By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 27 pages
of 27
English
"place of alders"
Much more upscale and modern for a girl than a boy.
English place-name and surname
Obscure surname and Yorkshire and Lincolnshire place-name (where it's spelled Ferriby) makes a jaunty first. Placed in the public eye by Manhattan socialite Ferebee Bishop Taube.
Composite of Sara and Lee
"princess; meadow"
The cake company pretty much knocked this otherwise-pretty compilation name out of consideration for most parents.
Variation of the word wild or German
"to strive"
The German name for girls Wylda was introduced to the world by British filmmaker/artist, director of Fifty Shades of Gray Sam Taylor-Wood and her actor husband, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who named their…
English place name and surname
"peat bog, mouse clearing"
Mosley, former best known as the surname of author Walter, has been put in play as a first name for girls by football great Peyton Manning, who used the name for his twin daughter, sister of…
English surname
"wine bearer"
Palin has suddenly become a hot new surname-name given usually to girls. The inspiration can only be former Alaska governor Sarah, though the name Palin is her husband's -- her original surname is…
"blind"
Sisley may look like a modern coinage, building on the fashionable -ley ending, but it's actually a medieval English variant of Cicely or Cecily, which in turn is a variation of Cecilia. Also found…
Flower name, from English
"yellow wildflower"
Though Buttercup is most often reserved for cows (and pets of other kinds), this humble flower name was given to the princess in "The Princess Bride" and to one of The Power Puff Girls . Yet to rank…
English, diminutive of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Yes, it's a word name, but Busy is also a rare pet form of Elizabeth. And yes, actress Busy Philipps was christened Elizabeth--she was given the nickname because she was such an active child. She…
"dark wolf's wood or clearing"
Blakesley is the name of a village in England, also sometimes found as a surname along with Blakely and Blakeley, turned into a first name for their daughter by reality stars Trista and Ryan Sutter.…
Literary name and Old Norse
"gravel bank river"
This lovely name is best-known as the surname of eponymous Bronte heroine, Jane Eyre, and would make an appealing and distinctive middle name for the child of fans of that book. While the surname…
Word name or nickname
Boo may have started out as a nickname for the male character Arthur "Boo" Radley in To Kill A Mockingbird and these days may be closely associated with another male Boo, the "world's cutest dog" or…
Word name
"firearm"
While Pistol might be more positively spun as a word name for an enterprising and spirited person, it's the small, handheld firearm that most people will think of first. As such, it joins the ranks…
"swan"
Obsolete Swanhild gives way to oh-so-modern Swan, joining the flock of newly fashionable bird names such as Wren and Lark. In France, the Swann spelling is fashionable for both sexes. But Swan…
English occupational name
"carter"
Jagger, made famous as the surname of Rolling Stone Mick, gets an entry in the girls' column thanks to Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross, who chose it for their daughter. For either gender, this name…
English; Czech
"twilight; soul"
This name has two origins: the English word Dusk, meaning evening twilight and the Czech name for girls Duška meaning "soul or spirit". Either way, this is an interesting name with some potential.
Type of cotton cloth
Dimity is fairly common in Australia, but unheard of outside of it, which is surprising given its similarity to names like Amity, Verity, and Cassidy. The fabric probably became used as a name given…
Twiggy was the working name of English international supermodel and original 'mod squad' girl Lesley Lawson. While the name conjures images of cool 60s parties and glamour, be warned that this could…
Surname; modern invented name
Harleth is a name which probably stems from combining the oh-so-trendy Harlow with the evergreen Elizabeth. However, literary parents may also remember the beautiful but difficult character Gwendolen…
English word name
"conscious of benefit received"
In the Plymouth Colony of the seventeenth century, Thankful was the third most popular of the abstract word names. It disappeared after 1700 and has virtually no chance of returning.
