By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 76 pages
of 76
English
"dweller at the old cottage"
Intriguing alternative that goes beyond Louisa and May, for Little Women fans.
"high meadow, high woodland clearing"
Similar in style to Ensley, Ainsley, and Wrenley, Enley was given to five girls in a recent year. Likely derived from Henley, a place- and surname-name it could mean "high meadow" or "high woodland…
"meadow by the lane; Elaine's meadow; shining clearing"
A modern feeling choice for those who can't choose between Lainey, Lakelyn, Landry, and Ainsley, Lainley might appeal. Meaning "meadow by the lane" or perhaps "Elaine's meadow" or "shining clearing",…
"peasant, farmer; connection"
Both a surname and a word name, Bond brings to mind 007, connection and understanding, and financial agreements all at once. As a last name, it derives from the Norse Bóandi, meaning "farmer,…
Variation of Truett, English surname
"dry wood + river bend; true and strong"
Less popular than the Truett spelling, this form has nevertheless seen a quiet uptake, given to 92 boys in a recent year. For girls, Truitt has, as yet, only appeared in the stats once when 5 girls…
"highborn, shining"
The great-great-aunt in the purple hat, singing jazz.
Variation of Meyer, Meir, Mayer, or Myer
"tenant, farmer, leader; shining; doctor"
Similar in sound to Maia, Myla, and Miley, Meyers is a plural name with multiple roots. It can be viewed as a German name meaning "tenant, farmer, bailiff" or "leader of the household", a Hebrew name…
Variation of Aubrey, Abraham, Abrielle, or Abril
"elf ruler; father of multitudes; April"
A zippy nickname-style choice, which may also feel a bit like a surname, Abry could be considered a variation of popular Aubrey, a feminine form of Biblical Abraham, or a spin on the Spanish month…
Diminutive of Lovell or Lowell, English
"little wolf"
Similar in feel to Truett, Everett, and Merritt, Lovett is a surname style choice, drawn from the French lou via the English Lovell and Lowell. As such, it means "little wolf" or perhaps "wolf cub".…
Variation of Wave, Waverley, or Aveline
"wave; quivering aspen; desired, island, water"
Appearing in the US stats just once back in 1938, Wavalene is a playful, watery feeling choice, perhaps inspired by the word wave , the surname Waverley, or by Aveline. It could be pronounced…
English, Norwegian
"land of love; Leofa's land; Lufa's land; leaf land"
Appearing in the US stats in 2024, Loveland fits in with the likes of Holland and Lakeland. A literal interpretation of its meaning could be "land of love", however, as a surname, it come's from the…
Elaboration of Angela, Latin
"angel, messenger"
A rare elaboration of Angela, likely inspired by Elena. As such, you could interpret it as meaning "angel of light" or "bright, shining messenger".
Portuguese, English "dweller by the willow, sallows, or salix trees"
"dweller by the willow, sallows, or salix trees"
Salesia is a feminine form of surname Sales, notably associated with the Roman Catholic saint, Francis de Sales who was commended for his deep faith and mild approach to religious divides. A rare…
Short form of Phoebe, Phillipa, Daphne, or similar
"bright pure; lover of horses; laurel"
Bright and zippy, Phee is a playful nickname option with the energy of Prue, Rue, Ree, Lee, and Bee. It was used in the novel The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune as the name of a forest sprite.
English form of Elke, German, Dutch, Yiddish
"noble; God has purchased"
Elkie is an anglicized form of Elke, a German, Dutch, and Frisian diminutive of Adelheid, likely created by adding the -ke suffix, following the style of similar choices like Tineke or Maike. In this…
English or German Jewish surname
"place where yew trees grow; Levite"
A snappy surname choice with a variety of origins, Levitt may appeal to those who enjoy Merritt, Liv, Levi, Lettie, and Everett. From its English origins, Levitt likely derives from the French place…
Word name
"songbird"
Bird names like Wren, Raven, Lark, and, of course, Birdie, are in style, along with color names like Olive, Scarlett, and Violet: this wild-word-name blends the two. The name of a type of songbird…
Variation of Edna, Edith, or Idony
"rejuvenation, delight; prosperous in war; love again, renewal"
A rare choice that may inspire fans of Eddie, Esme, Edie, and Enya, Ednie may be considered a variation on the Hebrew Edna (meaning "rejuvenation, delight"); the vintage Edith via the Medieval…
Variation of Meridian, Merida, or Meredith
"midday, noon, southerly; veterans of Augusta; great lord"
Bright and warm, Meridia has a cheerful, sunny feel to it. It may have emerged as a variation of: Meridian, ultimately from the Latin meridianus meaning "southerly" or "noon"; Merida, a Spanish place…
"gift of joy; blessed peacemaking; white wave"
Winnavie has the endearing sounds of vintage Winnie, but the cadence of contemporary choices like Waverley, Everly, and Romilly. The exact etymology of the name is unknown, however, it may be related…
