Stylish Girl Names That End in Consonants

Geraldine

German and French, feminine variation of Gerald

"ruler with the spear"

Though twin brother Gerald is still in baby name limbo, Geraldine is in line to follow the path of Josephine to imminent revival—even though Gerry is not as spunky a nickname as Josie. Geraldine was…

Primrose

English flower name

"first rose"

A quaint and quirky flower name, until recently considered a bit too prim for most American classrooms but brought back to life in recent years by the attractive character of Primrose "Prim" Everdeen…

Gillian

Feminine variation of Julian

"youthful"

Gillian is a name that was in common usage in Great Britain until the 1970s, when it dropped out of the Top 100 and is yet to return. Until recently, it had not crossed the Atlantic in significant…

Pilar

Spanish

"pillar"

The fact that this Spanish classic, which honors the Virgin Mary, does not end in the conventional letter 'a' gives it a special sense of strength, elegance, and style, making it a worthy choice. The…

Maude

English and French diminutive of Matilda, German

"battle-mighty"

Maude, also spelled Maud, is a lacy, mauve-tinted name that was wildly popular a hundred years ago, but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose it again,…

Taryn

Variation of Tara or Tyrone, English, Irish

"rocky hill, elevated place; land of Eoghan"

Taryn is an offshoot of Tara that has a variety of meanings in a variety of cultures. In 1953, Taryn was presented to the public as an invention by actors Tyrone Power and Linda Christian for their…

Niamh

Irish Gaelic

"bright"

Niamh, derived from the Old Irish Niam, is an ancient Irish name that was originally a term for a goddess. In Irish myth, one who bore it was Niamh of the Golden Hair, daughter of the sea god, who…

Delphine

French from Greek

"of Delphi; womb"

Delphine is a sleek, chic French name with two nature associations — the dolphin and the delphinium, a bluebell-like flower, a well as a link to the ancient city of Delphi, which the Greeks believed…

Justine

French feminine variation of Justin

"fair, righteous"

Justine is a French name that's never reached the popularity we think it deserves. Like its far-more-common brother Justin, Justine is sleek, and sophisticated, but still user-friendly. Justine has…

Aisling

Irish

"dream, vision"

Aisling is currently a very popular Irish name for girls . Pronounced variously as ASH-ling, ASH-lin or ash-LEEN, it was part of the revival of authentic Irish names in the twentieth century, and is…

Solange

French

"solemn"

This is a soft, soignée French girls' name that has become familiar here via singer Solange Knowles, younger sister of Beyonce. It is also the name of a martyred ninth century saint, a poor…

Sigrid

Norse

"fair victory"

Sigrid is a distinctly Scandinavian name that is starting to edge out into the wider world, a la cousin Ingrid. Unfortunately, short form Siri is now off the table, but Sigrid is still a possibility.

Berenice

Greek

"she who brings victory"

A name with a surprising amount of history--it was the name of the wife of Ptolemy I of Egypt, occurs in the New Testament, and belonged to a fourth century saint. In the US, it has long been spelled…

Thais

Greek

"beloved, bandage"

A paramour of Alexander the Great and the heroine of a Jules Massenet opera based on the life of a fourth century Egyptian saint, this name is nothing if not dramatic. Often spelled with a diaeresis…

Gertrude

German

"strength of a spear"

Could cute nickname Gertie, remembered as cute five-year-old Drew Barrymore in E.T. , revive the long shunned Gertrude? It's tempting to dismiss Gertrude as a name on its way through the door marked…

Solveig

Norse

"the strong house; the way of the sun"

Currently popular in Norway where it ranks in the Top 50, Solveig is a sunny but strong choice, also familiar across Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Finland. It notably appears as the name of the…

Anaise

Variation of Anais

Anais, the name forever attached to the daring French-born American novelist and diarist Anais Nin, is unusual and French enough without appending an e, though some may think it clarifies…

Paz

Hebrew; Spanish

"gold; peace"

Paz, currently represented by actresses Paz Vega and Paz de la Huerts, would make a sparkling middle name choice. It originated as a title of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Peace, and is one of the…

Rosamund

German

"horse protection"

This lovely, quintessentially British appellation, also spelled Rosamond, is the name of a legendary twelfth-century beauty. Rare on these shores, it is more than worthy of importation. There was a…

Elspeth

Scottish variation of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Elspeth is one of those names that never quite made it out of the British Isles--particularly Scotland, but possesses a winningly childlike charm. Elspeth was used by Sir Walter Scott for several of…