Invented Girl Names

Timberly emerged on the charts in 1960 as an alternative to Kimberly. It never caught on and has been given to no more than 25 baby girls each year since. These days it may also be seen as an elaboration of Timber, an up-and-coming gender-neutral nature name.

Chavelle is used both as a variation of Chevelle, an American name created by Chevrolet for a 1964 car model, and as a variation of Elizabeth.

A cute nickname name that's risen high over the past decade or so, more especially as Kaylee, this name combines the attributes of Hailey and Kayla, Kylie and Callie.

A contemporary spin on Hailey, Bailey, and Kailey, using the stylish letter Z and the double -ee ending, Zaylee ticks the boxes as trendy choice for a modern baby. It joined the US Top 1000 back in 2015 and at least 350 girls received the name in a recent year.

Kailynn is a feminine name that represents a modern blend of the popular prefix 'Kai-' (found in names like Kayla and Kaitlyn) with the trendy suffix '-lynn.' This contemporary combination name emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s when such creative formations were particularly fashionable. The name has Hawaiian connections through the 'Kai' element, which means 'sea' in Hawaiian, while the 'lynn' suffix has Welsh origins meaning 'lake' or 'waterfall' — creating a name with dual water associations. Kailynn offers parents a melodic, flowing name with a modern feel and natural themes. The double 'n' spelling adds a distinctive touch to this already unique name, which balances trendiness with an appealing sound pattern.

Kaylee meets Hailey.

Not quite a nature name and not quite a surname — whatever Laken is or isn't, we know it's definitely a name to watch.

A nouveau take on Mabry, an English and Irish surname that derives from Mayberry. Undoubtedly, some parents are using Maebry as an invented name, a combination of the stylish name Mae and versatile syllable "bry."

A diminutive of Anxela in the Galician language of north-eastern Spain. Also used as a modern invented name in the US, for example as a backwards spelling of Alex.

If you can add Lynn to a name, someone will and Mae is no exception to the rule. This compound name sits somewhere between the mid-century charm of Marilyn, Jerilyn, and Jocelyn, and the contemporary cool vibes of Jazlynn, Oaklynn, and Emberlynn.

If you can add Lyn to it, someone will. This particular -lyn name is a rising star of the 2020s, having entered the US Top 1000 in 2022, alongside sister spelling Lakelynn. Meaning "lake lake" or "pretty lake", depending on which Lynn meaning you choose to apply, it could also be viewed as a feminine form of Lachlan ("lake land").

Laniyah, rhymes with Mariah, is an Arabic name with a sweet meaning given to more than 100 baby girls in the US last year.

Adds a soupcon of French flair to some old classics with the currently trendy ae ending.

Tiabeanie Mariabeanie de la Rochambeau Grunkwitz is better known as Princess Bean on the Netflix animated series Disenchantment. Six sets of parents were inspired to use her name for their daughter in 2022, when Tiabeanie debuted on the American charts.

The invented Daleyza was the fastest-rising girls' name in the US in 2013, thanks to the adorable young daughter of Larry Hernandez, star of Larrymania. If you've been out of the world of baby names for a while, you may be surprised to learn that Daleyza is now one of the most popular girl names starting with D.

Aerith Gainsborough is a lead character in the video game Final Fantasy. The name was invented by the developers as a translation for the character's original Japanese name Earisu.

Raeleigh is a modern feminine name that blends the popular 'Rae' prefix with the trending '-leigh' suffix. It's a creative variation of more traditional names like Rachel or Raelyn. The name has gained modest popularity in the United States since the early 2000s, particularly among parents seeking unique yet melodic names for their daughters. While 'Rae' typically derives from Rachel (meaning 'ewe' in Hebrew) or can be a diminutive of Raymond (meaning 'wise protector'), the '-leigh' element adds a contemporary flair while maintaining the same sound as 'lee' or 'ly' endings. Raeleigh embodies a sweet, graceful quality with its flowing syllables while still having distinctive character.

Though it doesn't have historic roots--it was created by L. Frank Baum for a Princess character in his book Ozma of Oz--Evella could fit well into the Eve-Eva-Evelyn group now coming back into favor.

Similar to Brielle and Riley, this name lags quite far behind these more common variations. It peaked at Number 622 in 2009 in the US, but it is now descending the ranks. It coincides with the surname Briley, a contracted form of Brierley, which might be an interesting alternative.

Icelynn is a modern smoosh name which rose 300 places in the popularity charts in 2023, then another 200 in 2024. It combines the strong I sound of Ivy, Iris, and Isla, with the on-trend -lynn ending of Evelyn, Emberlynn, and Lakelynn, while also having the wintery feel of Winter and Wynter.