By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 13 pages
of 13
Botanical name
Lovely entry into the tree name genre, joining Juniper, Maple, and Willow. Nearly 200 babies were named Cypress in the US last year, about 40 percent of them female.
Afrikaans feminization of Charles, French
"free man"
Charlize is a name that owes its very life to a star: elegant blond South African actress Charlize Theron. She was named after her father, whose name was Charles. Charlize jumped onto the popularity…
Persian or Greek
"sun or throne, or lord"
Cyra is an unusual name that can be pronounced either SEER-a or SI-ra, rhyming with Keira or Tyra. This name may be a feminine variation of Cyrus but is also a Persian name that stands on its own.…
Diminutive of Carol, English, or Caroline, French"free man"
Carrie lives on mainly on the screen, as the new/old antiheroine of Stephen King's classic Carrie , as turn-of-the-21st-century diva Carrie Bradshaw of Sex & The City , and as Claire Danes'…
English from French
"oak grove"
A rising surname name for girls — it's overwhelmingly feminine, despite the association with Kenny Chesney.
English from Latin tree name
"cedar tree"
A fresh and fragrant nature name, Cedar is one of the new tree/wood names that parents are starting to consider. While it is currently more popular for boys, it sounds similar enough to Selah, Celia,…
Irish
"girl"
Midcentury Irish-American favorite, never used in Ireland itself, being the generic word for "girl"; rarely given today.
Greek
"she who hides"
Melodic, rhythmic, and poetic in sound, Calypso is a name with connections to music, mythology, space, and pop culture. A distinctive was to nickname Callie or even Pip, it has that charming -o…
French from Latin
"coral"
Coralie is a French name not often heard here, though she's gaining some recognition via Neil Gaiman's similar sounding spooky and lovely children's book, Coraline . Other literary appearances:…
Diminutive of Constance, English
"steadfastness"
Connie is a sweet and charming vintage nickname, which ranks in the top 200 in the UK and has a vintage charm that makes it ready for a comeback in the US as well.
Medieval form of Clarita, a derivative of Clara
"bright, clear"
If you’re a fan of the annual animated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you’ll recognize the name of Rudolph’s beautiful doe sweetheart, pronounced cla-REES—uncomfortably close to the Silence of the…
English or Irish
"people of Cana or wolf cub"
While the most famous Channing is the very male Channing Tatum, the name is now given about a third of the time for girls. Television executive Channing Dungey is a well-know example of a female…
American place-name
"Charles' town"
Charleston is one of those baby names that may become more popular thanks to its nickname Charlie, now used about equally for boys and girls. If you want to call your daughter Charlie but believe she…
Italian and Spanish variation of Celeste
"heavenly"
We are hearing more of such heavenly names as Celeste and Celia, which opens the door to the range of lovely variations rarely heard before. Celestina is one of them, though given the more accessible…
"most beautiful"
Calista Flockhart spotlighted this lovely Greek name that has a long future in the English-speaking world. Kallista is another spelling; Calixta and Calixto are related.
"glory of the father"
A royal name in ancient Egypt that's never quite made it to the modern world, though nickname Cleo is widely used. Other now-extinct Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora and Cleola, achieved some…
Spanish, Portuguese variation of Charlotte
"free man; Frenchman"
Carlota is the preferred version of Charlotte in Spain and Portugal, each where it ranks among the Top 50 most popular girl names. Carlotta, with two Ts, is the Italian spelling.
Place name, Arabic
"the strong; the conqueror"
On trend for boys but with plenty of unisex appeal too, the place name Cairo was put on the map for girls when model Beverly Peele chose it for her daughter. Given to around 50 girls each year, it…
Italian variation of Charlotte, French diminutive of Charles
Carlotta has a large measure of finger-snapping charm and substance — despite being a not too pleasant character in The Little Mermaid . Carlotta is also the diva/prima donna in The Phantom of the…
Cami is a feminine name that functions both as a standalone name and as a diminutive of names like Camille, Camila, or Cameron. With Latin roots, it relates to 'ceremonial attendant' through its…
