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Badass Names for Baby Girls
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The names
Scarlett
English
"scarlet, red"
Scarlett Johansson is doing more for this sparky southern name than Scarlett O'Hara ever did. Since the turn of the 21st century, Scarlett has gone from an obscure literary name to one of the most…
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…
Lydia
Greek
"woman from Lydia"
Lydia is one of the first place names, after an area of Asia Minor whose inhabitants are credited with strong musical talent great wealth. Always among the US Top 1000 girl names, Lydia is a quietly…
Athena
Greek
"from Athens"
Magical and distinctive but grounded and familiar too, it's no surprise that Athena has become one of the most widely used ancient goddess names in the contemporary Western world. Derived from the…
Sloane
Irish
"raider"
Sloane is a sleek, sophisticated surname name that has gradually morphed over to the girls' side. With its distinctive and intriguing sound, Sloane has been in the US Top 1000 since 2009, and in…
Ember
Word name
"ember, glowing coal or wood"
A warm and contemporary choice, Ember refers to the still-glowing parts of a fire once much of it has gone out. As such, some of its appeal lies in its associations with hope, rekindling, and light…
Zara
Hebrew and Arabic
"blooming flower; God remembers"
Zara has multiple origins, but most notably is a variation of Zahrah, a name derived from the Arabic zahrah , meaning "blooming flower." Zara can also be a diminutive of the Bulgarian name Zaharina,…
Marley
English
"pleasant seaside meadow"
Reggae master Bob's surname was one of the biggest risers on the popularity charts for girls in 2008, with spellings Marlee and Marely also leaping in favor. Also used for boys, Marley is one of the…
Harley
English
"the long field"
Once a macho biker name, Harley is now showing its softer side. In the UK, Harley is predominantly masculine, but it's currently more popular for girls than boys in the US. Along with Harper and…
Lorelei
German
"alluring, temptress"
The lovely Lorelei, a name from old German legend, was a beautiful Rhine River seductress whose haunting voice led sailors to hazardous rocks that would cause them to be shipwrecked. And this siren…
Calliope
Greek mythology
"beautiful voice"
Melodic and beautiful but with a touch of sass, Calliope is the name of the muse of epic poetry — and perhaps less glamorously, the musical instrument on the merry-go-round. Bold and creative, it…
Gwen
Diminutive of Gwendolen or Gwendolyn, Welsh
"white circle"
While Gwen may have originated as a short form of Gwendolen and Gwendolyn, these days it frequently stands on its own. Rocker Gwen Stefani has given it a shot of cool, and parents are choosing it as…
Guinevere
Welsh
"white shadow, white wave"
Guinevere was the name of the beautiful but ill-fated queen of Camelot, for so many years eclipsed by its modern Cornish form Jennifer. Today, Guinevere could be a cool possibility for adventurous…
Beatrix
Latin
"she who brings happiness; blessed"
Beatrix has a solid history of its own apart from Beatrice, with that final x adding a playful, animated note to the name's imposing history and stately vibe. In the earliest sources it is recorded…
Dion
Joey
Diminutive of Joanna or Josephine, Hebrew
"Jehovah increases"
Fun, friendly and fresher than Jo or Josie as a nickname for Joanna or Josephine. Joey can be thought of as one of the Stevie/Billie/Frankie boyish nicknames for girls so fashionable today.
Juno
Latin
"queen of the heavens; young"
Juno is an ancient name that feels as fresh as if it had been minted, well, not yesterday, but in 2007. Since the release of the popular indie film Juno , this lively but strong Roman goddess name…
Madelena
Madelena is a graceful feminine name representing a variation of Magdalena, ultimately derived from Magdala, an ancient place name meaning "tower" in Aramaic. This name connects to the biblical…