By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 19 pages
of 19
English, diminutive of Philippa
"lover of horses"
Pippa, a peppy condensation of Philippa that turns it from serious to sprightly, has come into the public eye in a big way via the former Kate Middleton's sister. Pippa can and is given as a name in…
Italian
"defender of men"
Italian form of Alexa, sometimes short for Alessandra, which sidesteps the Amazon Alexa issue.
"lady"
Literally meaning "lady" in Italian, Donna was the perfect ladylike housewife mom name on The Donna Reed Show in the fifties and sixties. And there were plenty of namesakes: Donna was in the Top 10…
Italian, German, Dutch, and Polish variation of Eleanor
Makes a serious name frilly and feminine, which, depending on your viewpoint, might be a good or a bad thing. In this case, we vote good.
Italian, Spanish, Scandinavian, Slavic
Sharper and steelier than Martha, but with the same underused vintage appeal.
"little flower"
Not only are individual flower names more popular (and out-there) than ever, but so too are the more generic names like Florence and Flora. While brother name Fiorello became known via long-term New…
Spelling variation of Ariana
Both Ariana and Arianna sit comfortably in the US Top 100, so it makes sense that Aryana with the trendy y would join the fray. However, due to its inevitable confusion with the other spellings and…
Spelling variation of Ariana/Arianna, Greek
"most holy"
In all its iterations, this name is on the rise. Ariana and Arianna are both highly popular choices in the US, and as with other popular appellations, creative spellings are inevitable. The trendy y…
Greek, Germanic
"behold the sun; work, labor"
A pretty, if unusual choice for a summer baby, particularly a girl with an ancestor named Ida. An epithet of the goddess Aphrodite, Idalia is derived from the Greek place name Idalion. It may also be…
Place name
This still attractive place name was one of the first to gain popularity, though it now probably owes some of its favor to the similar Aisha. Asia ranked as high as Number 195 on the US baby names…
European diminutive of Catherine, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Japanese
"pure; joy, singing; melted; white jasmine"
One of those short, punchy names with its roots in a variety of different cultures and languages, Rina is sister to names like Mina, Mira, Lina, and Nina. Retro in feel, but never overused in the US,…
Irish, English
"between two hills"
Arlo, an unexpectedly popular name for boys these days, is also finding new life as a girls' name. Its roots are primarily as an Irish or English surname, but it might also be a short form of the…
Italian place-name
Authentic, melodic place-name for the adventurous, chosen by rapper LL Cool J for his daughter and by TV personality Jessica Graf Nickson for her daughter in 2025. Given to around 80 baby girls in…
Italian variation of Mirabelle
"wonderful"
The short-lived magazine edited by former Vogue chief Grace Mirabella put this beautiful name off-limits for a while, but now it's perfectly fit to join the fashionable Bella pantheon. More…
Italian variation of Luke and Lucas, Hungarian variation of Lucia
"light; man from Lucania"
Very much a boy's name in Italy, it's beginning to be seen as a unisex possibility here: actress Jennie Garth used it for her daughter, as did influencers Alyssa and Dallin Johnson, When spelled…
Variation of Alessio, Alessia, and Alexius, Italian
"defender"
Used as a masculine name in the Piedmont region of Italy, Alessi is a variation of Alessio, the Italian form of the Ancient Greek Alexius and Alexis. Meaning "defender" or "helper", in the US, Alessi…
Spanish and Italian variation of Chloe, Greek
"young green shoot"
Cloe comes in second to the original form, Chloe, in it's native Spain. In the US, this honor goes to the Kardashian-ized Khloe.
Italian variation of Victoria, Latin
"victory"
An appealing Italianate alternative to the classic queenly Victoria, though in Anglophone countries it will be forever misunderstood as Victoria. Could be an appealing long form for a girl called not…
Italian variation of Hilary
"cheerful, happy"
Hilary may feel too connected to a single personality, but this version offers a fresh and interesting alternative. Alec and Hilaria Baldwin (born Hillary Lynn Hayward-Thomas) chose this variation of…
Italian and Spanish feminine variation of Fabian
"bean grower"
The fashion for elaborate girly-girl names, especially those that end with -ella or -ana, has put this distinctive Latin favorite into play.
