Nameberry Picks: 12 Best Glamour Girl Names
From the early days of silent pictures to the present day, a sprinkling of stardust has stuck to the names of some of the most iconic glamour girls. Whether their allure was sexy or serene, these superstars’ names make Nameberry’s top dozen.
Audrey— The radiant Belgian-born actress (born Edda), style icon and humanitarian lent a luminous glow to her name– an Old English saint’s appellation– which is being appreciated anew by modern parents, who have brought it into the Top 50.
Ava – One of the great hits of the decade, Ava still calls up the image of sultry Hollywood beauty Ava Gardner. Beginning with Heather Locklear, and Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe in the late 90s, it’s has been a wildly popular celebrity fave.
Brigitte – Brigitte Bardot, saucy French ‘sex kitten’ of the 1950s, left a permanent imprint on her alliterative full name—in fact one current celebrity has used her surname for his daughter.
Charlize—Contemporary actress Charlize Theron was born in South Africa to parents of German, French and Dutch ancestry, and was given her distinctive name in honor of her father, Charles. It has just started to be used in this country in the past few years, with that ‘z’ adding sizzle to Charlie.
Greta – Early film icon Greta Garbo had an exotic and mysterious aura which still clings to her name. A German diminutive of Margarethe, Greta has been used for their daughters by David Caruso, and by Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline.
Harlow—This is one rare case where the last name is more glamorous than the first—Jean—of the sensual 1930s Platinum Blonde. Patricia Arquette was the first to use it for her daughter, followed by Nicole Richie and Joel Madden—and it’s sure to catch on with other parents.
Ingrid—One of the few Scandinavian girls’ names to enter the American mainstream, thanks to luminous Swedish-born beauty, Ingrid Bergman. It has remained underused, though, and would make a fine fitting in/standing out choice.
Penélope—What a difference an accent makes! Penelope is pretty and prim, but the Spanish version, associated with the dynamic Madrid-born Penélope Cruz, adds a fiery dimension.
Raquel—Raquel Welch–born Jo Raquel—was one of the most striking sex symbols of the 1960s and 70s, and brought her name into the Anglo community as a more exotic spin on Rachel.
Scarlett—Scarlett Johansson has done more for this seductively southern name than Scarlett O’Hara ever did, bringing it up to #169 on the list—way higher than it’s ever been.
Sophia—originally spelled Sofia—Loren’s name telegraphed Latin sensualità when she was at her peak several decades ago, but now, since there were well over 16,000 American Sophias born last year, the name has a much more diversified image.
Tallulah—For decades this haunting Choctaw name was associated with the witty, husky-voiced, somewhat outrageous Tallulah Bankhead, who was named for her paternal grandmother who, in turn was named after the Georgia town, Tallulah Falls. It was revived by quirky babynamers Demi Moore and Bruce Willis for their youngest daughter, and is now an accepted option for all.
Would you use any of these names? Do you have any other favorite glamour girl names?