By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 10 pages
of 10
Beyonce's widespread nickname is also the name of a 4-year-old character on HBO's Ballers . Homonym Bay could be a more down-to-earth nod to both or either.
French
"heroine, bright maiden"
The name of medieval French saint, similar to Sally Field's name, Bertrille, on the old The Flying Nun sitcom, leading some to expect the word "Sister" in front of it.
"little doe"
Charming Gallic possibility but with some obvious playground problems.
Diminutive of Bridget
"strength, power"
Uncommon choice too reminiscent of "bidet". Try Bridie instead.
Nature name
With the recent arrival of fruit names like Apple and Plum, this more traditional example, symbolic of fertility, might rise in popularity. Photographer Berry Berenson was born Berinthia.…
Bernelle is a feminine name that appears to be a decorative elaboration of Bernie or Bernadette, names ultimately derived from Germanic roots meaning 'brave as a bear.' The addition of the feminine…
Vietnamese
"peaceful, even"
Properly spelt Bình in Vietnamese, this is a very popular name for both sexes. The pronunciation is usually Anglicized as "BIN", but the middle vowel is more like the U in "burn".
We once dismissed Bird as "too flighty", but with the rise of avian names from Lark to Robin to, well, Birdie, we don't see why Bird can't be a fine choice, especially as a middle name.
German
"brave as a bear"
Too close in sound to the so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out Bernard.
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
The archetypal diminutive, in every sense of the word. Bitsy enjoyed some use as a nickname in the era when children were named after family members and then called by a cute pet name: Chip, Skip,…
Invented name
Along with Siri, Alexa, and Cortana, Bixby joins the ranks of virtual assistant names.
Diminutive of Elizabeth
Bizzy has a 1930s wisecracking waitress -- think Mitzi, Flossie, Fanny -- feel to it, yet at the same time feels like a fresh, modern nickname for Elizabeth. Given that any Bizzy better be, this name…
Place-name
Name of pastoral Vermont town and college sounds too stiff and starchy.
Cornish
"blessing"
Many Cornish names in use today are taken directly from the dictionary, as is the case with Bennath, a noun meaning "blessing." Despite its similarity to the male name Bennett, Bennath is most…
French variation of Latin
"good"
The strong and unusual name of a medieval (male) saint and a contemporary (female) novelist, Benilde Little.
Spanish
"blessed one"
There are several fine Ben-beginning boy's names, such as BENJAMIN and BENEDICT, but girls names like this and BENJAMINA don't fare as well.
German and Catalan
"blue"
Invented literary name
"beautiful shining one"
The name of the character in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" whom the poet intended as a representation of Queen Elizabeth I. While it will no doubt thrill your daughter's English professor, the…
English word name
"beloved"
Toni Morrison, the modern master of literary names, made this one famous as the title character of a novel. But things didn't work out so well for that Beloved.
"goddess"
This French name meaning goddess is a possible Gallic import in the Celine mode.
