By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 27 pages
of 27
English
"from the rabbit meadow"
Abbreviated form of Harley that might also be spelled, for girls, Arleigh or Arlee.
"noble maiden"
Ethel is a name we once declared as 'So Far Out They'll Probably Always Be Out,' but with the return of other names on that list and with its new starbaby cred via Lily Allen, its soft sound and…
English diminutive of Kimberly; Vietnamese; Scandinavian diminutive of Joachima; Soviet name
Kim was the coolest name... of the 1960s. Kim was popularized by actress Kim Novak, and its energy is still maintained by rapper Lil' Kim, but it holds lil' or no appeal for new babies. Parents who…
English, diminutive of Nora
Noreen's in limbo, especially now that Nora has made a comeback.
English nature name
"small stream"
Brooke variation – or is the other way around? – that makes it more a nature name, less an eighties-style androgynous name.
English bird name
Lark is getting some new and well-deserved attention as a post-Robin and Raven bird name. Although it was first recorded as a name in the 1830's, it has never appeared on the Social Security list.…
English variation of Lee
"pasture, meadow"
This spelling adds a little more femininity to the neutral Lee. Leigh and sister Lee were quite popular in the 1960s and 1970s among the first cool wave of unisex names for girls, but now have…
"oneness"
Like Verity and Amity, this inclusive virtue name used by the colorful British literary Mitford family is ready to join its more popular peers Hope, Faith, and Grace. The name was embraced by the…
Hebrew
"delicate or judged"
The modern name Dena can be considered to come from either of two Old Testament names. Adina, which means delicate, was the name of a male soldier in the Bible. Dinah, meaning judged, Dinah was the…
English surname
"of Paccius"
The name of a character in Dawson's Creek , from a surname derived from the Gallo-Roman personal name Paccius, of unknown meaning.
Color name
Blue suddenly came into the spotlight, as the unusual color name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z for their baby girl Blue Ivy. Blue is also a starbaby middle name du jour, used for both sexes in…
Scottish
"from the town of St. Clair"
The most famous Sinclair was the (male) writer Lewis, but these days the name works at least as well for a girl.
"rich deep red"
Crimson could be a possible competitor for Scarlett's success, though it's lacking that Johansson charm. Crimson tends to be disproportionately popular in Alabama — the University of Alabama's…
English word name
"fire"
A hot name, though perhaps not in the sense you want for your baby. About 20 times as many boys as girls were named Blaze in one recent year, perhaps because it can be seen as a spelling variation of…
Feminization of Ebbe, Swedish and Danish, or variation of Old English Æbbe
"bear god; brave boar"
Ebba, the feminine version of Ebbe (a diminutive of Eberhard or Asbjorn) and also a form of an old English name, is in the Swedish Top 10 but virtually unknown in the US. However, with the rise of…
"flat-topped hill"
Though Embry became famous as the name of a boy werewolf in Twilight , we think its Em- beginning and -y ending make it perfectly appropriate for a girl. You might consider it as an alternative to…
English slang
"aggressive energy, know-how"
Like Penn Jillette, you can have your own little brash babe.
"godlike adviser"
Alura has an entirely different root from the similar Allura and shares the fairy tale tinge. It could be a great choice for a wise baby girl.
Word name
Most will see this as a refreshing middle name possibility, but Bristol Palin baby daddy Levi Johnston used it as a first name for his new daughter, Breeze Beretta.
A recently entered name on the roster, Poet was used for her daughter by Soleil Moon (Punky Brewster) Frye, who obviously appreciates the advantages of an unusual name. This is a possible middle name…
