English Names for Girls

Name of the licorice plant, this spice comes in the shape of a star, giving this name an extra level of sweetness.

Anise

Baby is rarely seen as a given name — or even nickname — these days, although it did rank in the Top 1000 from 1989 to 2003. These instances can be accounted for in two ways. Firstly, infants whose birth certificates are not filled out on time are given generic placeholders for registration, such as Infant, Unknown, or Baby. But more influential during this decade was the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, starring Jennifer Grey as Frances "Baby" Houseman. It's the origin of the famed line, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."
 
Model Jessica Hart named her daughter Baby-Rae in November of 2020, in homage to the film. In an interview with People, she said, "I first heard it in the movie Dirty Dancing and always thought I'd love to name my daughter Baby."

Baby

Carlisle may be a male name in Twilight (he's vampire hero Edward's adoptive father), but in the real baby naming world, it's used about a quarter of the time for girls. Unusual now, we think Carlisle (or Carlyle) has the potential to be the next Carter.

Carlisle

Clove is a spice name that is a tad more piquant than Saffron or Cinnamon. It might get more attention now as a member of The Hunger Games family of names.

Clove

Cydney

Dusty first became popular as a girl's name thanks to singer Dusty Springfield - born Mary. She used her childhood nickname professionally, and many parents embraced Dusty as a name for their daughters, especially in the 1970s.

Singer Adam Levine and model Behati Prinsloo chose this distinctive name for their daughter in 2016, which might prompt a new generation of parents to consider the name.

Dusty

The word name Heiress became a stylish choice after Clifford "T.I." and Tameka "Tiny" Harris gave it to their daughter in 2016 and at its peak in 2019, 95 American girls were called Heiress in a single year. Like most trending names, however, Heiress has been succeeded by a spelling variant, which entered the US stats in 2017. Eiress, without the silent H, Eiress was chosen for 17 girls in a recent year and might appeal as a more name-y looking option. 




Eiress

Eliorah

Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name.
 The first was a character named January Wayne in a bestselling 1973 Jacqueline Susann novel, Once is Not Enough, which was later made into a movie. Then, five years later, the mother-to-be of January Jones – future Mad Men star – was inspired by that character to give the name to her baby daughter, as did enough other parents in 1978 to bring January to Number 639 on the list.
 
More recently, January was used by Emily Henry in her popular contemporary romance novel, Beach Read, which might inspire parents-to-be in coming years. As of 2024, it was only used on 11 girls in the US, making it a very rare choice.
 So if you're looking for a cool and unusual namesake for a Janet, Janice or Joanna – or for someone with a birthday in the first month of the year , January might be the perfect alternative. January, along with Snow and Frost, are also perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">names for winter babies</a>.

January

Vintage and charming with a hint of southern-belle about it, Louanna blends two classic names into one. Meaning "graceful, renowned warrior", it was briefly popular in the US in the late 1800s. Alternative forms Luann, Luana, and Luanna have enjoyed more popularity, while Louanne is favored in France.


Louanna

Sweet and lively Luella has been rising up the charts in recent years, and now this sleek form in the style of Noelle, Lucille, and Estelle is catching parents' attention. Considered a compound name, blending Louisa with Ella (or Elle, in this case), Luelle has stylish sounds and is far rarer than Luella. Given to 16 babies in a recent year, it has nevertheless doubled in popularity in the early 2020s.


Luelle

The sweet and stylish Maeve, paired with that enduring -lynn suffix, in the style of Emberlynn, Jazlynn, and Kaylynn. It has a variety of meanings depending on which of Lynn you follow, but options include: "intoxicating beauty", "intoxicating lake", or "flexible, tender, and intoxicating".
 Alternative spelling Maevelyn is currently more popular (albeit only used quietly for now), and was given to 14 girls in a recent count. Maevelynn was used for 9 babies in the same year.

Maevelynn

She'd better be. Merry is one of the classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">names for Christmas babies</a>.

