Names Ending in -ly for Girls

In the Middle Ages, Margaret became Margery, Cecilia became Cecily, and Amabel became Mabel ... and Mabely.

Chaucer mentions the name briefly in The Canterbury Tales. 

It's rare - and maybe a shade too close to cosmetics company - Maybelline - but has some potential appeal for parents after something like Emily and Avery, but much less common.

Mabely

Thessaly is the name of an area of Greece, known for being near Mount Olympus. This variation lends itself to the nickname Sally. You may also wish to consider the name Larissa, which is the capital of the Thessaly region.

Thesally

The name of an Abenaki chief who was the first Native American to make contact with the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Samoset

Amelia Lily is a melodious double name combining two popular feminine choices. Amelia, derived from the Germanic 'amal' meaning 'work,' has been beloved for centuries and carried by notable figures including Amelia Earhart. It conveys strength with a feminine quality. Lily, from the flower name, symbolizes purity, innocence, and beauty in many cultures. Together, they create a name with both substance and delicacy, balancing traditional strength with natural grace. The combination gained recognition in the UK when singer Amelia Lily Oliver rose to fame on The X Factor in 2011. As a double name, Amelia Lily offers versatility—it can be used in full or shortened to either component depending on personal preference, giving the bearer multiple options throughout life.

Amelia-lily

The surname of enterprising journalist Nellie Bly and poet Robert Bly makes a simple, modern, and upbeat sounding choice for either a boy or a girl.

A striking word name that packs a punch — but the "-ly" ending may a bit more name-like than just Brave.

Bravely

A bright and bubbly word name would be fun on a girl or a boy — a more spritely alternative to Brighton.

Brightly

The Calla lily is a beautiful trumpet-shaped lily flower, usually white in color, which symbolizes purity and innocence. Its name derives from the Greek kallos, meaning "beauty".

 Calla lilies have long been associated with the goddess Hera. According to Greek legend, Zeus brought his son Hercules to nurse from Hera while she slept, so that he could have the strength of the gods. Hera awoke and pushed the baby away from her. Drops of milk flew across the sky, creating the milky way, and fell to earth, causing calla lilies to grow.

Callalily

A small number of girls are given this Irish surname as a first name each year.

Daly

Pretty and unconventional floral option so called because their beautiful blooms generally last only a day.

Daylily

A fantastical nature name that could just make a brilliant middle.

Dragonfly

Made famous by Gossip Girl character Epperly Lawrence, Dan and Blair's boss at W Magazine.

Epperly

Firefly

This cheerful name would be a fun seasonal choice of middle name for a child born around the holidays — or as a pet name for a dog or cat adopted during the Christmas season.
 
Jolly has been used as a given name sporadically, typically in relation to the surname. As a last name, Jolly is found among the English, Scottish, and French. It originated as a nickname for a positive person, derived from Middle English Old French jolif, joli, meaning "cheerful" or "pretty".

Jolly

A new name bestowed on a few girls each year thanks to Brazilian gospel singer Kemilly Santos. Kemilly makes for an unconventional way to get to Milly.

Kemilly

Kirrily, which rhymes with cheerily, is a name that's uniquely popular in Australia. It originated in recent decades as an elaboration of several similar names – the European Kyra or Keira, the Maori Kiri which means tree bark, or the Aboriginal word kira which means leaf – plus the lee sound. 

Both Aboriginal actress Kirrily Nolan and Australian fashion designer Kirrily Johnston have helped popularize the name, which has spawned a countless number of spelling variations including Kirrilie and Kirralee. Tennis player Kirrily Sharpe and actress Kirrily White are other notable bearers. 
 
Unrelated to the Russian Kirill (a variation of Cyril) despite their similar appearance, Kirrily has proved surprisingly popular on Nameberry where it ranked in the Top 50 in 2025.

Kirrily

Variant of Maëlys or Maëlie, a feminine form of the popular Breton name Maël.

Maëly

Mayfly

A beautiful smoosh of two stylish vintage girl names, May and Lily, but also the name of a pretty lily of the valley flower with small white blooms.

Maylily

Saint came into the celebrity baby spotlight by way of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's son and joined the Top 1000 on the boys' list in 2018. Saintly could be a way to transition this virtuous title name to the girls' side. 

Saintly

Girl names ending in -ly include many popular choices.

In the US, the top girl name with an ly ending is Emily, a former Number 1 name. Along with Emily, girl names with ly endings in the US Top 200 include Lily (and Lilly), Everly, Molly, and Kimberly.

Along with Emily and Lily, popular ly-ending girl names in the UK include Holly, Tilly, and Polly, all in the Top 200.

Names that end in ly closely resemble those ending in ley, lee, and so on, so the sound is far more ubiquitous than this one spelling would suggest.

The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.

Here are all Nameberry's names for girls ending in ly.

Girl names ending in -ly include many popular choices. In the US, the top girl name with an ly ending is Emily, a former Number 1 name. Along with Emily, girl names with ly endings in the US Top 200 include Lily (and Lilly), Everly, Molly, and Kimberly. Along with Emily and Lily, popular ly-ending girl names in the UK include Holly, Tilly, and Polly, all in the Top 200. Names that end in ly closely resemble those ending in ley, lee, and so on, so the sound is far more ubiquitous than this one spelling would suggest. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically. Here are all Nameberry's names for girls ending in ly. (Page 33)