UK Girl Names

A new-age literary name, Dessen is the surname of Y.A. author, Sarah Dessen, writer of That Summer, Just Listen, and The Truth About Forever. With nickname Dessie, it may appeal to fans of the author or to those who like surname-names in general.
 
A name with a variety of origins, it may simply borrow from the German word dessen meaning "whose, of which" or it may be used as an English contraction of Desmond (perhaps inspired by Irish short form Deasún). Alternatively, it may have its roots in French, from the word dessus meaning "above, on top" referring to the placement of something, though it may also be associated with the highest 'voice' of a piece of music.

Dessen

Blending the popular Ty- beginning of Tyler with the Biblical-esque ending of Gabriel, Eliel, and Azriel, Tyriel is a modern choice deriving from a anglicized Norman surname. As such, it may mean "to pull", "stubborn", or "land".
 
Another theory is that it is a modern creation, blending the Hebrew Tirzah ("favorable, delight") with popular element -el meaning "God". Here, it could be said to mean "God is my delight", "God is favorable"

Tyriel

A fanciful and frilly form of Amora, Amore, and Amor, Amorella combines the Latin word for love with the popular -ella ending. As such, it could simply mean "love", but if it is viewed as a smoosh name, "fairy maiden of love" and "love completely, love all" are other whimsical possibilities.
 
Currently a very rare choice, it has potential as an alternative to Annabella, Arabella, Amor, and Aurelia.

Amorella

Zippy and vivacious, Vietta combines the vintage charm of Etta with the elegance of Vivienne and the international appeal of Violetta, while also being a distinctive name of its own. Briefly popular in the 1890s, it has been used occasionally throughout the 20th century, and was recently revived in 2023 when 5 babies were given the name: its first appearance in the stats since the 60s. 

Vietta

With a hint of Jane and Jolene about it, Jolaine is in fact a compound name, blending any Jo- name with Laine (or Elaine). The meaning varies depending on which name you choose to take Jo- from, but options include "Jehovah increases the light" (Joseph/Josephine), "God is gracious light" (Joanne/a), or "pretty shining light" (Jolie).
 
Also a nickname for the botanical Marjolaine, the name was used quietly throughout the 20th century.

Jolaine

Pronounced similarly to Moira (or more like MUW-ruh or MUW-ree, with the soft oo sound of in took), this is a Manx variation of the classic name Mary. Voirrey is an alternative form.

Moirrey

A variation of Mary, via the Manx Moirrey, may be said to rhyme with Moira, or more like VUW-ree or VUW-ruh, with the soft oo sound in took or put. A notable bearer was Voirrey Irving, involved in the Dalby Spook, an extensively covered story in the 1930s involving an alleged talking mongoose called Gef. 

Voirrey

A literary creation with an established sound, Livira appears in the 2023 high fantasy novel, The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence. In the novel, Livira is known for her stubborn resilience and ability to thrive in bad situations, much like her fictional namesake, which is a hardy kind of weed.
 
In the real-world, Livira may have been inspired by the popular Olivia (and its variant Olivera) meaning "olive, olive branch", or by Livia ("envy"), Liv ("life"), Vera ("truth"), Elvira ("true, white, happy"), or Liva ("banner, flag").

Livira

A contemporary Welsh name, Hafwen is made up of the popular wen element of Bronwen, Gwyneth, and similar, and haf, the Welsh word for "summer". Appearing quietly and sporadically in the England and Wales stats, it's a sunny and underused choice. Related names include the simple Haf and the poetic spins of the name, Hefin for boys and Hefina for girls.

Hafwen

Used almost exclusively in its native Wales, Gwenlli is a sweet but substantial short form of Gwenllian. The longform was borne by a medieval Welsh princess, known for her bravery and resistance against invasion from Norman and English forces. 
 
While Gwenlli is given to a handful of babies in Wales each year, the pronunciation is difficult to translate into English in which the LL sound doesn't exist. Estimations are gwehn-SHEE and gwehn-hlee, but it's easiest <a href="https://forvo.com/search/gwenllian/">to listen</a> to this recording of the longform to get a better sense of it.

