By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 24 pages
of 24
Hyacinthe is a feminine name with Greek origins, derived from the name of the purple-blue flower called hyacinth. In Greek mythology, Hyacinthus was a beautiful youth beloved by Apollo. The feminine…
Greek
"purple flower"
Like Violet, Lavender and Lilac, Ianthe is a purple flower name. Chosen by the poet Shelley for his daughter, Ianthe has a poetic, romantic, almost ethereal quality. In the ancient myth, she was the…
"violet flower"
Iolanthe is known primarily through the 1882 Gilbert & Sullivan operetta of that name, in which the title character is a fairy. Iolanthe is a softer version of Yolanda, and is the kind of…
Italian; Portuguese, Romanian, from Greek
An alternate spelling of Yolanda, used in some of the Romance languages.
Iolande is a feminine name with medieval European heritage, representing a variant of Yolanda or Iolanthe. Derived from the Greek elements 'ion' (violet flower) and 'anthos' (flower), it literally…
Greek place-name
Also relating to the sea and the islands, this name is a bit more melodic than its cousins.
"of royal birth"
In mythology, Iphigenia was sacrificed by her father, Agamemnon -- a difficult legacy to pass on to a daughter, and only one reason the name is hardly ever used.
Yannia is a feminine name with Greek origins, derived from the masculine name Yannis, which is a variant of John meaning "God is gracious." The feminine form adds a soft, elegant quality while…
Greek, meaning unknown
Jocasta is a mythological name fashionably used in England, but mostly ignored here. She was the mother of Oedipus, King of Thebes, whom he (oops) unwittingly married. If you can ignore that small…
"violet"
One of a number of similar forms of the "violet" name family used throughout Europe — others include Yolanda, Violante and Iolanthe.
Diminutive of Catherine, Greek
"pure"
May be the most modern, stylish Catherine nickname: more unusual than Kate or Cate, with an animal and word name edge. Cat Power is a trendy folksinger.
"to chatter"
An interesting name despite the pronunciation challenge. It has literary roots, both in the classical poetry of Horace, and as a character in John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman . Appealing…
"forgetfulness"
Letha is taken from Lethe, the mythological River of Oblivion. Letha now sounds as if it's missing a first syllable.
"oblivion"
In Greek mythology, Lethe was the name of one of the five rivers in Hades, the underworld. Lethe was also the name of the Greek spirit of forgetfulness and oblivion, with whom the river was often…
Greek, diminutive of Alexia
See ALEXIA.
"scales, balance"
Appropriate for a girl born between late September and late October, Libra suggests both balance and freedom.
Lilis is a feminine name with several possible origins. It may be connected to Lilith from Hebrew mythology or function as a variation of the flower name Lily. In Indonesian and Malay traditions,…
Lilika is a charming feminine name with multiple cultural connections. It may be considered a diminutive form of names like Lily or Liliana, or it could be related to the Greek name Lilitka. In…
"slender, delicate"
Your zany neighbor, the one who's a potter and has five cats.
Greek variation of Margaret
"pearl"
Margalo could make an intriguing spin on Margaret, with Margo as a nickname. The name appears in E. B. White's Stuart Little — as a bird. Margalo Gilmore (born Margaret) was a well-known British-born…
