By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
Variation of Tara or Tyrone, English, Irish
"rocky hill, elevated place; land of Eoghan"
Taryn is an offshoot of Tara that has a variety of meanings in a variety of cultures. In 1953, Taryn was presented to the public as an invention by actors Tyrone Power and Linda Christian for their…
Irish
"rough, fierce"
While Larkin takes this name from bird to surname, there are actually more female Larkins these days than male, and it's a name that works as well for either gender. It has the literary connection to…
"dream, vision"
Aisling is currently a very popular Irish name for girls . Pronounced variously as ASH-ling, ASH-lin or ash-LEEN, it was part of the revival of authentic Irish names in the twentieth century, and is…
Welsh
"white breast"
One of the loveliest of the Welsh names , striking the perfect balance between being familiar and unusual. In Wales, the female spelling is always Bronwen, but Americans usually see a "y" as adding…
Irish, Scottish
"beautiful"
Caoimhe, pronounced (more properly) kwee-va or kee-va, is a pretty and distinctive Gaelic name but one that could well lead to no end of confusion outside the Irish community. Even in its native…
"searcher"
Upper crust-y surname Sheridan gains some energy when used for a girl.
Elaboration of Grace, virtue name
Grace, meet Grayson. The stylish classic girls' name Grace -- it's in the Top 20 -- and the trendy boys' name Grayson or Greyson, a member of the Jason-Mason-Cason club, combine to create the girls'…
"little champion"
Stronger and more contemporary twist on Carla or Carly, Carlin was used just about equally for girls and boys in the US last year.
Variation of male name Lachlin, Gaelic
"lake land"
This phonetic spelling of a traditional Scottish male name wasn't seen until used by Vince Vaughn for his daughter. As Lachlan becomes more of an established boy's name in the US, more parents are…
Variation of Merryn or Mirren, Cornish or Irish, meaning unknown
Is Merrin a real name or a melodic invention? Singer Bo Bice brought this merry name to the public's attention when he chose it for his daughter, but most reliable baby name sources don't list it.…
English diminutive of Catherine
"pure"
Time was, even C-starting Catherines who called themselves Kate spelled it with a K, but Cate Blanchett changed all. Cate is now as acceptable as (but not as well used as) Kate. Cait might be short…
"little black-haired one"
Kieran is a boys' name that could cross over, as an update of outmoded Karen or a variation on trendy Kiera (or Keira or Kyra). Keren Ann is an Israeli-born singer. The proportion of babies named…
Irish form of Janet
"God is gracious"
One of the best known of the Irish girls' names , thanks to singer Sinead O'Connor. Though it's still in the Irish Top 100, it's no longer quite as fashionable in Ireland as Aoife or Aisling. But by…
"descendent of the sad one"
Brennan is an Irish last name that could join the group of similar names now ranking among the top Irish names for baby girls in the US: Riley, Kennedy, and Quinn. Currently, only 16 baby girls were…
"little dark one"
Kiernan Shipka, aka Sally Draper on Mad Men , brings this Irish surname into the girls' column. And, like Kieran and Tierney and Tiernan, it's one of the perfectly unisex baby names . Only 14 girls…
"love, friendship"
Connelly is a rollicking and rare example of the popular surname genre that may work even better for girls. A huge update on Colleen.
Nature name
In botany, a catkin is a long, thin flower cluster found on trees such as willow, hazel, oak and birch. The word derives from Middle Dutch katteken "kitten", due to the resemblance to a kitten's…
Dutch diminutive of Catharina
Cato may have risen to new prominence in the English speaking world as an ancient Roman boys' name, popularized by The Hunger Games. But in the Netherlands, it's most widely used as a short form for…
"slender and fair"
Keelin is a form of Keelan, the Anglicized phonetic form of Caelan or Caoilinn, said to be a unisex name but in practice used almost exclusively for boys. Girls would more often be called Keela,…
English, contracted form of Thomasina
"twin"
Tamsin is an offbeat name occasionally heard in Britain and just waiting to be discovered here. U.K. actress Tamsin Greig is a star of the show Episodes , Tamsin Olivier is the daughter of Joan…