Gwenlli

A whimsical word name, Wishmay could reflect the phrase "Wish I may" or alternativel, "May all your wishes come true". It could then be connected with dreams, hopes, and fancies, adding to that whimsy feel.
 
Alternatively, it could be interpreted as with a wish for the month of May, or more figuratively, as a wish for sunnier, brighter weather. For a more grounded source, it may well be considered a twist or adaptation of the German surname Wischmeyer, meaning "tenant farmer who sweeps" or "tenant farmer from the meadow". 
 
As a given name, Wishmay is currently undiscovered, though it has received interest over on the Nameberry Forums alongside Loveday, Wildrose, and Maeblythe.

Wishmay

Mostly used for boys, Ronald saw a (perhaps) surprising amount of use for girls in the US across the 20th century, peaking in 1967 when 100 girls were given the name (compared to more than 16440 boys, that is). In fact, from 1940 to 1975, it was given to at least 50 girls every year.
 
Derived from Old Norse to mean "ruler's counselor" or "wise ruler", it has been out of the charts for girls (and on the decline for boys) since the 1990s. You'd probably be better off going with unisex Ronnie for a daughter.

Ronald

A variation of Tiana, a name that rose up the charts in the 70s and 90s after actress Tiana Alexandra entered the spotlight, Tianah and its various spellings may now be linked to the 2009 Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog. Considered a diminutive of Tatiana (from Latin Tatius, meaning unknown) or possibly of Christiana ("Christian"), this form has never been in the Top 1000 and has been only quietly used since the 90s.

Tianah

A diminutive or feminine form of Russell, Russie has an autumnal, rugged air. Used occasionally in the 20th-century, Russie could fit with the likes of Rusty, Stevie, Dusty, and Freddie.

Russie

An alternative spelling of Lovett, a diminutive of Lovell or Lowell, ultimately from the French lou, this name has the cool meaning of "little wolf" or "wolf cub". First appearing in the US stats for girls back in 1948, it has been used quietly across the 20th-century and into the 21st, appealing perhaps because of its similarity to the phrase "love it" or the presence of "love" in the spelling more generally. In fact, it could even be considered an elaboration of Love.

Lovette

A blend of the stylish Beck sound with the still on-trend Lynn suffix, Becklyn may be considered a nature related choice meaning "small stream (flowing) into the lake" or "small pretty stream", depending on which root of Lynn you follow. Alternatively, it could be interpreted as a spin on Rebecca, meaning "to tie, bind" from Hebrew. The name has been appearing in small numbers since 2016 in the US since 2016, with 5 girls receiving the name in a recent count. 



Becklyn

An modern spelling of a modern invention, Grayli is more commonly spelled as Graylee. 

Grayli

Less popular than Tess, perhaps because it coincides with a word for a long lock of hair, or because it rhymes with stress, Tress may nevertheless make a distinctive and playful short form or an unexpected way to honor a Theresa.
 
Quietly but more familiarly heard in the forms of Tressa or Tressie, it did feature in the 2023 epic fantasy novel Tress of the Emerald Sea by Bernard Sanderson.

Tress

Clay is an earthy name given to more than 500 baby boys in the US last year, and zero baby girls. But there's no reason it can't work for any gender. Rosie O'Donnell's youngest child, who is nonbinary, changed their name from Dakota to Clay, definitely a cooler choice.

Clay

A name in the style of Hayley, Kaylee, and Baylee, Graylie is a spelling variant with a softer look.

Graylie

UK names for baby girls originate from all the languages and cultures of the United Kingdom: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, along with Cornwall and the Isle of Man. UK girl names range from the top female names in the English-speaking world, such as Ann, Ella, and Kate to thousands of unique girls' names like Lettice, Myfanwy, and Pixie.

Browse this list of UK girl names from the Nameberry database that originate in the English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish, Cornish and Manx languages and cultures. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.

UK names for baby girls originate from all the languages and cultures of the United Kingdom: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, along with Cornwall and the Isle of Man. UK girl names range from the top female names in the English-speaking world, such as Ann, Ella, and Kate to thousands of unique girls' names like Lettice, Myfanwy, and Pixie. Browse this list of UK girl names from the Nameberry database that originate in the English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish, Cornish and Manx languages and cultures. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically. (Page 86)