Names Girls Love Having

Thu Jun 25 2020By Sophie Kihm

Many girls love having names that convey personality, whether that is fanciful and feminine or down-to-earth and tomboyish. Young girls may be particularly attracted to names that are recognizable to the under-10 set, whether as words or children’s characters from books, TV shows, or movies. What little girl wouldn’t want to be named Princess? Or, next best thing, Belle or Jasmine.

Along with Princess and Belle, other names girls love having in the US Top 1000 include Athena, Charlie, Eloise, Harmony, Leilani, Scarlett, Sunny, and Valentina. Names seen on popular children’s television series are sure to earn you parenting points — among them, Abby, Callie, Skye, and Sofia.

You can count on your young child to thank you for giving her one of these names, although some may not be appreciated by a teenage or grownup daughter. Search our full list of names girls want for themselves below.

Luna

Origin:
Latin
Meaning:
"moon"
Description:
The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is derived straight from the Latin word for moon, luna. Luna’s divine complement is Sol, the god of the Sun. In Roman art, Luna is often depicted driving a chariot.

Aurora

Origin:
Latin
Meaning:
"dawn"
Description:
Aurora is the name of the Roman goddess of sunrise whose tears turned into the morning dew. She was said to renew herself by traveling from East to West across the sky, announcing the arrival of the sun each dawn. Aurora is also associated with the scientific term for the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis.

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Eloise

Origin:
French and English variation of Heloise
Meaning:
"healthy; wide"
Description:
To some, Eloise will forever be the imperious little girl making mischief at the Plaza Hotel, while the original version Heloise recalls the beautiful and learned wife of the French philosopher Peter Abelard, admired for her fidelity and piety.
Along with many other names with the El- beginning and featuring the L sound in any place, Eloise is newly chic. Eloise jumped back onto the popularity list in 2009, possibly thanks in part to the Eloise Hawking character on the popular TV series Lost. Eloise was the name of Jennifer Aniston's character in Love Happens. Denise Richards named one of her daughters Eloise.

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Isla

Origin:
Scottish place-name or Spanish
Meaning:
"island"
Description:
Isla, the Spanish word for island, is also the name of a Scottish river, an island (spelled Islay), and the red-haired actress Isla Fisher, married to Sacha Baron Cohen. A top girls' name in the US, Isla is also popular overseas, especially in England, Wales, and her native Scotland.

Freya

Origin:
Norse
Meaning:
"a noble woman"
Description:
Freya is derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning “Lady, noble woman.” It is the name of the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. Freya can be considered a feminization of Frey or Freyr, the name of the goddess’s brother.

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Olivia

Origin:
Latin
Meaning:
"olive tree"
Description:
Olivia is one of the top US baby names as well as one of the top girl names in English-speaking and European countries around the world.

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Maya

Origin:
Greek mythology name; Central American Indian empire name; Latinate variation of May; Spanish, diminutive of Amalia; variation of Maia; Hebrew
Meaning:
"water"
Description:
In addition to being the name of a Central American culture, Maya was the legendary Greek mother of Hermes by Zeus, and means "illusion" in Sanskrit and Eastern Pantheism. It can also be spelled Maia, though both names have so many possible origins and meanings that not all of them are related. To the Romans, Maia/Maya was the incarnation of the earth mother and goddess of spring, after whom they named the month of May.

Alice

Origin:
German
Meaning:
"noble"
Description:
Alice was derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of Adelais that itself came from the Germanic name Adalhaidis. Adalhaidis, from which the name Adelaide is also derived, is composed of the Proto-Germanic elements aþala, meaning “noble,” and haidu, “kind, appearance, type.” Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland popularized the name in modern times.

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Aria

Origin:
Italian
Meaning:
"air; song or melody"
Description:
Aria has origins in both Italian and Hebrew. In the former, Aria's literal meaning, air, is meant as a musical term denoting a kind of song or melody. Hebrew Aria is a variation of Ari, meaning “lion.” In Persian, Aria is a male name, and in Indian it is considered unisex. Arya is an alternate spelling.

Violet

Origin:
English from Latin
Meaning:
"purple"
Description:
Violet is soft and sweet but far from shrinking. The Victorian Violet, one of the prettiest of the color and flower names, was chosen by high-profile parents Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, definitely a factor in its rapid climb to popularity. Violet cracked into the Top 50 for the first time ever in 2015.

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Chloe

Origin:
Greek
Meaning:
"young green shoot"
Description:
Chloe appeared in Greek mythology as an alternative name for the goddess of agriculture and fertility, Demeter. She was referred to as Chloe in the spring months, due to the name’s relation to sprouts and growth. Chloe is also mentioned in the New Testament as the name of a Greek Christian woman.

