By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 76 pages
of 76
Variation of Afton, Scottish place name
"Æffa's farmstead"
A modern form of the surname and place name Afton, Aftyn has a similar feel to Aspyn, Austyn, Avalyn, and Paityn. Likely derived from Old English to mean "Æffa's farmstead", Æffa being an Anglo-Saxon…
English, diminutive of Agatha and Agnes
Mauve-tinted nickname with vintage charm that could just follow in the footsteps of ABBIE. More prominent now as the nickname for the Texas A&M sports teams.
Variation of Ansley, English
"clearing with a hermitage"
Latter-day Ashley that comes in a range of spelling variations. Ansley and Ainsley have both hit the Top 1000 in recent years.
English, Germanic
"grace, favor"
Notably borne by the 19th century palaeontologist and fossil collector, Mary Anning, this surname likely derives from the given name Hanno or Hana, ultimately linking it back to the Biblical Hanan…
English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
Although she declared her independence as far back as the reign of Elizabeth I — Good Queen Bess, Bess now sounds less passé than Beth or Betsy.
English feminization of Carl or Charles, German, French
"free man"
A handful of baby girls are still named Carlene every year, but today other feminizations of Charles or Carl, from Carly to Charlotte, are much more popular.
Combination of Carol + Ann, English
"free man of grace; song of grace"
A compound name that mirrors the cadence of Caroline but with a twist at the end. The name was briefly popular during the 30s and 40s.
Word name, English from Hindi
"fine, downy wool"
Cashmere is soft, luxurious — and way out of the ordinary. One of the unique names found in The Hunger Games series, you might be surprised to learn that this fabric name has been appearing in the US…
English combination of Celia + Linda, Latin and Spanish
"heavenly + beautiful"
Feels like a hybrid of Celia and Belinda, but Celinda is also a Spanish botanical name for the sweet mock orange.
Variation of Cheryl, English compound name blending Cheryl and Lyn
"dear lake; dear + pretty"
Sweet and retro, Cherilyn peaked in 1972, when Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian) rose to fame. Possibly not quite ready for a comeback, though perhaps fun nickname Cherry might swing it.
Word name
"ashes, partly burnt coals"
More distinctive than Ella, if you're inspired by Cinderella, a rarer alternative to popular Ember, perhaps, or even a modern spin on Cindy. Cinder is the name given to partially burnt wood or coals…
English
"valley"
An early unisex nature name that has been surpassed by others, Dale is still a simple, sylvan and serene option. Most of Dale's recent best known bearers – father and son race drivers Dale Earnhart,…
English word name
"day"
A bright and optimistic middle name choice.
English combination of Elizabeth + Isabelle
"God is my oath"
What do you do when you love two variations of the same name that also sound quite distinct? One option is to blend them together and keep the best of both. Elizabelle - and Elizabella - have been in…
Variation of Ezra, English, Hebrew
"help"
Likely used as a modern spin on Biblical Ezra, Ezryn appeared in the US stats for girls in 2021, and was more recently given to 5 girls compared to 27 boys in the same year.
Irish, English
"strong man; ironworker"
Similar in sound to Paris, Carys, Felicity, and Fern; and similar in style to Blair, Sloane, and Finley, Ferris has a lot of potential. Derived from either the Gaelic Fergus meaning "strong man" or…
"keeper of the garden"
One of the best of this fashionable occupational group, strong and particularly well suited to a girl, also with alluring connection to glamour girl Ava Gardner.
"gray lake"
More popularly spelled as Graylyn or Graylynn for girls, this modern sounding choice comes from an English surname, likely meaning "gray lake".
Greek
"demi-god"
Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their…
Medieval variation of Esther, Persian
"star"
The disgraced heroine of The Scarlet Letter 's name, after long neglect, just might have a chance at revival, following in the wake of sister-name Esther. We've characterized her elsewhere as an…
