Strong Girl Names

With a meaning like "elf power," Alfreda could find some appeal among fantasy enthusiasts. "Freda" makes for a pleasant nickname.

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. The name has a soft, lispy sound that is more wearable than its spelling would suggest.

Evokes picture-postcard image of colorful Indonesia. Bali Barret is a Paris fashion insider who oversees women's style for Hermes. Bali rhymes with tally or galley.

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.

Writer James Baldwin could make this an inspirational choice for a child of either sex.

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.

Conceivable middle name choice for admirers of flyer Amelia.

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

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 syllable may sound unattractive to the modern ear and the last two syllables are the equivalent of intrude. Then there's that rude final syllable. English variant Ermintrude is equally unlikely to find favor.

Popular in Kazakhstan, Tomiris is the Kazakh form of Tomyris, the name of a Persian warrior-queen noted for defeating Persian ruler Cyrus the Great when he tried to invade her country. With its appealing meaning, strong namesake, and distinctive, yet familiar sound, Tomiris could be an interesting route to nickname Tommy.

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.

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

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 of the major languages of South Africa. Anti-Apartheid activists often used the phrase "Amandla Awethu!", meaning "power to the people," as a rallying cry at protests. There was also a 2002 documentary about the role of music in the downfall of Apartheid called "Amandla."

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.

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

Romy lovers, here's a new one for you! Romary is a surname with French and Scottish roots and has historically been a masculine given name in France. It would be a great choice on either sex, but feels slightly more feminine with the -mary ending and Romy nickname.

Makes Donna into a cool twenty-first-century unisex Irish surname.

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.

Sibry or Sibree were used as personal names in medieval times and are also surnames. Obscure but accessible, this name has real modern possibilities.

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.