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Amelia

Origin:
German
Meaning:
"work"
Description:
Amelia is derived from the German name Amalia, which in turn is a variation of Amalberga. The root, amal, is a Germanic word meaning “work,” and in the context of female given names suggests themes of fertility as well as productivity. Aemilia, the name from which Emily is derived, is unrelated to Amelia.

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Arabella

Origin:
Latin
Meaning:
"yielding to prayer"
Description:
Arabella was used as a given name beginning in the 12th century with the birth of Arabella de Leuchars, granddaughter of William the Lion, King of Scotland. It is derived from the Latin orabilis, from which Arabella gets its meaning. Some scholars tie Arabella to Amabel, claiming that the former developed as a variation of the latter in Scotland, much like the name Annabel.

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Maisie

Origin:
Scottish diminutive of Margaret
Meaning:
"pearl"
Description:
Maisie, a hundred-year-old favorite, is in perfect tune with today. Spelled Maisy in a popular children's book series, Maisie is rising in tandem with cousin Daisy. While Maisie might be short for Margaret, Mary, or even a name like Melissa or Marissa, it stands perfectly well on its own.

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Nova

Origin:
Latin
Meaning:
"new"
Description:
Nova is a name that has the feel of both newness, from his meaning, and great energy from being an astronomical term for a star that suddenly increases in brightness, then fades.

Penelope

Origin:
Greek
Meaning:
"weaver"
Description:
Penelope is a name from Greek mythology; she was the wife of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey. It has two possible origin stories—Penelope was either derived from the Greek pēnē, meaning “thread of a bobbin,” or penelops, a type of duck. Mythological Penelope was cared for by a duck as an infant, and later was known for delaying her suiters by pretending to weave a garment while her husband was at sea.

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Quinn

Origin:
Irish
Meaning:
"descendent of Conn"
Description:
Quinn is the Anglicized version of the Irish patronymic surname Ó Cuinn, meaning “descendent of Conn.” Conn has two possible derivations—the Old Irish cond, meaning “intellect,” or cenn, meaning “chief.” One of the most notable Quinn clans was from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.

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Sienna

Origin:
Italian place-name from orange-red color clay
Description:
The historic Tuscan city is spelled Siena, but the Sienna spelling, used by American-born English actress Miller, is rising even faster. Cable newsperson Campbell Brown chose Sienna for her daughter, as did Kevin James.

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Athena

Origin:
Greek mythology name
Description:
The given name Athena was derived from the city name Athens, which is of uncertain origins. In Greek mythology, Athena is the name of the daughter of Zeus who was the goddess of wisdom, warfare, handicrafts, mathematics, and courage, among others. She was the great patroness-goddess of the city of Athens. In the Odyssey, Homer describes her as 'sparkling-eyed Athena.'

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Willow

Origin:
English nature name
Meaning:
"willow tree"
Description:
Willow came into use as a given name after the willow tree, whose name was derived from the Old English word welig, meaning “willow.” Willow trees are associated with grace and elegance, which gave way to the adjective “willowy.” Other names with meanings related to willows include Arava, Willoughby, Dozier, Wellesley, Selby, and Salton.

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Lucy

Origin:
English, variation of Lucia
Meaning:
"light"
Description:
Lucy is the English form of the Roman Lucia, which derives from the Latin word "lux" meaning "light." Lucy and Lucia were at one time given to girls born at dawn. Lucy can alternatively be spelled Luci or Lucie.

Anastasia

Origin:
Greek, feminine variation of Anastasios
Meaning:
"resurrection"
Description:
Anastasia is the feminine form on Anastasius, a Greek name derived from the word anastasis, meaning “resurrection.” It was a common name among early Christians, who often gave it to daughters born around Christmas or Easter. There are handful of saints named Anastasia, including the patron saint of weavers.

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Grace

Origin:
English, virtue name
Description:
Grace is derived from gratia, the Latin word for “grace.” It existed as Gracia in the Middle Ages but was not in common use until the Puritans adopted it along with other Christian attribute names in the sixteenth century. It was used as a virtue name, in reference to divine grace—the love and kindness of God.

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Poppy

Origin:
English from Latin
Meaning:
"red flower"
Description:
Poppy, unlike most floral names which are sweet and feminine, has a lot of spunk. Long popular in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at #5 in 2014, Poppy is just starting to catch on in a big way in the US, where it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2016 and – just three years later – the Top 500 in 2019.

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Stella

Origin:
Latin
Meaning:
"star"
Description:
Stella was derived from stella, the Latin word for “star.” It was coined by Sir Philip Sidney in 1590 for the protagonist of his poem collection Astrophel and Stella. The title literally means “the star lover and his star,” but unlike Stella, Astrophel did not catch on as a given name.

