Kushiel's Legacy - Female Names

Maria

Hebrew or Egyptian

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

As a highly popular girls' name in all Spanish-speaking countries, this saintly Latin variation of Mary retains a timeless beauty. Through the centuries, Maria remains one of the most widely-used…

Juliette

French diminutive of Julia, Latin

"youthful or sky father"

Juliette, pronounced with the emphasis on the last syllable, adds a little something extra to Juliet. In the past years it has been rising up the chart. Juliet originated in the Middle Ages as a…

Genevieve

English from French

"tribe woman"

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…

Isabel

Spanish variation of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Isabel derived from Elizabeth in southwest Europe during the Middle Ages. It was originally written as Elisabel, but the first syllable was dropped as it spread across the continent. In Spain and…

Miriam

Hebrew or Egyptian

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

The oldest-known form of Mary, serious and solemn Miriam has been a particular favorite of observant Jewish parents. But we can see it extending beyond that sphere into the next wave of Old Testament…

Maia

Greek

"mother"

Maia was derived from the Greek word maia , meaning "mother." In Greek legend, she was the fair-haired daughter of Atlas who mothered Zeus's favorite illegitimate son, Hermes. To the Romans, Maia was…

Hedwig

German

"war"

An ancient German saint's name – and most famously the name of Harry Potter's snowy owl – but the combination of "head" plus "wig" feels a little too literal in English.

Bernadette

German

"brave as a bear"

Although feminizations ending in "ette" are not particularly popular now, Bernadette is a pleasant, feminine, but strong name that doesn't feel prohibitively dated. And though strongly associated…

Rena

Hebrew, Greek, Estonian, Scandinavian, German, Punjabi

"joyous melody; peace; reborn; to remain"

Rena is a Hebrew name all on its own and is also a European short form of Irene, Irini, Renata, and Renate. In Punjabi, Rena means "to remain".

Roxanne

Persian

"dawn"

Best known as the beautiful heroine to whom Cyrano de Bergerac says, "Your name is like a golden bell". After peaking in 1954, the name dipped out of the Top 1000 in 2012. It returned at Number 986…

Ellyn

Ellyn is a feminine name with Welsh origins, functioning as a variation of Ellen or Helen. The name derives from the Greek 'Helene' meaning 'torch' or 'bright light.' Throughout history, Ellyn has…

Thérèse

French variation of Theresa

Last popular in this country from the 1920s to the 1950s, it now seems more modern than the English Theresa.

Cecilie

Norwegian, Danish, Czech, variation of Cecilia, Latin

"blind"

Variant of Cecilia used in several European countries, which could also make for a pretty variant spelling of the medieval English version, Cecily.

Melisande

French form of Millicent, German

"strong in work"

This old-time fairy tale name is rarely heard in the modern English-speaking world, but it's so, well, mellifluous, that it would make a lovely choice for a twenty-first century girl--a romanticized…

Persia

Country name

"land of the Parsa"

The name Persia derives from Avestan Parsa , the name of the Indo-European nomadic people who migrated into southern Iran in about 1000 BCE. Persis or Persea, the feminine form of Perseus, feel more…