European Girl Names

Stately and elegant, but with the familiar sounds of Sophia and Sophie, Sophronia was a familiar choice back in the 19th century but has since fallen into obscurity. Derived from the Greek sophron, it means "sensible, self-restrained".
 
Some people might have first encountered the name in the old children's book series The Five Little Peppers, in which Sophronia, the youngest of the Peppers is nicknamed Phronsie.`It was also used by Dickens in two of his novels: The Old Curiosity Shop and Our Mutual Friend.
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Given to a very small handful of girls most years, it makes a familiar but alternative option.

Sophronia

A sleek, smooth, understated name off the grid in the US but among the Top 100 girl names in Germany. In the US, it is a unisex name, while in Germany and the Netherlands, it is predominantly feminine.

Merle

Moa was among the Top 100 <a href="https://nameberry.com//baby-names/190/swedish-names">Swedish baby names</a> throughout the 2000s and 2010s, though it has since declined in use. Pronounced as MOO-ah in Sweden, it is virtually unknown in the US.
 
Could Moa make an interesting alternative to Maya or Mia — or would it always be pronounced to rhyme with Noah outside of a Swedish- speaking context? Possibly, but it nevertheless makes a sweet, succinct choice.
 
Swedish author Moa Martinson is a notable bearer of the name, while in Maori, it is used as the word for birds.

Sidonie is an appealing and chic French favorite that is starting to attract some American fans as a fresher alternative to Sydney. Also spelled Sidony, Sidonie was the birth name of the French novelist Colette. 
In the old form Sindony, it was a common name in Tudor period England, the 'n' being dropped in the seventeenth century, leading to Sidony, Sidonie and Sidney.
 Well-used in France, Sidonie ranks in that country's Top 400.

Sidonie

A pretty, rarely used Greek name, Thalassa is the ancient personification of the sea, particularly the Mediterranean, who is sometimes considered the mother of Aphrodite.
In 1991, a newly discovered moon of Neptune was dubbed Thalassa.
 This name would make a highly original, yet accessible and delicate choice.

Thalassa

The name of an area in northern Greece, known in the era of Homer's Odyssey as Aeolia, Thessaly makes a spirited and pretty place name. Reminiscent of Tessa, Rosalie, and Thea, the name likely derives from that of an ancient tribe, though the exact meaning isn't known.
 
Borne by American actress Thessaly Lerner, and a character in the graphic novel Sandman, Thessaly is given to small handful of girls in the US each year.

Thessaly

The exact origins of Tiril remain a mystery, but it is generally considered to be a name from Norwegian poetry. The heroine of Johan Sebastian Cammermeyer’s fantastical poem "Lokkende Toner" is Tirilil Tove.
 
Tiril is a common name for baby girls in Norway.

Tiril

Tove is a modern variation of an Old Norse name, related to Thor.  Tuva is a form of the name popular in modern Scandinavia.

Tuva

Frostine, best known in the U.S. as the name of the Candyland queen, is newly fashionable in France and is certainly a choice that any little girl the world over would love. Fanciful, if over-the-top, but a perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">name for a winter baby girl</a>.

Frostine

This Dutch name derives from the old Germanic name, Farahild. It is quite common in the Netherlands.

Veerle

Xanthipe, also spelled Xanthippe, is the name of the wife of Socrates. Challenging for English speakers, it's also dramatic and alluring.

Xanthipe

The modern Greek form of Arete, a minor Greek goddess of excellence, virtue and righteous morals. With its fun I ending and the trendy nickname Ari (or Art, for something more unisex),  Areti could easily leave the Greek mythology books and be used as a rare but stylish baby girl name.

Areti

A popular and stylish choice in The Netherlands where it ranked in the Top 100 in a recent year, Linde has a sleek look and a pretty meaning. Pronounced just like Linda, it may feel dated in the US where it peaked it the late 1940s and 50s. 

Linde

This feminization of Arnold (based on the Dutch variant Arend) feels fresh and sweet, and comes with the cute nicknames Ari, Aria & Dina. An airy, feminine choice that can be used outside of the Netherlands.

Arendina

Zsanka is a lively diminutive of either Zsanett, the Hungarian form of Jeanette, or Zsuzsanna, the Hungarian form of Susanna. Initially a nickname, it's also used on its own nowadays. The Zs beginning may take a second to get used to, but the name has a fun and bouncy sound that could work outside of Hungary.

Zsanka

This Top 100 <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' name</a> in The Netherlands is unlikely to translate to the U.S., where it would undoubtedly pronounced fee-line and mistaken for the adjective that means cat-like. While the name Feline -- and Felina and Felinus -- do have the same root, the considerably more charming pronunciation in modern-day Europe is fee-LEEN-ah. Some websites mistakenly relate it to Felix and give its meaning as happy or fortunate.

Feline

Thale entered the Top 100 in Norway back in 2020, though it remains rare elsewhere. It is typically considered a short form of Adelheid, however, it could also be a variation of Tóli or Tole, diminutives for names with the Old Norse element "Thor".  

Thale

Femke is a diminutive version of the Dutch or Frisian name Fem, which in turn is a feminine form of the masculine name Femme (still with us?), which is a diminutive of several Old German names names containing the syllable "frid" which means peace. 

Femke

Fenne and its phonetic version Fenna are vintage names enjoying a resurgence in The Netherlands, where both make the girls' Top 100.

Fenne

Fien is a popular enough girls' name to make the Top 100 in The Netherlands. Dutch parents love nickname-names taken from the last vs. the first syllable of a name, like Sanne for Susanne or Lotte for Charlotte.

Fien

 are the most common group of names by origin in the US. The names on this list, though, are well-used for baby girls throughout Europe but remain largely undiscovered by American parents.

A handful of these distinctly European girl names are beginning to catch on in the US, with parents embracing names such as the Italian Alessia and the French Anais. Along with Alessia and Anais, other 

 include Amelie, Esperanza, Giovanna, Jimena, Noa, Valeria, Xiomara, and Yara.

 for baby girls will appeal to parents in search of something different. A name like Puck, among the 

, or Saga, popular in Sweden, will definitely make you stand out in the US. Names including Iolanthe, Madelief, Milou, and Thessaly make for one-of-a-kind — but incredibly fashionable — names, as each is given to virtually no baby girls in the US.

You may wish to honor your culture of origin or seek a unique name with internationally endorsed style with European girl names. Here, search our curated collection of 

European Girl Names include English, French, Spanish,  German, Irish, Italian, and Greek names for baby girls with origins, meanings, and popularity. (Page 6)