By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 119 pages
of 119
Bett is primarily a feminine name that originated as a diminutive form of Elizabeth, which has Hebrew origins meaning "God is my oath" or "pledged to God." This short, sweet variation emerged in…
Bets is a charming feminine name that primarily functions as a diminutive or nickname for Elizabeth, Bethany, or other names beginning with 'Beth.' With English origins, Bets has a friendly,…
Sanskrit
"mother"
No - not a creative spelling of Amber. Amba is an Indian name. Due to its meaning, Amba is a name often related with the Hindu goddess Parvati, who is a fertility deity.
"identity, unity"
Indian film producer Ekta Kapoor is one notable bearer of this name. Just beware that some in the West may at first mis-hear this as Hector - not a reason to not use this meaningful name.
Greek, second letter of the Greek alphabet
If you can't have an Alpha male, how about a Beta girl.
"silver"
Related to the Indian word and currency "rupee', Rupa derives its meaning from the ancient Sanskrit language, and can mean both silver and beautiful. Rupa also has strong historical and literary…
Nature name
We once dismissed Bird as "too flighty", but with the rise of avian names from Lark to Robin to, well, Birdie, we don't see why Bird can't be a fine choice, especially as a middle name.
Hebrew
"to cry out"
A heroic figure in Exodus, Puah was a midwife during the Egyptian captivity who disobeyed Pharaoh's order to kill all male Jews at birth.
Romanian short form of Ioana
"God is gracious"
An lesser-known member of the John-Joan family, though popular in its native habitat, has never emigrated, possibly due to its non-intuitive pronunciation.
Romani
"elf warrior or all true"
Variant of Alafair
Ylvi is a feminine Scandinavian name with Norse origins, considered a variant of Ylva, which derives from the Old Norse word "úlfr" meaning "wolf." In Nordic countries, particularly Sweden, Norway,…
Bern is a feminine name with Germanic roots, derived from the word 'bero' meaning 'bear.' It's also the name of the capital city of Switzerland, which gives it a cosmopolitan, European flair. As a…
Beri is a feminine name with diverse cultural origins. In Hebrew, it can mean "my well" or relate to the word for clarity. In Hungarian, it may function as a nickname for names containing "ber" such…
Enni is a concise, feminine name with Finnish origins, though it appears in various cultures with different etymologies. In Finland, it often functions as a diminutive of names containing the element…
Feminine variation of Ulf, Scandinavian
"wolf"
Ylva may look like it belongs with the Eva family of names, but it actually derives from Ulf, a name meaning "wolf." It's not a very intuitive name to English-speakers, and likely won't get picked up…
Erva is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Turkish, it means 'honey' or 'sweet,' while in Finnish contexts it's associated with liveliness and energy. The name also appears in…
German and Frisian
"spear or pledge"
Originally a short form of names beginning with either of the elements gêr "spear" or gisil "pledge, hostage". Now usually a short form of Gertrud.
Beej is an unusual feminine name with several possible origins. It may be derived from the Hindi word meaning 'seed,' symbolizing potential and growth. Alternatively, it could be a creative…
English
"place name"
One of several fascinating names used in Charlaine Harris's Midnight, Texas books and the NBC adaptation thereof, Fiji is a pleasingly quirky place name that's been little used for babies. Though it…
Modern invented name
Jaxx (and Jax, Jaxson, Jaxsen, Jaxton et all) is now on the Top 1000 for boys, and while we don't foresee this becoming anywhere near as popular for girls, it was also found on the female side of the…
