Updated October 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
German
"brave friend"
Writer James Baldwin could make this an inspirational choice for a child of either sex.
Hebrew, Japanese
"to select; rose"
Gently appealing, a floral choice in Japanese.
Italian place name
A city in Italy, or simply a feminized spelling of Barry.
Irish
"fair-headed"
Barra is a Gaelic-speaking island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, that's been inhabited since the Neolithic era. A male nickname for Finbarr in Ireland, as well as a stand-alone name, Barra was used…
Bar is a feminine name with multicultural roots and concise elegance. In Hebrew, it means 'pure' or 'grain,' and holds significance in Israeli culture where it's used for both genders, though more…
Catalan place name
Attractive but somewhat unwieldy place-name name.
Greek, feminine variation of Basil
Rare but attractive female form of Basil.
Hebrew
"daughter of an oath"
Popular with the Puritans, this name of the shrewd and beautiful wife of King David and mother of King Solomon could be a bit of a load for a modern girl to carry. Bathsheba is the name of the…
Swedish, German, Italian, from Latin
"blessed"
Beata, a Latinate saint's name, has been widely used primarily by Roman Catholics in several European countries, but is rarely heard in English-speaking countries. Playground alert: could be…
"strength or exalted one"
Bridget variation that's the root of the unattractive nickname Biddy. Bedelia is another spelling.
French
"Begon's flower"
Begonia is a pretty flower named for French administrator and amateur horticulturalist Michel Bégon, who was an avid naturalist but also a proponent of slavery. A rare floral choice which has never…
English word name
"beloved"
Toni Morrison, the modern master of literary names, made this one famous as the title character of a novel. But things didn't work out so well for that Beloved.
Latin
Saintly, and a Mother Superior to boot.
French variation of Latin
"good"
The strong and unusual name of a medieval (male) saint and a contemporary (female) novelist, Benilde Little.
Place name
Maybe if you spent your honeymoon there. We did say maybe. Bermuda was used in the 17th century, such as Bermuda Rolfe.
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.
"daughter of Jehovah"
Long forgotten Old Testament name with modern potential.
American invented name, variation of Bird
A hybrid of Birdie and Ella used briefly in the early 20th century.
"bird"
One of the rare cases where spelling a name with a y makes it less rather than more feminine. Birdie might be the freshest choice in this aviary.
Flower name from English
"blue bell"
Bluebell is one flower name that is used very quietly. Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell joined her former Spice Sisters in creative baby-naming with this adventurous — some might say outlandish —…