Updated October 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
French
"cherry"
Infinitely preferable to the tease-inspiring English version of the word.
"oak tree"
An appealing surname-name that sounds perfectly feminine, unless you consider the association to Vice President Dick.
French from Italian
"impulsive change of mind; lively music"
Caprice is a word name with an appealing sound and a light-hearted meaning that may well put parents off. While it was given to just 10 girls in a recent year, the name did have a moment back in the…
French, English
"cape and cloak maker or wear; a point of land that juts out"
Cape is a surname-style name and a geographical, nature connected one. As a surname, it was originally given to someone who wore a cloak or cape, or to one who made them. As a word name, it describes…
French surname
Cosmetic reinvention of Cody.
"darling"
The kind of French word name that seemed daring and darling in the 50s and 60s when it was at its peak, Cherie had actually made debut in the US charts back in 1927 when it followed alternative and…
Diminutive of Christine, French
"a Christian"
Christelle is a feminine name of French origin, developed as a diminutive form of Christine, which itself derives from the Greek 'Christos' meaning 'anointed one.' The suffix '-elle' adds a delicate,…
French variation of Cecilia
"blind"
Attractive, underused name made famous by the heroine of The Color Purple. Still, if you're going to go to Celie, why not go all the way to Celia or Cecelia? You can always use Celie for short.
Latin
"steadfast"
More likely to be spelled Constantine, this was the name of the first Christian emperor of the Roman empire, as well as three Scottish kings. Previously thought of as too bulky and unwieldy a name…
Latinate variation of Christelle, French
Either an alternative feminization to Christina, an elaboration of the French diminutive Christelle , or a compound name, blending the element Christ- with either Stella or Ella. In the case of the…
French, feminine variation of Claude
"lame; enclosure"
Once seen as a dated French Claudette-Colbert feminization, along with Annette and Paulette, we can see Claudette moving into a more plausible Colette-Cosette arena. While some may be put off by the…
French feminine variation of Clement
"mild, merciful"
Calm, composed, and chic. Often seen with an accent in France, as Clémence.
Variation of Sydney, English from French
"Saint Denis"
Unnecessary complication.
English, French, Latin
"waxing or waning moon; increasing, growing, springing forth"
Crescent is an intriguing word name with a pretty sound and links to the moon. Used to describe a curved shape more generally, it is heavily associated with the lunar calendar, with the moon forming…
Chimene is a feminine name of Spanish and French origin, derived from the Spanish name Jimena. It gained literary recognition through 'El Cid,' the medieval Spanish epic where Jimena/Chimene was the…
"little ash-girl"
One familiar name never used for real people, for obvious reasons. Read more about Cinderella and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.
Célina is a feminine name with French linguistic roots, representing a variant spelling of Celina or Selina. The name likely derives from the Greek 'Selene,' goddess of the moon, giving it celestial…
German and French feminine form of Christian
There are not one but two notable modern women with this name: journalist Christiane Amanpour and physician/author Christiane Northrup. In Germany, the pronunciation is kris-tee-AH-na while in…
French from Latin
"lordly"
Cyrille is a unisex French name, and its association with the suddenly suave Cyril has turned from a liability into an advantage.
Greek
"the mother of all gods"
The Anatolian mother goddess Cybele had a place in Greek, Roman, Trojan, and Anatolian mythology. Today, she has special meaning as a symbol of gender nonconformity. In ancient Rome, Cybele's cult…