By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 85 pages
of 85
English word name
"great joy"
A sweet, uplifting and still fairly uncommon modern virtue name. Its single syllable makes it especially good as a middle name, but it would also make a big impact in the first spot; in fact, nearly…
"Female ruler of an empire, consort of an Emperor"
Yet another noble name to join King, Prince, Princess, et al. The name Empress was given to over 100 baby girls in the US last year.
Variation of Ares or short form of Aristea, Aristella, or Aistotelia, Greek
"ruin, bane; the best"
Aris is typically a masculine name in Greek, connected to the ancient Greek god of war, Ares, or to Aristoteles, meaning "the best purpose". As a feminine name, however, it could be considered a…
Sanskrit
"blessing"
An Indian name that has seen a recent uptick, especially in Canada. Asees was the title character of a 2018 Netflix family drama, and Asees Kaur is an Indian singer.
Variation of Alanis and Ailany, Spanish
"handsome, cheerful; high chief; shining light, of the moon"
Ailany and Ailani were big hits in 2024, and this similar, slightly whimsical option also made its first appearance in the US stats the same year. As a variation of Ailany, is can be considered a…
Botanical name
Lovely entry into the tree name genre, joining Juniper, Maple, and Willow. Nearly 200 babies were named Cypress in the US last year, about 40 percent of them female.
Greek
"to sparkle"
If you love both unique baby names and flower names for girls, Amaryllis might be a perfect choice for you. A showier flower name than Lily, but in the same botanical family, Amaryllis is not as…
Female variation of Alan
"handsome, cheerful"
Singer Alanis Morissette made this twist famous. She was named for her father Alan, who is said to have spotted this version in a Greek newspaper. So far it has been pretty much a one-person name,…
Variation of Mavis
"songbird"
With the booming popularity of Irish Maeve and now the climb of vintage revival Mavis in the charts, more parents are beginning to gravitate towards this aesthetic variation. Maevis was a fast riser…
Spanish
"lady of sorrows"
Though it's related to the Virgin Mary, this name was once perceived as the height of sensuality, a role since taken over by nicknames Lola and Lolita. Dolores is one of the many titles given to the…
Yides is an uncommon feminine name with Yiddish origins, used primarily within traditional Jewish communities. It derives from the Yiddish form of Judith (Yehudit), a Hebrew name meaning 'woman from…
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.
Aeris is a feminine name with ethereal qualities, derived from the Latin word 'aer' meaning 'air' or 'atmosphere.' The name gained significant recognition through the character Aeris Gainsborough in…
Feminine form of Mael or variation of Maylis, French, Breton
"lord, chief; mother lily, beloved lily"
A fast rising choice in the US in a recent year, given to 63 babies compared to just 9 the year prior, Maelis may be considered a feminine form of Mael (or Maël), a French and Breton name meaning…
Hebrew
"supplanter"
James for a girl? Believe it or not, this is one of the boy names for girls" gaining a lot of attention these days, since Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds shocked the world by choosing it for their…
"gift of the ocean"
Doris had long been on our so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out-for-babies list, and seemed to be written there in indelible ink. But there are signs of a sea change, that Doris could profit from the…
Spanish, Portuguese, from French, meaning unknown
This name of the French town where a young peasant girl had a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1858 vaulted into the spotlight when Madonna chose it for her daughter, but few other families except for…
"grace"
Reference to the mythological Three Graces of womanly charm, this one representing charity. Pronounced in Greek as starting with a back-of-the-throat H sound, most English-speakers would translate…
Latin word name
"of great worth, expensive"
Though many might find it too syrupy, hundreds of parents each year choose this name for their daughters to make them feel special. Precious Ramotswe is the engaging African sleuth in the popular No.…
Possibly a form or Claudia or Welsh
"land, nation"
Hard as it might be to believe, Gladys was the Harper of 1900, emerging almost out of nowhere to take the naming world by storm. It became a favorite among parents — and writers of romantic Edwardian…
