By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 119 pages
of 119
Sanskrit
"necklace, garland"
Mala is one of those names that's both simple and striking, easy to pronounce yet unfamiliar to many English speakers.
Diminutive of Melissa or Cherokee variation of Mary, Greek, Hebrew or Egyptian
"honeybee; drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
Variation of Nuha or Nohar, Arabic, Hebrew
"mind, wisdom; illumination"
An Arabic name with a wise but friendly feel to it, Noha is traditionally a feminine name, however, in the US, it is ranks as gender-neutral. There is the possibility that in the States, some parents…
Orah is a feminine name with Hebrew origins meaning "light" or "illumination." It's related to the Hebrew word "or" (אור) meaning light, and shares roots with names like Ora and Orly. In Jewish…
Short form of Amapola, Arabic
"poppy"
Pola is an international name that still bears the femme fatalish air of Polish-born silent screen vamp Pola Negri, whole birth name was Apolonia. Rarely used, she could join sisters Lola and Nola.
Variation of Rudy, German
"famous wolf"
Rudy has been heard as a feminine name before — most notably on Rudy Huxtable, the young girl on The Cosby Show . This spelling makes it a bit girlier, although it's occasionally used for boys as…
Variant of Troy
About a dozen parents a year give their daughters this girls' version of Troy as a first name.
Short form of Ursula, Latin
"little female bear"
Ursa might be a good choice if you're looking for a bear name for your daughter but want to avoid the She Witch curse placed on Ursula by Disney's The Little Mermaid . Too bad, because Ursula is a…
German
"singled out"
Mystical overtones.
Finnish, Albanian, "sapling, sprout; dew"
"sapling, sprout; dew"
A unisex nature name much more popular for boys in Finland, with a simple, strong sound. It is also used in Albania as a strictly feminine name, equally connected to nature.
American invented name
X is one of the coolest first initials to bestow upon a baby, and many parents are agreeing — Xyla was among the fastest-rising baby. names of 2022. Xiah is a modern invented name that is beginning…
Japanese
"reliable"
An appealing, usable Japanese choice, since there are so many familiar ori/ory-ending Western names.
Yuni is a concise, melodic feminine name with multicultural origins. In Japanese, it can mean 'gentle, superior' or 'dream, gentle' depending on the kanji characters used. The name also appears in…
Czech diminutive of Susan
"lily"
This sizzling nickname Zuzu is heard every Christmas as the name of Jimmy Stewart's little girl in "It's a Wonderful Life," but we love it all year round as a lively alternative to double names like…
Ewe, Ghanaian
"born on Wednesday"
The people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. Most Ghanaians have a name using this system…
Amei is a feminine name with various cultural origins. In Chinese, it can mean 'beautiful' or 'lovely,' derived from characters meaning 'Asia' and 'beautiful.' It may also be a variant of Amy in…
Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Kazakh
"honey"
Top 10 in Turkey and Top 500 in the Netherlands (which has a high Turkish population), this sleek and pretty name is virtually unknown elsewhere.
English word name, diminutive of Barbara, Latin
"foreign woman"
Baby is rarely seen as a given name — or even nickname — these days, although it did rank in the Top 1000 from 1989 to 2003. These instances can be accounted for in two ways. Firstly, infants whose…
Arabic
"castle, fortess"
Extremely simple and extremely distinctive -- a winning combination. Sound-alike Calla is a Greek (and botanical) name that means beautiful.
Norse
"poetry"
This Old Norse girl name has a lovely meaning and a familiar yet distinctive sound.
