Latin Names for Girls
- Cerelia
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"relating to springtime"Description:
Cerelia is a melodic and unusual choice, perfect for a child born in April or May. Another version is Cerella.
- Vesta
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"pure"Description:
The name of the Roman goddess of the household is not recommended for your little goddess.
- Viva
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"alive, living, life"Description:
Viva la baby with this life-affirming name, one of the appealing group of girl names that mean life. Other related life-giving names on the rise: cousins Vida and Vita, and Vivian, Aviva, and even Zoe.
- Aquilina
Origin:
Feminine variation of Aquilo, LatinMeaning:
"eagle"Description:
A lot of parents claim to want a name that's different, but if you really do, Aquilina, modern-feeling but based on an ancient favorite, would be one good choice.
- Seneca
Origin:
Latin surname and Native AmericanMeaning:
"people of the standing rock"Description:
Seneca was both a Roman philosopher-statesman and is a Native American Iroquois tribe. Occasionally used for both girls and boys, Seneca is now a Hunger Games character.
- Drucilla
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"strong"Description:
Pleasingly quaint and dainty New Testament possibility; the nickname Dru modernizes it.
- Verna
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"springtime"Description:
Verna may mean "springtime," but May or Spring is fresher.
- November
Origin:
English word nameMeaning:
"month name"Description:
The menu of usable month names seems to expand every, well, month, with such choices as November, October, and January joining more established names like April, May, June and August. Logical November nicknames include Nova, Novi, or Ember, making this a natural (if adventurous) choice for a baby girl. November is also, obviously, one of the perfect names for November babies.
- Aviana
Origin:
Variation of Avis, LatinMeaning:
"bird"Description:
Aviana is a name that's like the megapopular Ava and Ariana, but not quite as popular as either. It entered into the mainstream back in 2010 however, after actress Amy Adams chose it for her daughter, fulfilling her desire to choose a "normal" name after all, even if it didn't seem like that a decade ago.
- Calpurnia
Origin:
Latin "chalice; cup"Meaning:
"chalice; cup"Description:
Calpurnia is a name with a massive history. As the third and final wife of Julius Caesar, Calpurnia has been forever depicted in literature (Shakespeare) and film (Cleopatra; Rome) as a modest and sweet woman, utterly devoted to Caesar. She is said to have foretold his death and to have tried (and failed) to have warned him of the treachery of his trusted allies. Following Caesar's assassination, Calpurnia never remarried.
- Maxima
Origin:
Latin, feminine variation of MaximusDescription:
Max names were one of the hottest trends for boys in the mid-2010s, and are still very popular. The girl versions haven't seen so much love, unfortunately. (Or fortunately, if you love them and want them to stay rare!) Maxima got some attention in 2015 when Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan used it for their daughter, but few parents have copied them.
- Faustine
Origin:
Latin, feminine variation of FaustMeaning:
"fortunate one"Description:
Faustine has a positive meaning, although the association with the character who sold his soul to the devil may be off-putting. This name is among the Top 100 girls' names in France, but was given to fewer than five baby girls in the US last year.
- Christabel
Origin:
Latin and FrenchMeaning:
"fair Christian"Description:
Though Isabel is a smash hit, Christabel still hasn't been fully embraced. It was originally popularized in England via the Coleridge poem Christabel ("whom her father loves so well") and was given to the poet's granddaughter. Christabel Pankhurst was a famous U.K. suffragist.
- Alchemy
Origin:
Latin word nameMeaning:
"a medieval chemical science"Description:
One of the most extreme of the new word names, recommended only to the most mystical-minded parents. Actor Lance Henriksen spelled his daughter's name Alchamy.
- Dexter
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"right-handed, skillful"Description:
Dexter turned ultracool for a girl when Diane Keaton named her daughter Dexter Dean. Dexter is getting a new style gloss for both genders thanks to (unlikely) baby name role model, television's Dexter the genial serial killer.
- Carita
Origin:
Swedish from LatinMeaning:
"beloved"Description:
Carita may feel like an endearing nickname but it's a name in its own right, used throughout Scandinavia in this form and as Karita, Caritas, and Karitas as a variation on Charity.
- Cella
Origin:
Spelling variation of SelaMeaning:
"rock"Description:
This spelling variation of the Biblical place-name Sela is found on early American census roles, but Sela is more usual today. Cela is another early variation. Cella may also be a variation of Cilla, short for Priscilla, or Celia.
- February
Origin:
Word name or LatinMeaning:
"purification feast"Description:
If January, April and August are useable and fashionable, why not February? February as a word derives from the Latin februa, which was the name of a purification feast coming at the end of winter, to prepare for the coming spring.
- Precious
Origin:
Latin word nameMeaning:
"of great worth, expensive"Description:
Though many might find it too syrupy, hundreds of parents each year choose this name for their daughters to make them feel special. Precious Ramotswe is the engaging African sleuth in the popular No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.
- Prima
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"first"Description:
Will assure your daughter she's numero uno.
