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Heroine Baby Names

  1. Drew

    • Origin:

      English diminutive of Andrew, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"

    • Description:

      Drew is an elegant formerly male-only alternative to Andy that joined the stylishly upscale Paige-Brooke-Blair sorority, thanks largely to Drew Barrymore. Barrymore comes by her first name legitimately: it was the maiden name of her paternal great-grandmother, Georgiana 'Georgie' Drew Barrymore, one of many esteemed actors in her family history.
  2. 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.
  3. Aisha

    • Origin:

      Arabic; Swahili

    • Meaning:

      "living, prosperous"

    • Description:

      Aisha was Muhammad's favorite wife, making this lovely name and its myriad variations hugely popular among Muslims and also African-Americans. It's been energized by TV personality Aisha Tyler. Pronunciation is usually eye-EE-sha but some say ay-sha.
  4. Cleopatra

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "glory of the father"

    • Description:

      A royal name in ancient Egypt that's never quite made it to the modern world, though nickname Cleo is widely used. Other now-extinct Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora and Cleola, achieved some popularity in the early 20th century when there was a crazy for all things Egypt-related as the ancient tombs were opened and artifacts displayed. In the US, Cleopatra became a popular silent film in 1917 starring Theda Bara.
  5. Holiday

    • Origin:

      English word name

    • Meaning:

      "holy day"

    • Description:

      A fun and confident choice, Holiday is a celebratory name, particularly associated with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, and New Year, and with rest, leisure, and vacations more generally. Fitting for a winter baby, but totally sunny too, it comes from the Old English hāligdæg meaning "holy day" as it was originally used to mark religious festivals and celebrations.
  6. Venus

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "love, desire"

    • Description:

      The name of a heavenly planet and the Roman goddess of beauty and love was an intimidating no-no until tennis champ Venus Williams put an athletic, modern spin on it.
  7. Ginger

    • Origin:

      English diminutive

    • Description:

      Originally a unisex nickname for a redhead -- red hair is called "ginger" in Britain -- or for the name Virginia, Ginger perennially wears pink gingham and spike heels.
  8. Zendaya

    • Origin:

      Shona

    • Meaning:

      "to give thanks"

    • Description:

      Zendaya has propelled her unusual African name into the spotlight and up the popularity charts. Zendaya is one of the major baby name influencers of our era.
  9. Xena

    • Origin:

      Pop culture, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "guest, hospitality"

    • Description:

      Likely a variation of the Greek name Xenia, Xena is associated with the the TV Warrior Princess, played by Lucy Lawless back in the 90s. Also used as a diminutive form of Alexina or Zenobia, the name was used as a nickname, or temporary name, for the minor planet now known as Eris. It was chosen when it was still being decided how Eris would be classified, and was selected because it began with X and had the mythological, TV connection.
  10. Carson

    • Origin:

      English and Scottish surname

    • Meaning:

      "son of the marsh dwellers"

    • Description:

      Very popular surname choice — it's in the Boys' Top 100 — beginning to catch on for girls. First female association: novelist Carson McCullers.
  11. Wolf

    • Origin:

      Animal name or diminutive of Wolfgang

    • Meaning:

      "traveling Wolf"

    • Description:

      Notable Wolfs like Blitzer, Mankowitz, and Kahn give this name a masculine bent, but nature names are inherently unisex, so we see no reason why Wolf can't be used on a baby girl.

      Historically Wolf has been more common among German (where it's pronounced Vulf) and Jewish families, occasionally as a nickname for Wolfgang.

      The nickname Wolfie softens and feminizes Wolf, while Wolfe turns it into a surname.

  12. Rihanna

    • Origin:

      Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "sweet basil"

    • Description:

      Many will associate Rihanna with the Barbados-born singer, known mononymously by her middle name. During her early years of fame, when "Umbrella" was on the radio and "Take a Bow" was playing through the iPod Shuffle, the name shot up the charts in the US, UK, France, and Puerto Rico. Though the name did fall out of the charts as rapidly as it entered and while some parents might feel it is way too tied to the mid-2000s, Rihanna was given to 165 babies in 2023.
  13. Zaha

    • Description:

      Zaha is a distinctive feminine name with multiple cultural connections. It has Arabic origins where it can mean 'brilliant' or 'shining,' carrying connotations of brightness and radiance. The name gained international recognition through the renowned Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, whose innovative designs brought prominence to this formerly obscure name. In some African traditions, particularly Swahili, Zaha can also have meaningful connections. The name's brevity and symmetrical construction give it a modern, streamlined quality, while the soft 'z' and open 'a' sounds create a melodic flow. Despite its growing recognition, Zaha remains relatively uncommon in Western countries, making it distinctive without being difficult to pronounce. Parents might choose this name for its multicultural resonance, artistic associations, and beautiful meaning, as well as its elegant simplicity that works well across language boundaries.

  14. Lee

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "pasture, meadow"

    • Description:

      The original brief, breezy name is somewhat out of favor now even as a middle name. The Leigh spelling has more substance and is more identifiable as female.
  15. Bessie

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"

    • Description:

      After a century of association with horses and cows, this name just could be ready for revival by a fearless baby namer -- after all, it did happen to Jessie and Becky.
  16. Austen

    • Origin:

      Literary surname and shortened form of Augustine, Latin

    • Meaning:

      "great, magnificent"

    • Description:

      While Austin is a popular boys' name, this spelling, honoring novelist Jane, nudges the name toward gender-neutral, chosen last year for 67 baby boys and 57 girls.
  17. Sappho

    • Origin:

      Ancient Greek

    • Meaning:

      "sapphire"

    • Description:

      Name of the 7th century BC Greek lyric poet born on the island of Lesbos, whose name has been synonymous with lesbian love. Though this name is rarely used today, it certainly could be and, some might say, SHOULD be revived.
  18. Chanel

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the canal"

    • Description:

      Fans of the classic French designer would now more fashionably choose Coco.
  19. Lovelace

    • Origin:

      English surname

    • Meaning:

      "outlaw"

    • Description:

      What better namesake for a baby girl than Ada Lovelace (or, to use her full title: Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace), the brilliant 19th-century writer, mathematician and early computer pioneer? Not to mention, her name has a lovely, delicate, vintagesque charm.
  20. Rumer

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "fame, braggart"

    • Description:

      Demi and Bruce made waves when they named their now-grown firstborn after novelist Rumer Godden; a possible downside is its connection with the word rumor. English author Godden was actually born Margaret, with Rumer (a family surname) as her middle name