Girl Names Lists · Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 4 pages
of 4
French and English from Latin
"bright, clear"
This simplified spelling of Claire does not improve on the more popular version.
German
"spear of strength"
Innocent, sincere, and bright-eyed, and as outdated as its mother name, Gertrude.
Diminutive of Samantha
"told by God"
Sam as a name standing on its own was given to only 18 girls in 2021, versus over 400 boys. But as a short form it's appealing and down-to-earth for both sexes, and heard far more often: There were…
Combination of Rose and Anne
Forever -- or at least for a while -- linked to the onetime "Domestic Goddess", Roseanne Barr.
Diminutive of Gillian or Juliana
"youthful"
Probably due to its nursery rhyme association, Jill has the perpetual air of a rosy-cheeked tot -- even though it is one of the oldest names on the roster, a medieval variation on the Roman Julia.…
Shelly is a feminine name that originated as a diminutive of Michelle or as a reference to seashells, giving it both personal and nature-inspired origins. Popular during the 1960s and 1970s in…
English
"rainbow"
Colorful, yes, but also probably among the hippiest of hippie names. Holly Madison recently chose it for her little girl.
Variation of Marcia, diminutive of Marcella
"warlike"
Marcia is the most common version of this group of names in the U. S., now found more often among moms and grandmas than babies. Marsha was a Top 100 name in the 1950s, when Marcy was its common…
Fictional invented name
"mortician"
Charles Addams invented the name Morticia for the mother in his cartoon series "The Addams Family." The name comes from the word mortician—very appropriate for this macabre mom.
Tami is a feminine name functioning both as a standalone name and as a diminutive for Tamara. With Hebrew origins, Tamara means "date palm tree," symbolizing beauty and grace. Tami emerged as a…
Diminutive of Margaret, Greek
"pearl"
Peg is a nostalgic turn-of-the-last-century nickname, sociable but slight. Like near-identical twin Peggy, Peg is in mothballs.
Famously the name of Samantha's mother on Bewitched .
Short form of Margaret, Greek
Marge used to be as common as Maggie or Megan, ranking on its own in the girls' Top 1000 from 1900 until right after World War II, when so many Old School names fell off the list in favor of a new…
"cookie"
Cookie is most often used as a dog name, and it should stay that way.
Place name and Spanish from Latin
"flowery"
Lacks the cachet of some newer place-names.
Diminutive of Katherine, Greek
"pure"
English, diminutive of Katherine
This endearing nickname name is one Katherine pet form that predates all the Kathys and Katies, having been fairly common in the eighteenth century. With the current mini-craze for animal-related…
