International Baby Names · Girl Names Lists
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 9 pages
of 9
Diminutive of Elisabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
Lise is most often found in the U.S. as the second half of the hybrid name Annalise. Canadian journalist Lyse Doucet bears a pretty alternative spelling, pronounced LEESE.
Swedish short form of Lovisa or word name
"famous in battle; lynx"
Popular in its native Sweden, Lo doubles up as a nickname for the classic Lovisa and as an animal inspired choice, translating literally to "lynx". Pronounced as LOO, it entered the Swedish Top 100…
Italian, feminine variation of Ludovic
"famous in war"
This Olde World name with a large measure of European style makes an offbeat possibility for the bold baby namer in search of interesting Italian names for girls . Currently very popular in its…
Dutch short form of Benedicta, Latin
"blessed"
Benthe is a popular Dutch abbreviation of the feminine for Benedict.
Dutch
"daisy"
Madelief is an uncommon name but not unheard of in the Netherlands, where 123 girls were called Madelief in one recent year. With its soft sounds and similarities to all those "Madeleine" type names…
Italian and Portuguese variation of Matilda
Mafalda is nearly unknown in the English-speaking world, despite an appearance in Harry Potter. Indeed, it does have a witchy feel. Matilda itself is preferable, or her French form Mathilde, Spanish…
Slovene, from Greek
"from Magdala"
Originally a short form of Magdalena — the Slovene variant of Magdalene — but commonly used on its own in Slovenia. Majda has a cute, bouncy sound and could either be a unique alternative to Maya, or…
Scandinavian version of Marie or Mary, Hebrew or Egyptian
"drop of the sea; bitter; beloved; love"
Majken, which is related to Maiken and Maike, is a popular name in Sweden whose variations are used throughout Scandinavia as cooler forms of Mary. Majken is virtually unknown in the U.S. and…
French variation of Millicent, German
"strong in work"
The romantic fairy tale-like name has come to modern attention via the beautiful but terrifying sorceress in Game of Thrones . The character may look as lovely as her name sounds, but it's hard to…
French
"delicate, dainty"
Charming French endearment, first used as a name by Goethe, that now makes an appealing choice -- though the proper feminine form is Mignonne. Note, though, that this is not actually used as a name…
Combination of Marie and Lou or Louise
Milou and her near-identical twin Malou are adorable names popular throughout Europe; they're contractions of Marie or Mary and Lou or Louise. The Malou spelling will probably be easier for English…
"faithful defender"
Frenchified name rarely used in France. And perhaps even more rarely used in the US -- there were NO baby girls given the name on the official records of 2021.
Greek
"burner of ships"
The modern Greek form of Nausicaa — the name of a character in Homer's Odyssey — avoids any unfortunate associations with nausea and offers a sleek, stylish sound.
German diminutive of Cornelia
"horn"
Nele originated as a German nickname for Cornelia, but it superseded its mother name and has been a Top 50 name in Germany since 2000. Nell, or even the phonetic spelling, Nela, would be more…
French variation of German Otthild
"prospers in battle"
Odette's evil Swan Lake twin -- gives the name a sinuous, sensuous appeal. It was a popular choice in France in the 20th century and made the Top 40 back in 1952, however, it has since fallen out of…
Norwegian feminine form of Ole or Olaf, Scandinavian, Norse
"ancestor's legacy, ancestor's relic"
Oline is an old school feminization of the classic Scandinavian names, Ole or Olaf, whose light, timeless sounds means it still ranks in the Norwegian Top 100 today.
French and English, diminutive of Ottolie
Curiously appealing, in a hoop-skirted, wasp-waisted way, Ottoline has recently entered the realm of modern possibility, especially since Sienna Miller chose it as the middle name of her daughter…
Latin
"lost"
A Shakespearean invention for an abandoned baby in The Winter's Tale , Perdita's sense of loss has always been off-putting to parents. But her image was somewhat resuscitated by its association with…
Literary name
This lovely name from Spenser's The Faerie Queene is borne by a character who represents married love. A related unusual-yet-usable choice: Amabel.
Puck, the mischievous sprite of Shakespeare, is a unisex name given more often to girls in The Netherlands and is also the name of one of the moons of Uranus, discovered in 1985 and named Puck for…
