as a name in 2004 and 2005, then left the charts and reemerged in 2020. At the very least, it makes an interesting way to get to the nickname Sue or Susie (or would that be Tsu/Tsusi?)

Gwenora teeters on the line between unique gem and modern invention. But it's not a smoosh name fashioned from Gwen and Nora but an old Cornish form of Guinevere, like its much more famous sister Jennifer.

An aquatic Japanese choice that would work well cross-culturally. American parents are starting to pick up on this short and sweet international choice, with over 100 baby girls in the US receiving this name last year. Credit the mega-popular manga and animeOne Piece, which has a character named Nami, the Straw Hat Pirates' navigator. In the US, NAMI is the acronym for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Tonwen is another name for Gwen, the mother of Saint Cybi and sister of Non (who was the mother of St David, patron saint of Wales). An unusual -wen ending option.