Updated May 2023
Across 4 pages
of 4
Greek
"goddess, godly"
Succinct and stylish, sweet but vivacious, multicultural and versatile, Thea has a lot going for it. A Top 100 choice in Sweden, France, Norway, New Zealand, and the UK, it is also familiar in…
English occupational name
"tailor"
Taylor is one of the prime unisex surnames used for girls and has also been a soap opera favorite. Taylor was in the Top 10 for the last several years of the twentieth century, so that now it tends…
Latin
"triad"
A name that feels both spiritual and trendy, Trinity surged up the charts in the early 2000s, following the release of The Matrix . In just two years, it made an impressive jump from the latter end…
Femeninization of Theodore, Greek
"gift of God"
Theodora is one of the most revival-worthy of the charmingly old-fashioned Victorian valentine names, softly evocative but still substantial, as is the reversed-syllable Dorothea. The name Theodora…
"highly valued possession"
Doting parents have begun to use names like Precious and Treasure, which are sweet for a baby, but might not hold up over the years. Treasure was used for nearly 300 baby girls in one recent year.
Diminutive of Matilda
"battle-mighty"
A favorite in England and Wales where nicknames as given names are very much the norm, Tilly has the potential to catch on in the US, given its similarity to the popular Lily and Ellie and the rising…
Choctaw, Irish
"leaping water, lady of abundance"
This hauntingly euphonious Choctaw name has re-entered the public domain, as memories of the outrageous actress Tallulah Bankhead have faded. For years, Tallulah was a name associated only with…
English, diminutive of Matilda
"battle mighty"
A surprise recent hit revival with cutting-edge British, Tribeca and Malibu parents; Tillie, also spelled Tilly, is cute, frilly, and sassy all at once. Tilly features in the England and Wales Top…
Aramaic
"gazelle"
Though never as popular as the name of her Bewitched mother, Samantha, Tabitha has its own quirky, magical charm. The name of a charitable woman who was restored to life by Saint Peter in the Bible,…
English, diminutive of Theresa
"to harvest"
Cosy and warm but with plenty of substance and strength, Tess is a literary diminutive that works perfectly well as a stand-alone name. Stylish in the Netherlands, it currently sits outside the Top…
Hebrew
"date palm tree"
Adding a final a to Tamar lends it a more sensual Slavic tone, making it a more popular choice than the original.
Female diminutive of Tobias, Greek from Hebrew
"God is good"
Toby is an early unisex name with a Shakespearean pedigree; when used for a girl it retains its tomboyish quality. Fits well with the growing trend of boyish nicknames for girls -- alongside rising…
Virtue name
Not too long ago, Temperance was found only on lists of Puritan baby names . With increased increase in virtue names, and Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan on long-running television series Bones , this…
Tamar is a rich, strong Old Testament name sometimes given to girls born on the holiday of Sukkoth, as palm branches were used to make the roof of the sukkah. In the Bible, there are several Tamars,…
Diminutive of Christina et al
Tina, despite its petite and tinkly image, is apt these days to be replaced by the more elegant originals, Christina and Martina.It does have some strong namesakes, though, in Tina Turner (born Anna…
Diminutive of Theodora, Greek
Cute boyish short forms like Stevie, Scottie, Frankie and Billie are in some ways a relic of the past, when girls were given feminized versions of their father's names, but now, they're back in as…
This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter…
German
"spear of strength"
Innocent, sincere, and bright-eyed, and as outdated as its mother name, Gertrude.
Swedish feminization of Thor, Norse
"thunder"
A cute but rare feminine variation of the Norse thunder god (and Marvel superhero) name Thor.
Tupi, Finnish variation of Tatiana, Russian
"morning star; secret"
A pretty, multicultural choice, Taina has its origins in South America and in Europe. As a Tupi name, Taina (also written as Tainá) means "morning star" and has been a popular choice in Brazil since…