Nerdy Girl Names: Geek Chic Cool

  1. Betty
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Combine the popularity of Betty White and Mad Men's glamorous Betty Draper Francis, with the residual sweetness of Ugly Betty's Betty Suarez, and the result is an impending return of the name. It's got presidential cred via Betty Ford and feminist history through Betty Friedan.
  2. Polly
    • Origin:

      English variation of Molly, diminutive of Mary, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "bitter"
    • Description:

      An alternative to the no-longer-fresh Molly, the initial 'P' gives Polly a peppier sound, combining the cozy virtues of an old-timey name with the bounce of a barmaid.
  3. Henrietta
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Henry, German
    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"
    • Description:

      Despite a return to such feminizations of male names as Josephine, Clementine, and Theodora, starchy Henrietta has not made it into that group. Still, if you look hard enough, you'll see that Henrietta has the same vintage charm.
  4. Inez
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Agnes
    • Meaning:

      "pure, virginal"
    • Description:

      Also spelled Ines, this name of the prudish mother of Don Juan in the Byron poem has a touch of mystery, but has also been fully integrated into the American name pool.
  5. Minnie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Wilhelmina, German
    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"
    • Description:

      Minnie was wildly popular at the turn of the last century — it was the fifth or sixth most popular name throughout the 1880s — but is completely obscure in the US today. Blame Mickey's girlfriend. Regardless, it's possible that the up and coming trend toward old-fashioned nickname-names — think Maisie, Mamie, Millie — may give Minnie (all on its own, not as a short form of anything) a new moment in the sun.
  6. Prudence
    • Origin:

      Virtue name
    • Meaning:

      "caution"
    • Description:

      Prudence, like Hope and Faith, is a Puritan virtue name with a quiet charm and sensitivity that is slowly returning to favor, though it hasn't yet registered on the charts.
  7. Gloria
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "glory"
    • Description:

      Gloria is beginning to move beyond its de-glamorized Grandma image, most recently thanks to glamorous young Hollywood parents Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, who chose it for their second daughter. Gyllenhaal was quoted as saying they had been inspired by Patti Smith's rendition of the Van Morrison song "Gloria" at a concert and thought " 'We'll name our daughter that one day'."
  8. Millicent
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "strong in work"
    • Description:

      Combining the mild and the innocent, this sweet and feminine name is worthy of a comeback, in the mode of Madeline and Cecilia. Its original, also attractive form is Melisende, which came from Germany to France and was borne by a daughter of Charlemagne.
  9. Frida
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "peace"
    • Description:

      The dynamic personality and paintings of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo have inspired growing numbers of parents to resurrect this form of the name. It does much better in certain European countries, especially in Denmark and Norway. The Frieda and Freida spellings were more popular in the US until the middle of the 20th century.
  10. Augusta
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Augustus, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "great, magnificent"
    • Description:

      Augusta is a dignified name reminiscent of wealthy great-aunts and stately homes, but with the fashion for both August and Gus for boys, and the renewed interest in clunky classics like Gwendolyn and Winifred for girls, Augusta might just appeal to contemporary parents.
  11. Philomena
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lover of strength"
    • Description:

      Philomena is an earthy Greek name now used in various Latin countries. While it has felt simply clunky for many years, it's starting -- along with such sister names as Wilhelmina and Frederica -- to sound so clunky it's cool.
  12. Roxanne
    • Origin:

      Persian
    • Meaning:

      "dawn"
    • Description:

      Best known as the beautiful heroine to whom Cyrano de Bergerac says, "Your name is like a golden bell".
  13. Rosamund
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "horse protection"
    • Description:

      This lovely, quintessentially British appellation, also spelled Rosamond, is the name of a legendary twelfth-century beauty. Rare on these shores, it is more than worthy of importation.
  14. Gwyneth
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "blessed, happy"
    • Description:

      Because of Gwyneth Paltrow, this has almost become a one-person name, but not in the prohibitive there's-only-one-Oprah sense. Also seen as Gwenyth and Gweneth, this mellifluous appellation is definitely becoming more and more appreciated by American parents-- enough to land it on this year's Top 1000.
  15. Peggy
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Margaret, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "pearl"
    • Description:

      Just when we had written off Peggy as the eternal perky, pug-nosed prom-queen she projected from the 1920s into the fifties, along came Mad Men, with intriguing mid-century characters with names like Joan and Betty--and Peggy, causing a bit of a re-think. MM's proto-feminist Peggy Olson was followed by Amy Adams's strong Oscar-nominated Peggy Dodd character in The Master.
  16. Muriel
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "of the bright sea"
    • Description:

      Once a poetic Celtic name, that of the angel who governs the month of June, Muriel became the mom or grandma on TV sitcoms. A Top 200 name from 1912 to 1933, Muriel may be due for a comeback according to our Hundred Year Rule. Only 50 baby girls were given the name in the US last year, and none were given Muriel's French variation, Murielle.
  17. Hester
    • Origin:

      Medieval variation of Esther, Persian
    • Meaning:

      "star"
    • Description:

      The disgraced heroine of The Scarlet Letter's name, after long neglect, just might have a chance at revival, following in the wake of sister-name Esther. We've characterized her elsewhere as an eccentric aristocrat, much more accepted in the U.K. than she has been here.
  18. Aphra
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, variation of Aphrah
    • Meaning:

      "dust"
    • Description:

      Aphra would make an interesting choice-- especially since it's the name of the first professional female writer in English, the seventeenth century's Aphra Behn. Born in 1640, she was a prolific dramatist of the English Restoration, and a spy.
  19. Hilda
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "battle woman"
    • Description:

      Short for Brunhilda, the operatic Valkyrie of Teutonic legend, Hilda still has not quite shaken off that image that image. Though with the resurgence of Matilda, she might just have a bit of a comeback.
  20. Dulcie
    • Origin:

      Latin, diminutive of Dulcibella
    • Meaning:

      "sweet"
    • Description:

      A sweet-meaning and sounding name dating back to the Roman Empire, and later found in the antebellum South, Dulcie has in the modern era been heard most often in Australia.

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