By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 409 pages
of 409
French variation of Joanna, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
A Top 100 name from the 1930s all the way through the 1950s, it's now firmly in Mom -- or Grandma -- land and supplanted for babies by Joanna.....or even great-grandmother Josephine. In its heyday,…
Welsh
"son of Madoc"
The possibility of the nickname Maddy (or the even spunkier Moxie) makes this have some potential as a modern, unisex name for a girl - if you can get past the strongly masculine meaning.
French or Breton
"chief or prince"
Another feminine form of the old saint's name Mael. Spelled Maëlys, it is a very popular name in France today.
Hindi
"rising musical tune"
The name of an ascending sequence of musical notes in Hindustani classical music, meaning "rising, evolving".
Alanah is a feminine name that represents a variant spelling of Alana, which itself developed as a feminine form of Alan. With ancient Celtic roots, the original name Alan is thought to mean…
Amaiah is a feminine name with multiple possible origins, potentially derived from Hebrew 'Amaya' meaning 'night rain' or as a variant of 'Amaya' with roots in Basque culture meaning 'the end' or…
Analie is a delicate feminine name with multiple potential origins, including French, Hebrew, and Germanic roots. It may be a variation of names like Annalie or Annelie, which combine 'Anna' (meaning…
Sanskrit
"gift"
This Indian name meaning gift or offering feels familiar via sound-alikes Angela or Angelina, and made a brief appearance on the U.S. Top 1000. Anjali is a pretty route to a name that's at once easy…
Variation of Carly, English
"free man"
The ie ending injects this late 20th century favorite with a bit of late 19th century charm. But not quite enough to make it a good 21st century choice.
Modern invented name
This name coined for a character in the movie 10,000 BC , feels right on trend right now, given the popularity of Evie, Eva, Evelyn etc. In the movie, the name’s meaning is given as "the promise of…
Spelling variation of Jaden
"thankful"
This once obscure name was propelled to fame by Britney Spears, and by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith in the 2000's. It skyrocketed into the US Top 10 for boys, but it also saw significant use for…
Latin
"one who has achieved a high place of honor"
You'll probably be hearing more of this name thanks to the newest Pixar film, featuring Princess Merida, the first Pixar princess--a feisty, athletic, independent medieval Scottish girl with wild red…
Word name
Generally used in conjunction with another name to form a religious phrase -- for instance the daughter of rapper DMX is called Praise Mary Ella.
Yiddish
"rose"
A diminutive of Raisa, a Yiddish name meaning "rose", Raizel is a sweet but sharp choice. Also written as Raisel, it is more likely to be used as a diminutive that appear on the birth certificate.
Arabic
"lucky, fortunate"
This female form of Sa'id is one of several eminently usable Arabic S names.
Scotti is a feminine name that originated as a variation of the Scottish surname Scott, which referred to a person from Scotland. As a given name, Scotti maintains its Scottish heritage while…
Irish variation of Cecilia
"blind"
Sheila peaked in popularity from the 1930s to the 1960s (she reached Number 49 in 1965), along with Maureen and Colleen; parents today would probably go back to the original Cecilia or forward to…
Alayla is a feminine name with multiple potential origins. It may be a variant spelling of Alaila or Alayah, which themselves are contemporary elaborations of Alaya, meaning 'highborn' or 'exalted'…
Variation of Alessio, Alessia, and Alexius, Italian
"defender"
Used as a masculine name in the Piedmont region of Italy, Alessi is a variation of Alessio, the Italian form of the Ancient Greek Alexius and Alexis. Meaning "defender" or "helper", in the US, Alessi…
Cianna is a feminine name with multiple potential origins. It may be a variant of Gianna (Italian feminine form of John, meaning 'God is gracious'), a feminine form of Cian (an Irish name meaning…