Merry

Netta ranked in the US Top 1000 in the 1880s, when it was often used as a short form of names such as Jeanette, Annette, and Antoinette. In Jewish families, Netta was typically seen as a variation of the Hebrew name Neta.

Netta

A -lynn name with a cool, unisex edge, Rocklynn blends Rock or Rocky with the Welsh llyn or gwyn, giving it a nature-y, outdoorsy meaning. Alternatively, it may blend the Spanish names Rocío and Linda to give the meaning "pretty, beautiful dew". This spelling is used predominantly (though quietly) for girls with 6 babies given the name in a recent year.

Rocklynn

Dates from when Charlene was hot enough to have spelling variations. 

Sharlene

An elaborate diminutive name that had its (quiet) heyday back in the 1920s and 30s, Sydelle is likely derived from Sarah (via Sadie), Siegfriede (meaning "victorious peace"), or Sydney ("St Denis"). Alternative theories are it was inspired by the surnames Sidell ("wide recess; wide valley") and Seidel (either from Siegfried or a German word meaning "tankard"). 
 
Also spelled as Sydell, Sydelle peaked in 1930 when it was given to 46 girls, though it appeared in the charts as recently as 2023, when 10 girls were given the name. Actress Sydelle Noel is a notable bearer.

Sydelle

The old word name Temple has gained some recent notice as a girls' name via admired autistic writer and inventor Dr. Temple Grandin (born Mary Temple), subject of an acclaimed biopic, in which she was played by Claire Danes. 
 As a female name, it was seen as the college-girl character of Temple Drake in the William Faulkner novel Sanctuary and the 1933 film The Story of Temple Drake. And as a surname, it will forever be identified with cute child star Shirley Temple.

Temple

Possibly inspired by Viola or by the way F and V sounds are pronounced similarly in Dutch and German, Viona is a variant of the Scottish Fiona. The change of spelling brings something bright and sharp to the name, and distances it from the Shrek association some may have. 
 
Other theories about the source of Viona include that it is a variation of Winona ("first"), Viola (botanical name), Vionnet ("way, path, trail), or Vienna (place name). 
 
Notable bearers include ice hockey player Viona Harrer, footballer Viona Rexhepi, and actress Viona Rosalina.

Viona

A playful alternative to Abbie, Avery, Aubrey, and Briana, Abrie is a nickname style choice with a number of possible origins. It may be considered an variant of Aubrey, inspired by Abigail, giving it the meaning "elf ruler", however, it could equally be a feminine form of Biblical Abraham, meaning "father of multitudes". 
 
There's also the possibility that it comes from the Spanish and Catalan Abril, which translates to "April", or perhaps from the Ewe and Latin Abra which means "born on a Tuesday" and "maid" respectively. Additionally, there's the Persian Abrisham ("silk"), and the Hebrew Abriel (perhaps meaning "God is my father".)

Abrie

English girl names dominate the popularity lists in the US, the UK, and other English-speaking countries, with Evelyn and Avery ranking among the top names in the US, and Poppy, Evie, and Grace charting in the UK.

English names for girls range from the down-to-earth and simple, like Lucy and Ann, to positively aristocratic-sounding, like Georgiana or Araminta. Some English girl names are 

, often drawn from nature, such as Hazel and Lilac.

include Addison, Audrey, Eleanor, Harper, Lillian, Lily, Lucy, Piper, and Scarlett.

 include Amelia — a long-time number-one name in the United Kingdom — Isla, Charlotte, and Alice.

English girls’ names may be English-language versions of names rooted in classic Greek, Latin, or Hebrew languages and cultures, such as Dorothy, Eleanor, and Evelyn, or classics that transcend fashion like Harriet, Jane, Madeline, and Pamela.

Whether you’re looking for a girl name that’s classic or contemporary, popular or rare, you can find an English name that suits your style in our complete list of English girl names. The names on this list are ordered according to their current popularity on Nameberry.

Names of English origin for baby girls, with meanings and popularity, including popular English girl names and unique English names for baby girls. (Page 40)

English Girl Names (with Meanings & Popularity)