Updated November 2023
Across 108 pages
of 108
Variation of Sandra, Italian from Greek
"defending men"
A rare name borne by a character in the young adult book series The Morganville Vampires .
Chinese
"frost"
Icy gender-neutral option.
Cornish
This punchy little name, reminiscent of Latin Io, has a whimsical and beautiful fable behind it. According to legend, the Cornish saint Ia was an Irish princess who sailed across the sea to Cornwall…
Urtė is a feminine Lithuanian name with roots in Baltic traditions. It likely derives from the Lithuanian word "urtas" meaning "wealth" or "abundance". The name is straightforward yet distinctive,…
Medieval variation of Esmee
Old English
"elf joy"
An ancient elfin name borne by a granddaughter of Alfred the Great. The name appeared on a character in The Lost Kingdom , a ruler of Mercia.
Literary name
"of Fred"
Offred is not technically a name but the "slave name" of a woman given to a man — literally Of Fred — in Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale . Offred, who was stripped of her own…
Man is an uncommon feminine name with diverse cultural roots. In Vietnamese tradition, it's pronounced with a different tone than the English word and means 'ten thousand' or 'intelligence.' In…
Invented literary name
Clia could be seen as a variation of Clea (probably another invented literary name), or the creation of L. Frank Baum for a mermaid Princess character in one of his Oz books. Offers a similar choice…
Neive is a feminine name with Scottish origins, derived from a picturesque village in the Scottish Borders. The name has Gaelic roots and may be related to 'naomh,' meaning 'holy' or 'sacred.' Some…
Yides is an uncommon feminine name with Yiddish origins, used primarily within traditional Jewish communities. It derives from the Yiddish form of Judith (Yehudit), a Hebrew name meaning 'woman from…
Ica is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Slavic contexts, it may be a diminutive suffix added to create endearing feminine forms of names. It exists as an independent name in several…
Awa is a feminine name with multicultural roots, appearing in several African languages as well as in Japanese culture. In Senegalese and Malian traditions, Awa is a variant of Eve or Hawa, meaning…
Hebrew
"I have a light"
Lior connects with several factors stylish for Israeli names: It's short, it's unisex, and it has an uplifting nature theme. Lior might make a more modern spin on Leah.
Feminine variation of Ulf, Scandinavian
"wolf"
Ylva may look like it belongs with the Eva family of names, but it actually derives from Ulf, a name meaning "wolf." It's not a very intuitive name to English-speakers, and likely won't get picked up…
Diminutive of Rowan or Rowena, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
"rowan tree, little redhead; white spear, famous friend"
Ro- names are on the rise — think Roman, Rory, and Rowan — but straightforward and streamlined Row (and Rowe, Roe, and Ro) takes this trend to the next level. The pared-down single syllable gives Row…
Ici is an unusual feminine name that may have French origins, as 'ici' means 'here' in French. This uncommon name has an interesting minimalist quality with just two syllables and three letters. Ici…
Short form of Giovanna, Italian form of John
"God is gracious"
Gio is a cute, more androgynous variation of Gia that could work well as a nickname for names such as Giovanna, Giordana, or Giorgia. It was chosen by Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo for their…
English, word name
Dulse can either be a nature name — it's a kind of seaweed — or a short form of Dulcie. The "dull" sound is not in its favor, but it has occasionally been used for girls in the USA.