Lovely Little Girls

Tzipora

Hebrew

"bird"

An important biblical name, being the wife of Moses in Exodus. Has a number of spelling variations, including Tziporah, Zipora(h), Zippora(h), Tzipor and Tzipori. The Yiddish forms are Tzeitl and…

Tzofia

Hebrew

"a scout of Jehovah"

The "Tz" beginning of Tzofia represents the Hebrew letter tzadi, which is pronounced more like ts. So Tzofia sounds like Sofia with a light t at the beginning — intriguing, but a difficult sound for…

Uma

Sanskrit, Hebrew

"light, peace, nation"

Uma is a sweet, strong name for a Hindu goddess... and a Hollywood one. But as popular as Uma Thurman is, other parents have not yet picked up on her name, making it a rarity. Uma is one of the more…

Wylie

English surname, Scottish diminutive of William

"from Wylye, from the willow clearing; resolute protection"

Similar in sound to choices like Riley, Miley, and Kylie, Wylie has been sporadically featuring in the US stats for girls since the 1920s, though it has been more consistently used since the late…

Xanthe

Greek

"golden, yellow"

X marks the spot in names these days, usually at the middles or ends of names, but here is one that puts it squarely up front. This extravagant name, which, like many Greek names beginning with X, is…

Xaviera

Feminine variation of Xavier, Basque

"new house"

Xaviera is one of the most intriguing and rarest female forms of a male name. Only a handful of baby girls are named Xaviera in the US each year, compared with nearly 3500 baby boys named Xavier.…

Xia

Chinese dynastic name

This name of the first recorded dynasty of ancient China is short and simple enough to make a possible Asian-American alternative to Mia and Tia. British-Filipino child star Xia Vigor has invigorated…

Éire

Irish place-name

Eire was a mythological goddess who named Ireland after herself. Rarely used today, even in Eire.

Susanna

Hebrew

"lily"

Susanna is an old and under-appreciated name, perhaps because of the recent overpopularity of Susan, that is certainly due for a comeback. The Susannah spelling is just as appropriate as Susanna. The…

Allecenne

Allecenne is an uncommon feminine name with mysterious origins. It appears to be a modern variant or creative invention, possibly derived from Alice (of Germanic origin meaning "noble") with a unique…

Indiana

American place-name

"land of the Indians"

Indiana is one of those place-names (think Camden and Trenton) that sounds cooler than the place that inspired it. Its fashionable -ana ending certainly sounds eminently name-like, and…

Ginevra

Italian variation of Guinevere or Jennifer

"white shadow, white wave"

Arty and elegant, Ginevra is one of the most popular girls' names in Italy at the moment, ranking at #3 in a recent year. Ultimately from the Arthurian Guinevere, it's a relative of Jennifer, meaning…

Roza

Russian and Polish variation of Rosa

Adds some zest to Rosa.

Bronte

Greek

"thunder"

This lovely surname of the three novel-writing sisters, now used as a baby name, makes a fitting tribute for lovers of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights . While the original name took an umlaut over…

Sidonie

Latin

"from Sidon "

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…

Desi

Short form of Desiree, French

"desired"

Desi makes Desiree a lot cuter and more boyish.

Athalie

Hebrew and French

"God is praised"

An interesting cousin of Natalie (the 'h' is silent) found in the Louisiana Cajun community, Athalie is the name of a tragedy by classic French playwright Racine.

Freddie

Short form of Alfreda or Frederica

Freddie, especially with the ie ending, is one of the old-school boy-names-for-girls that came into vogue at the turn of the last century. Freddie, all on its own, ranked among the Top 1000 girl…