Strong Girl Names
- Romary
Origin:
French variation of Romaric, German, and Scottish surnameMeaning:
"famously strong"Description:
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.
- Bali
Origin:
Place-name and SanskritMeaning:
"strength"Description:
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.
- Tetsu
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"strong as iron"Description:
Tetsu is a female name with an unusually strong and powerful meaning. It sounds spunky and cute too.
- Ermentrude
Origin:
French version of Germanic ErmendrudMeaning:
"universal strength"Description:
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.
- Alfreda
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"elf power,"Description:
With a meaning like "elf power," Alfreda could find some appeal among fantasy enthusiasts. "Freda" makes for a pleasant nickname.
- Shakti
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"power"Description:
Shakti is the female equivalent of the god Shiva in Hinduism. A sacred name sometimes used in a secular way.
- Nerio
Origin:
Latin from GreekMeaning:
"strength, valor"Description:
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.
- Hereswith
Origin:
Old EnglishMeaning:
"Strength of the army"Description:
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.
- Baldwin
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"brave friend"Description:
Writer James Baldwin could make this an inspirational choice for a child of either sex.
- Donnelly
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"dark brave one"Description:
Makes Donna into a cool twenty-first-century unisex Irish surname.
- Earhart
Origin:
German surnameMeaning:
"honor, bravery"Description:
Conceivable middle name choice for admirers of flyer Amelia.
- Amandla
Origin:
Zulu and XhosaMeaning:
"power"Description:
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."
- Bidu
Origin:
Diminutive of BridgetMeaning:
"strength, power"Description:
Uncommon choice too reminiscent of "bidet". Try Bridie instead.
- Tomyris
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"family"Description:
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.
- Sibry
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"born in victory"Description:
Sibry or Sibree were used as personal names in medieval times and are also surnames. Obscure but accessible, this name has real modern possibilities.
- Bidelia
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"strength or exalted one"Description:
Bridget variation that's the root of the unattractive nickname Biddy. Bedelia is another spelling.
- Aimilios
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"strength"Description:
Though some sources list this as a Greek variation of Emily, it is in fact used there only as a male name.
- Feeney
Origin:
Irish surnameMeaning:
"soldier or warrior"Description:
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.
- Gesine
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"strength of a spear"Description:
Clunky Gertrude is heading towards obscurity in the US, but here's a variation that might intrigue - Gesine, also spelled Gesina.
- Elim
Origin:
Biblical place nameMeaning:
"place of strong trees"Description:
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.