By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
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English variation of Eisele, German
"iron"
A surnamier take on Isla. Isley may be derived from the German occupational surname Eisele (of the same pronunciation), or be related to the Old English word hesli , meaning "hazel grove." The Eisley…
German surname
"blacksmith"
Eisele was originally a nickname for the Old German given name Isenhart, which derived from Isenlin — a nickname for a blacksmith. Despite the authentic German pronunciation of EYE-suh-luh, in the US…
Irish surname
"son of the beige one"
Easy nickname Maggie makes Maguire an appealing option for girls.
"devotee of St. John"
A stylish sounding last name, similar to Marlowe in sound and Murphy in style, Malone is a gender neutral choice in the US that has leaned just slightly feminine in recent years. Adapted from the…
Variation of Swayze, English from German
"Swiss"
Some parents have taken it upon themselves to produce this elaboration of Swayze, ostensibly to appear more feminine. A record 26 baby girls received the name in 2021.
French variation of Taylor
"tailor"
Thayer sounds like a modern update '90s success-story Taylor — although it's much rarer and will likely never reach Taylor's heights. It is also reminiscent of currently trendy Thea, which could also…
Scottish habitational surname
"from the hillocks"
The spelling variation Torrance starting being used on baby girls after the premiere of the 2000 movie Bring it On , in which Kirsten Dunst played Torrance Shipman, captain of the cheerleading squad.…
Scottish diminutive of William, German, English
"resolute protection; from Wylye"
The Wylie spelling (with that feminine Y) is much more common among girls than Wiley, but both have been climbing the ranks. Could Wiley be the next Riley?
American variation of Jansen, Dutch, Native American
"son of Jan; yankee"
Yancy has begun to rise in usage among baby girls, perhaps in part due to the similarity to the classically feminine name Nancy.
English word name
Remove a letter from Holly and you get a religious virtue name. It first appeared on the charts in the 1970s, but more consistently in the 2010s.
Hebrew
According to the Bible (and Quran), manna was the foodstuff miraculously provided for the Israelites in exile. This nourishing little name is one of the spiritual names that has seen a slight rise in…
"accept something as true"
One of the spiritual word names that parents started to use in the 2010s.
Kamba
"billy goat"
In Akamba culture, children were historically given names with animal meanings if their mother's first pregnancy was a stillbirth. It was thought that these names promoted survival and kept the bad…
Igbo
"father's mother"
Traditionally given to girls who were thought to be reincarnations of their paternal grandmother.
Zulu, Xhosa
"awaited"
Traditionally reserved for daughters who were long wished for.
Variation of Thandie, Xhosa
"beloved"
Thandi can be used independently or as a nickname for one of the Thand- starting names such as Thandeka or Thandiwe.
Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele
"treasure"
Gugu is derived from the word igugu , meaning "treasure." It's commonly used as a nickname for Gugulethu.
"you're responsible for what you've become"
Zenzile derives from the word uzenzile , meaning "you bought this upon yourself." It was the given name of Miriam Makeba, a singer known as Mama Africa. Her mother gave Makeba the name after a…
"my mother is supreme"
Attractive African name with a meaning that honors mom.
Zulu
"quiet; peaceful"
Bouncy South African girl name whose sound doesn't quite match its meaning.
