Strong Girl Names

Dark, woody name that's brings to mind rich panelling, beautiful colors and luxury.

Aza is an excellent Arabic choice: elegant and simple. Too simple for you? Consider Aziza.

Ezri is one of the cool new unisex names starting with E, except as a Biblical name, it's not so new. Used for both genders in Israel, in the US it's currently running five to one in favor of girls, surprisingly. Its deviation from the better known and more traditional Ezra makes it feel like one of the more truly gender neutral names.

Though the name Kinga has penetrated the international consciousness via the Slovakian model Kinga Rajzak, it's a rare choice for American baby girls: Only six were named Kinga last year. Is that because Kinga sounds like pseudo-royalty, ala Princessa? Though with names such as Reign and Royal rising through the ranks, the time-honored Kinga may see more widespread usage.

If you want a pan-Scandinavian name with energy and style that could have been a winner, if not for the sound-alike water filtration company Brita.

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.

Many names relating to oak as in the tree are becoming more popular for baby girls, including Oaklynn, more popular than twin Oaklyn three to one. About 1800 baby girls were named Oaklynn versus 600 spelled Oaklyn.

A sophisticated girls' name for those attracted to Leona, Leonie and Leonore.

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

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.

Distinctive Native-American choice with forceful meaning.

A character name that makes an appearance in Shakespeare's King Lear, Nerilla has hardly been heard in modern times. Fewer than five baby girls received the name in the US last year, which places it among the rarest of the rare.

Girlish for Ethan: attractive and unusual.

Eisley and sister Isley are drawn from the German surname Eisele, which means iron and was often used as a nickname for a blacksmith. More than 100 baby girls were named Eisley in the US last year, and about two-thirds that number called Isley.

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

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

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.

Mythological goddess of fertility whose name seems, ironically, among the least attractive.

There are a surprising number of baby boys named Barrett each year in the US -- nearly 1800 -- along with 30 baby girls. Which is more than many people might guess.

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.