Updated October 2026
Across 14 pages
of 14
American invented name
This smoosh between Samantha and Amanda might be in for some 'salamander' teasing.
Word name
Smooth and evocative, but not very namelike.
Invented name
She looked like a model but she was really an evil many-tentacled monster in Men in Black : your child will never forgive you if you choose this name. And neither will we.
English
"a female who has one or both parents in common with another"
Sister is an old-timey nickname-name for girls, ranking in the Top 1000 as a proper name for girls until the beginning of the 20th century. But more often, Sister was used as a nickname in the truest…
Compound name, combining Shirley and Ann
"grace of the bright meadow; bright meadow + grace"
Quaint, quirky, and slightly clunky, Shirleyann is a smoosh name with a 30s feel about it. An unexpected vintage choice, a potential honor name, or perhaps for diehard fans of Anne of Green Gables…
Compound name, blending Susan and Ellen
"shining lily"
Suellen is a smoosh name that combines two classic names into one that feels both mid-century and modern, a little like Carolyn, a bit like Elowen. Notably used by Margaret Hill in her novel, Gone…
Invented name, meaning unknown
Strange amalgam with little appeal.
The Puritans used it as a virtue name -- but today it would just be considered weird: silence is no longer golden.
Fruit name
Another entry in the fruit name category, this one borne by writer Strawberry Saroyan, granddaughter of William, so named by her hippie parents. While fruit names may become more familiar, they'll…
Ancient Greek
"sapphire"
Name of the 7th century BC Greek lyric poet born on the island of Lesbos, whose name has been synonymous with lesbian love. Though this name is rarely used today, it certainly could be and, some…
Modern invented name
Scarla is one of a raft of modern names that have been spun from established names -- in this case, it's part Scarlett, part Carla -- to make something new and "different." Uniqueness is the value…
Variation of Sybil, Greek
"seer, oracle"
Meet my sibling, Sibley. Joking aside, Sibley sounds more possible than ever thanks to its trendy -ley ending and the new stylishness of big sister name Sybil.
Variation of Azenor, Breton
"light"
The origins of Senara, the name of a Cornish saint who is patron of the village of Zennor, are not so straightforward. Some say she was the same person as Azenor, a legendary Breton princess whose…
Persian
"noble lineage"
The tale-spinning heroine of The Thousand and One Nights , Sheherazade is an extravagantly elaborate name for a little girl. Too extravagantly elaborate? It's lovely and beguiling, and with the rise…
Unfortunate name that's become a caricature, like Muffy, say, or Bruce.
Arabic, Indian
"dignity, honor"
A feminine form of the Indian and Arabic name, Shaan.
Modern invented name<ellipses>sha-la
"swan"
Obsolete Swanhild gives way to oh-so-modern Swan, joining the flock of newly fashionable bird names such as Wren and Lark. In France, the Swann spelling is fashionable for both sexes. But Swan…