Best Girls' Names

  1. Ada
    • Origin:

      German or Turkish
    • Meaning:

      "noble, nobility, or island"
    • Description:

      Ada is one of the classic baby names for girls that is suddenly super stylish again. A favorite at the end of the nineteenth century, Ada is an alternative to the over-popular Ava. Ada is also part of the trend toward simple, old-fashioned names beginning with a vowel, like Ivy and Ella.
  2. Alison
    • Origin:

      Norman French, diminutive of Alice
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      Alison has been long popular in Scotland and widely used here since the fifties. This more feminine medieval elaboration of Alice had long surpassed the original in popularity, but now sounds a tad dated in the U.S., with Alice having leapfrogged back over Alison, Allison, Alicia and other variations.
  3. Amelie
    • Origin:

      French variation of Amelia
    • Meaning:

      "work"
    • Description:

      Emily gets a Bohemian spin and a French accent when it becomes Amelie. This favorite among French girl names has been gaining notice here thanks to the charming 2001 French film Amelie; it entered the American popularity list in 2002 and is now solidly established in the Top 1000.
  4. Anabella
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Annabel
    • Meaning:

      "loving"
    • Description:

      We like all forms of this name—Annabel, Anabel, Annabelle, Anabela, and Annabella—so you decide how elaborate you want to get. Actress Sela Ward chose the Anabella spelling.
  5. Emeline
    • Origin:

      French form of German Amelina
    • Meaning:

      "work"
    • Description:

      An old name, with a history separate from Emily and Emma and a different kind of vintage feel, that's a possible alternative to top-of-the-pops names. More common spelling is Emmeline.
  6. Emilyn
    • Genevieve
      • Origin:

        English from French
      • Meaning:

        "tribe woman"
      • Description:

        Genevieve is derived from the Germanic medieval name Genovefa, or Kenowefa, which consists of the elements kuni, meaning "kin", and wefa, meaning "woman." The medieval saint Genevieve, patroness of Paris, defended the city against Attila the Hun through her rational thinking, courage and prayer.
    • Jillian
      • Origin:

        Phonetic spelling of Gillian
      • Meaning:

        "youthful"
      • Description:

        This spelling of Jillian is now much more popular than the original, maybe because the G version invites pronunciation problems.
    • Kailey
      • Origin:

        Variation of Kaylee
      • Meaning:

        "laurel, crown"
      • Description:

        Kaylee meets Hailey.
    • Kara
      • Origin:

        Spelling variation of Cara or Norse mythology name
      • Meaning:

        "wild stormy one"
      • Description:

        Kara and the soundalike (though not necessarily related) Cara are among the most multi-cultural names around. Cara has roots in Latin, Italian, Irish, Spanish, and Portuguese, and Kara can be viewed as simply as K-starting version of Cara.
    • Karleigh
      • Kate
        • Origin:

          English, diminutive of Katherine
        • Meaning:

          "pure"
        • Description:

          Kate, in the headlines via Catherine Middleton aka the Princess of Wales, has been as pervasive as Kathy was in the 1950s and 1960s, both as a nickname for Katherine and Kaitlyn and as a strong, classic stand-alone name.
      • Kori
        • Origin:

          Spelling variation of Corey, English, African, Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "from the hollow; lamb; coral"
        • Description:

          This variation of Corey has a Kardashian-style spelling update -- which might be why it's experiencing a boost in popularity of late. Kori is also a Kikuyu name meaning lamb, one of the many names from that African culture with animal meanings, and a short form of Koral, the Hebrew form of Coral.
      • Madeline
        • Origin:

          English variation of Magdalen
        • Meaning:

          "high tower or woman from Magdala"
        • Description:

          Madeline, a lovely name with a soft and delicate image, is an old-fashioned favorite that returned to favor in the 1990's, combining a classic pedigree with a cute nickname option: Maddy.