Strong Girl Names

Girlish for Ethan: attractive and unusual.

If you have an aversion to Briella, you can shorten it even further to this.

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 out-of-the-box short form of Josephine.

This Hawaiian name gracefully celebrates the force of nature, paying tribute to the ocean. If you're looking for unique names that mean ocean, this should be on your short list.

Nerio was one of the Roman goddesses of war and a wife of Mars. Her name is among the many intriguing names that mean strong.

Beren is a gender-neutral name that's rare in the US, given last year to 20 baby boys and only five baby girls. But it's simple, distinctive, and yes, strong, plus it comes with an amazing nickname -- Berry.

Familiar in Brazil where it might also be spelled as Tamiris, Tamyris or Thamires, this name was borne by a Persian warrior-queen noted for defeating Persian ruler Cyrus the Great when he tried to invade her country. Notable bearers of the name include professional footballer Tamires Cássia Dias de Britto, mixed martial artist Tamires Vidal, singer Tamyris Moiane, and musician Thamires Garcia.

Akshara is a unisex name taken from one of the names of Lord Vishnu.

This unusual choice could work for parents looking for a striking, unflowery girls name that could be shortened to Tommy. Tomyris was an Persian warrior-queen noted for defeating Persian ruler Cyrus the Great when he tried to invade her country. That's a strong namesake for the modern girl. Tomiris is an alternative form.

Predominantly used in Nepal and India, Srishti, also spelled Sristi, is a name of Sanskrit origin that relates to creation of different kinds. As a Hindu concept, it refers to the work of creating the world.

Distinctive Native-American choice with forceful meaning.

A vintage Dutch name, Berendina is the feminine form of Berend, a Dutch variant of Bernard. Can be shortened to Dina or Diny.

Uncommon choice too reminiscent of "bidet". Try Bridie instead.

An ancient saint's name belonging to an 8th century English missionary. Variants include Walpurga and Walpurgis.

Clunky Gertrude is heading towards obscurity in the US, but here's a variation that might intrigue - Gesine, also spelled Gesina.

Tetsu is a female name with an unusually strong and powerful meaning. It sounds spunky and cute too.

Israeli-born singer Keren Ann introduced this traditional Hebrew name to the US, where it could well be mistaken for Karen. Nevertheless, 100 girls were given the name in a recent year.

Mystical and romantic with a charmingly Old Norse feel, Solveiga is the variant of Solveig that is found in Latvia and Lithuania.

Bridget variation that's the root of the unattractive nickname Biddy. Bedelia is another spelling.

In the Bible, Elim is an oasis where the Israelites stopped during their Exodus from Egypt. It is a place of plenty representing the natural blessings of God, with twelve springs of fresh water and seventy date palm trees to provide food and shade.