Girl Names Lists · Baby Name Meanings
By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
Irish
"strength or exalted one"
Bridget variation that's the root of the unattractive nickname Biddy. Bedelia is another spelling.
Diminutive of Bridget
"strength, power"
Uncommon choice too reminiscent of "bidet". Try Bridie instead.
Celtic, female variation of Brice
"bright strength"
Slightly awkward girl's version of a straightforward male name.
Zulu and Xhosa
"power"
A mighty lion in sheep's clothing. Though Amandla looks, to the untrained eye, like a variant of milquetoast Amanda, it actually derives from the word for "power" in the Zulu and Xhosa languages, two…
"dark brave one"
Makes Donna into a cool twenty-first-century unisex Irish surname.
Diminutive of Andrea, feminine form of Andrew
"strong and manly"
This unique one-syllable name was added to the mix by Mariel Hemingway for her now grown model/actress daughter; it could make a distinctive middle name or Bree substitute.
German
"brave warrior"
Just a few years ago, Dustin, Dylan, and Daryl seemed like radical, edgy names for girls; now even Great-aunt Alberta wouldn't raise an eyebrow.
German surname
"honor, bravery"
Conceivable middle name choice for admirers of flyer Amelia.
French version of Germanic Ermendrud
"universal strength"
Ermentrude was the name of two medieval queens of France. Despite these distinguished beginnings, this antique name is unlikely to catch on with contemporary parents, perhaps because the first…
Hebrew
"strength of purpose"
Girlish for Ethan: attractive and unusual.
Irish surname
"soldier or warrior"
Feeney is an Irish surname found mostly in northwest Ireland. It may rise in the US as a first name for girls along with such Irish surnames as Riley and Kennedy. Feeney might also be considered an…
Scandinavian, Norse, German, Dutch
"enclosure, stronghold; brave, hardy spear"
Gerda is one of two things: a modern, Latinized form of the Old Norse name Gerd or a feminine form of the masculine German name, also Gerd. Not currently in style, it has a strong, ancient sounding…
"strength of a spear"
Clunky Gertrude is heading towards obscurity in the US, but here's a variation that might intrigue - Gesine, also spelled Gesina. Gesine comes from the same roots - Geretrudis - and shares the name's…
Old English
"Strength of the army"
Hereswith is a rare name that comes to us from the dark ages. She was a Northumbrian saint, whose more famous sister, Hilda, was the Abbess at Whitby and patron of the first English poet, Caedmon.…
Native American
"strong-minded"
Distinctive Native-American choice with forceful meaning.
Diminutive of Irmentrude
This name was used by the royal House of Luxembourg in the Middle Ages, as a diminutive of Irmentrude. We definitely think this spunky shortening improves upon the heavy German original.
English
"elf power,"
With a meaning like "elf power," Alfreda could find some appeal among fantasy enthusiasts. "Freda" makes for a pleasant nickname.
French feminine version of Leopold
"brave people"
A sophisticated girls' name for those attracted to Leona, Leonie and Leonore.
French form of Millicent, German
"strong in work"
This old-time fairy tale name is rarely heard in the modern English-speaking world, but it's so, well, mellifluous, that it would make a lovely choice for a twenty-first century girl--a romanticized…
Greek
"strong-willed"
Alcina is an operatic name, best-known as the name of the beautiful sorceress of the eponymous Handel opera drawn from the Orlando poems. Alcina and her sister Morgana live on an island where Alcina…