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Tallulah

Origin:
Irish, Anglicized variation of Tuilelaith, or Choctaw
Meaning:
"lady of abundance, or leaping water"
Description:
As memories of the outragrous actress Talullah Bankhead have faded, this hauntingly euphonious Choctaw name has re-entered the public domain. A modern hipster favorite, it's been chosen for their daughters by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Patrick Dempsey, Damian Dash, Rachel Roy and Sara Rue, trail-blazed by Demi Moore and Bruce Willis for their now grown daughter. (Trivia tidbit: Bankhead's namesake was her paternal grandmother who, in turn, was named after the Georgia town of Tallulah Falls.)

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Matilda

Origin:
German
Meaning:
"battle-mighty"
Description:
The comeback of this sweet vintage name, one of the most stylish girls' names starting with M, has been prompted by a boomlet of starbaby Matildas, beginning with chef Gordon Ramsey's in 2002 and Moon Unit Zappa's two years later. But the renaissance of this name of the charming Roald Dahl heroine was assured when Michelle Williams and the late Heath Ledger chose Matilda for their daughter.

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Elena

Origin:
Spanish, Italian, German, Greek variation of Helen
Meaning:
"bright, shining light"
Description:
Elena, a pan-European version of Helen, has roots in Spanish, Italian, Slavic, and Romanian, among others. Helen, the name from which it derives, came from the Greek word helene, meaning “torch.” Alternate spellings include Elaina, Ellena, and Alena.

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Audrey

Origin:
English
Meaning:
"noble strength"
Description:
Audrey is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Aethelthryth, the name that later evolved into Ethelred. St. Audrey was a seventh century saint who was particularly revered in the Middle Ages. Her name led to the term tawdry, as cheap lace necklaces were sold at the St. Audrey fair. Shakespeare bestowed her name on a character in As You Like It.

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Ruby

Origin:
Latin
Meaning:
"deep red precious stone"
Description:
Ruby, vibrant red, sassy and sultry, has definitely outshone the other revived vintage gem names, with its sparkling resume of cultural references.

Adeline

Origin:
French, diminutive of Adele
Meaning:
"noble, nobility"
Description:
Adeline originated as a French diminutive of Adele, which came from the Germanic root adal, meaning “noble.” Adeline was introduced to England by the Normans in the eleventh century, was very common during the Middle Ages, then vanished until the Victorian Gothic revival. Common variants of Adeline include Adalynn, Adalyn, Adelyn, Adelynn, Adelina, and Adaline.

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Zoe

Origin:
Greek
Meaning:
"life"
Description:
The history of Zoe begins in the third century when the Alexandrian Jews translated Eve, which means 'life,' to the Greek equivalent Zoe. Zoe was in use as far back as the Roman classical period, and was popular with the early Christians, who bestowed it with hopes of eternal life, but it didn't migrate to the English-speaking world until the mid-nineteenth century. Alternate spellings include Zoey, Zoie, and Zooey.

Sadie

Origin:
Diminutive of Sarah
Meaning:
"princess"
Description:
Sadie started as a nickname for Sarah, but their images couldn't be more disparate. Where Sarah is serious and sweet, Sadie is full of sass and fun.

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Eden

Origin:
Hebrew
Meaning:
"place of pleasure, delight"
Description:
Eden is an attractive, serene name with obvious intimations of Paradise, one of several place names drawn from the Bible by the Puritans in the seventeenth century.

Mila

Origin:
Slavic, Russian
Meaning:
"gracious; dear"
Description:
Mila is a given name with Russian and Slavic provenance. It began as the diminutive form for names such as Ludmila, Milena, and Milica. Mila can be a nickname for any name containing the element mil, meaning “gracious” or “dear.”

Lily

Origin:
English flower name
Meaning:
"lily"
Description:
Lily came into use as a given name as a direct influence of the flower. The floral name was derived from the Latin lilium, itself derived from the Greek leirion. Lily later became an adjective to describe whiteness and purity.

Elizabeth

Origin:
Hebrew
Meaning:
"pledged to God"
Description:
Elizabeth is derived from the Hebrew name Elisheva, formed by the components ’el, meaning “God,” and shava’, “oath.” In the Bible, Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist, and two of England's most notable queens have been Elizabeth I and II. Another memorable bearer was Elizabeth Taylor—who hated to be called Liz.

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Daisy

Origin:
Diminutive of Margaret or flower name, from English
Meaning:
"day's eye"
Description:
Daisy, fresh, wholesome, and energetic, is one of the flower names that burst back into bloom after a century's hibernation. Daisy is now second only to Delilah among most popular girl names starting with D. Originally a nickname for Margaret (the French Marguerite is the word for the flower), Daisy comes from the phrase "day's eye," because it opens its petals at daybreak.

