Strong Girl Names

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.

Used for girls in Scotland in the sixteenth century; this would make a bold but bonnie choice.

Conceivable middle name choice for admirers of flyer Amelia.

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.

Though some sources list this as a Greek variation of Emily, it is in fact used there only as a male name.

Slightly awkward girl's version of a straightforward male name.

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

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

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.