Columba is an early saint's name that rhumbas to a modern beat. While the original St. Columba is male, the name sounds more appropriate for a girl in the modern world. Leave variations Colm and Callum for the boys.

Gorgeous and definitely wearable for a Western baby girl.

A forgotten nickname for Columbus, which itself is becoming ever rarer. Radio comedy program Lum and Abner, which ran for over two decades beginning in 1931, featured a character named Columbus "Lum" Edwards.

This form of the stylish Old Testament name is too close to the feminine Yona.

In the currently popular solid, serious, two-syllable mold.

Azerbaijani and alternative Arabic spelling of Yunus, from Jonah "dove".

This is a big name, both in heritage and sound. On the right child, this could be inspired, but others may shrink from all the connotations. While your preferred nickname for this option might be Col (or Kit if you're connecting it to Christopher Columbus), you may end up with the slightly more cumbersome "Bus" as the short-form.

While the original Irish St. Columba was male, the modern Irish variation Colm or Scottish Callum would be more appropriate for a contemporary boy. We can, however, imagine Columba as a rhythmic and contemporary-sounding girl's name.

Yunus is the Arabic form of Jonah, also used in Turkish. In Islam, Yunus is a prophet.

Lovely and peaceful Cherokee option for a baby girl.

Grandmas will remember the old TV detective show; playmates won't. This is a name that has many variations in different cultures, from Columbus to Columba to Colum to Colm.

Colombia is a South American country name, with a rhythmic sound and peaceful connotations. The Irish Colm, Scottish Callum, and Columba are all attractive relatives of Colombia (or Columbia, if you're thinking of the college).

Pronounced ko-LUM, this sophisticated name associated with the symbol of peace, was borne by several French saints and martyrs.

A variation of Jemima, without all the baggage.

More popular in Turkey than either Yunus or Emre independently, this double-barreled first name is given in reference to the influential 13th- and 14th-century Turkish poet. Yunus Emre was a Sufi mystic and Sunni Muslim and was one of the earliest Turkish poets to write in Turkish rather than Arabic or Persian.

A beautiful flower name deriving from the Latin word for dove. Sadly, in America this name is now forever linked with a tragic terrorist attack on a Colorado high school.

Unlikely to catch on the way the male original has, though it may appeal to some parents as a more formal version of Nina.

This spelling used in Italy and Spain shares the peaceful meaning of dove with the more familiar Columba. It's a Top 35 name in Chile.