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Emma

Origin:
German
Meaning:
"universal"
Description:
Emma originated as a diminutive for Germanic names beginning with the ermen root. A very old royal name well used throughout the centuries—Queen Emma married King Ethelred the Unready in 1002—Emma is also historically associated with Lady Hamilton, the mistress of Lord Nelson and muse of painter George Romney.

Scarlett

Origin:
English
Meaning:
"scarlet, red"
Description:
Scarlett originated as an occupation surname, designating a person who sold scarlet, a luxury wool cloth produced in Medieval Europe. The word is thought to derive from the Arabic siklāt, referring to silks dyed with kermes. The fanciest, favorited color was scarlet red.

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Jade

Origin:
Spanish
Meaning:
"stone of the side"
Description:
As cool as the precious green stone said to transmit wisdom, clarity, justice, courage, and modesty, Jade has been rising in popularity since Mick and Bianca Jagger chose it for their daughter in 1971. Superchef Giada de Laurentiis chose it as the English translation of her own first name. Jade manages to strike the golden mean as one of the familiar-yet-unusual girl names starting with J.

Ella

Origin:
German; English
Meaning:
"all, completely; fairy maiden"
Description:
Ella has parallel derivations, first as the Norman variation of the Germanic Alia—itself a nickname for names containing the element ali. It’s also a Hebrew name, referring to a tree in the pistachio family or in modern Hebrew, “goddess.” In English speaking countries and Scandinavia, Ella developed as a diminutive for names beginning with El-, such as Eleanor and Elizabeth.

Eliana

Origin:
Hebrew
Meaning:
"my God has answered"
Description:
The Hebrew variation of Eliana was taken from the elements el, meaning “God” and ana, meaning “answered.” Eliana also has roots as a variation of the Late Latin name Aeliana, a feminization of the male given name Aelianus, itself derived from the Roman family name Aelius. Aelius is related to the Greek word helios, which refers to the Sun.

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Evie

Origin:
Diminutive of Eve or Eva
Meaning:
"life"
Description:
Evie was derived from Eve, which in turn comes from Chawwah, a Hebrew name related to the concept of life. Evie can be used as a nickname for any name that starts with Ev-, including Eva, Evelyn, and Evangeline, but also for names such as Genevieve and Maeve. Evie is typically pronounced with a long E sound, but a short E is also valid.

Amaya

Origin:
Spanish version of Amaia or Japanese
Meaning:
"mother city; the end; night rain"
Description:
The Spanish form of Amaya is both a given name and a surname, originating from the Spanish mountain and village of Amaya. In this context it means “mother city” or “the capital.” Amaya can also be considered a derivation of Amaia, a Basque name meaning “the end.” In Japan, Amaya is a surname.

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Harper

Origin:
English
Meaning:
"harp player"
Description:
Harper is a red hot name for girls, having jumped from obscurity to near the top of the popularity list in less than a decade; it entered the Top 10 for the first time in 2015, and has stayed near there since. Harper is a prime example of the trend of surnames that turn into boys' names and then become girls' names. Harper was rarely heard for either sex before the mid-2000s, entering the girls' list in 2004. (For boys, it was in use until 1906 when it dropped off the scope and didn't reappear until a full century later.)

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Lola

Origin:
Spanish, diminutive of Dolores
Meaning:
"lady of sorrows"
Description:
A hot starbaby name – chosen by Kelly Ripa, Chris Rock, Lisa Bonet, Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, Carnie Wilson, and Annie Lennox, and used as the nickname of Madonna's Lourdes – Lola manages to feel fun and sassy without going over the top. Be warned, though: "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets," to quote a song from the show Damn Yankees.

Hermione

Origin:
Greek, feminine version of Hermes, "messenger, earthly"
Meaning:
"messenger, earthly"
Description:
Hermione's costarring role in Harry Potter has made this previously ignored, once stodgy name suddenly viable. Hermione could really take off once today's children start having kids of their own.

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Noa

Origin:
Hebrew
Meaning:
"motion"
Description:
This Old Testament female name has been one of the most popular girls’ names in Israel over the last decade. Also highly popular in Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands, and a new entrant to the US Top 1000, it may be misunderstood here as an attempt to streamline and feminize the more familiar Noah – although it's a separate name with a separate derivation.

Jasmine

Origin:
Flower name, from Persian
Meaning:
"gift from God"
Description:
Jasmine was derived from the Persian word yasmin, referring to the jasmine flower. Scented oil was made from the plant, and it was used as a perfume throughout the Persian Empire. Variants include Jazmin, Yasmin, Yasmine, and Jessamine.

Jasmine Continued

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