Animal Names for Girls
Across 500 pages
of 500
Alsie
Diminutive of Alcina, Greek
"strong-willed"
Alsie and Alcie feel more baby-ready now that names such as Elsie, Elsa, and Isla are becoming popular again. Mother name Alcina was an operatic sorceress who turned men into animals and trees.
Avila
German
"desired; or island, water"
An unusual and appealing name that is the origin of Evelyn, via the Norman French name Aveline. It derives from an obscure Germanic root, the meaning of which is not clear. Theories include "desired,…
Alannis
Spelling variation of Alanis
Singer Alanis Morisette may have made the one-n version of this name more famous, but like the other Alan feminization Alana or Alanna, the spelling can go either way.
Camber
English from Latin
"curved inwards"
Part Cameron, part Amber, Camber may be a new name but it feels right for our times. As a word, camber means a slightly arched surface.
Annesley
Variation of Ansley, English
"clearing with a hermitage"
Latter-day Ashley that comes in a range of spelling variations. Ansley and Ainsley have both hit the Top 1000 in recent years.
Betsan
Welsh pet form of Elizabeth
Betsan is little-known outside of the U.K. but it could provide an intriguing alternative to Liz, Beth, Betsy, Betty, and Libby.
Bente
Danish feminine form of Benedict
"blessed"
Bente, pronounced ben-tah, is a popular girls' name in both The Netherlands and Denmark though largely unknown in the English-speaking world. It suffers by being a near-homonym of the English word…
Bo
Norse nickname
"to live"
This tiny but punchy name has multiple origins. It stands strong alone, but could be short for numerous names including Bonnie and Bodhi. In Mandarin Chinese, Bo means "wave".
Benthe
Dutch short form of Benedicta, Latin
"blessed"
Benthe is a popular Dutch abbreviation of the feminine for Benedict.
Aina
Scandinavian and Finnish variation of Aino, Catalan variation of Anna, Japanese, Latvian, Kazakh, Yoruba
"always; grace; lover of green; sight; mirror; delivery had complications [umbilical cord twisted around neck]"
A bright-sounding name with multicultural appeal, used regularly as a first name in Japan, Scandinavia, Latvia, and Spain. The Yoruba name Aina, pronounced ah-ee-NAH, is traditionally used for baby…
Dulcibella
Latin
"sweet and pretty"
Dulcibella is an old name that's fallen into disuse but may rise again with the new wave of fashionable names that end in -bel, -belle, and -bella. Behind the Name says that the medieval form of the…
Alijah
Variation of Elijah, Hebrew
"God is Yahweh"
A little bit Aliyah and a little bit Elijah equals an invented name that moves into the girls' column with its choice by Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Bassett for their daughter. While there is good…
Cherokee
Native American tribal name
Cherokee is the name of a Native American tribe, the largest in the United States stretching from North Carolina through Oklahoma. The meaning of the word Cherokee is uncertain: It may be Choctaw for…
Bitsy
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
The archetypal diminutive, in every sense of the word. Bitsy enjoyed some use as a nickname in the era when children were named after family members and then called by a cute pet name: Chip, Skip,…
Astraia
Greek
"star"
Astraia -- or Astraea or Asteria -- is the Greek goddess of justice and innocence who became the constellation Virgo. While largely unknown today, this is one of the Greek goddess names that may be…
Anara
Kazakh, Persian, and Hindi
"pomegranate flower"
Anara is a name that strikes a perfect balance between simple and unusual. It's easy to understand and pronounce for a Westerner, and yet it's highly distinctive, used for only 24 girls in the US in…
Clarimond
French
"Light of the World"
Clarimond is related to the Occitan name Esclarmonde, and is probably the more wearable of the two variations. Seventeenth century French novelist Nicolas des Escuteaux used the name for the…
Cato
Dutch diminutive of Catharina
Cato may have risen to new prominence in the English speaking world as an ancient Roman boys' name, popularized by The Hunger Games. But in the Netherlands, it's most widely used as a short form for…
Eliya
Variation of Elijah or Aliyah, Hebrew; Arabic
"Yahweh is god; rising, to ascend; heavens, highborn, exalted"
Eliya may be thought of as a female variation on the popular Biblical boys' name Elijah or a spelling variation of the popular girls' name Aliyah. It may not rank among the US Top 1000 and it may…
Bethea
Hebrew
"Daughter of Jehovah"
Also spelled Bethia and Bithiah, this Old Testament name could wear well today. Bethea might make an original way to honor an ancestral Elizabeth or get to the nickname Beth.