GIRL NAMES BRAINSTORM

Nova

Latin

"new"

Nova has the feel of both newness, from its meaning, and great energy as an astronomical term for a star that increases suddenly in brightness before fading. Nova had some reasonable degree of…

Liliana

Italian and Spanish variations of Lilian

"lily, a flower"

Frilly and fit for a princess, but with plenty of spark and flair, Liliana holds international appeal and a modern glamor. Joining Lily and Lillian in the US Top 100 for the first time in 2022,…

Eva

Latin form of Eve, Hebrew

"life"

Eva is a simple, classic Hebrew name for girls that recently slipped out of the US Top 100 for the first time in more than a decade. Pronounced either like her more popular sister Ava or less popular…

Lila

Arabic, Sanskrit

"night; play"

Lila is one of the girl names with a double l sound — Lila, Lola, Layla, Leila, Lily et al — that have caught on in a major way., Delicate yet dynamic, Lila has a slightly international flair. The…

Adalyn

Variation of Adeline

"noble one"

Adalyn is one of a large group of Ad-beginning names for girls, which include Adeline and Adalynn and Adelaide and Addison — essentially, anything leading to the popular nickname Addie is in. Adalyn…

Nayeli

Latin American, Zapotec

"I love you; open"

Predominantly used among the Hispanic community, but beginning to be used more broadly, Nayeli is a melodic choice, derived from the Zapotec nadxiie lii meaning "I love you", or perhaps from nayele…

Laila

Spelling variation of Layla or Sami variation of Helga, Arabic or Finnish

"night; holy"

Beguiling and lovely, Laila is one of the lilting variations of Leila and Layla. It's the name of the former-boxer daughter of Muhammad Ali and of actor Shawn Wayans. In Finland, the Sami people use…

Ayana

Arabic, African, Kazakh

"large eyes; time; beautiful flower; clear, obvious, revealed; seeing, witnessing"

With diverse roots and meanings, Ayana is a cross-cultural possibility with Arabic, African, and Kazakh origin. Both Ayana and Ayanna enjoyed a spike of popularity in the 1990s, but have faded since…

Aiyana

American from Arabic or African

"large eyes, or time, or beautiful flower"

Aiyana is a name that could easily cross cultures. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1999 and hovers near the bottom of the Top 1000.

Leela

Sanskrit

"play"

While Leela may be a spelling variation of Lila or Leila, it's also an Indian name in its own right with a playful meaning. And unlike it's more popular Western sisters, Leela does not create…

Raine

French

"queen"

Attracted attention as the stepmother of Princess Diana.

Malina

Feminine form of Malcolm or spelling variation of Melina or Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian

"raspberry"

Malina is a synthetic-feeling name that may be a feminization of the Scottish Malcolm or a spelling twist on the Greek Melina and that also has a fruit meaning in several Eastern European languages.…

Leina

Leina is a feminine name with multicultural origins and meanings. In Hawaiian, it can mean 'shining light' or be related to 'leina-a-ka-uhane,' referring to a leaping place for souls. In various…