Character Names for Women

Ruby

Latin

"deep red precious stone"

Vibrant, sassy, and bubbly, Ruby is a vintage gem that hasn't lost any of its sparkle. Currently popular in a number of English-speaking countries, Ruby is proof of the 100 Year Rule, trending again…

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…

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…

Elora

Contracted form of Elnora, Eliora or Eleanora

Contemporary without feeling overtly modern, Elora is a winning mix of elements and sounds. It's got the popular El-prefix of Eleanor, Eloise, and Elliana, the -ora ending ef Aurora, Cora, and Nora —…

Lyra

Greek

"lyre"

Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's found new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's book series, His Dark Materials and its subsequent movie and TV adaptions.…

Elowen

Cornish

"elm"

A beautiful modern Cornish nature name that is rapidly picking up steam in the States: even spawning variant spellings like Elowyn and Elowynn. In its native region, it wasn't widely used as a name…

Tallulah

Choctaw, Irish

"leaping water, lady of abundance"

This hauntingly euphonious Choctaw name has re-entered the public domain, as memories of the outrageous actress Tallulah Bankhead have faded. For years, Tallulah was a name associated only with…

Leontine

French female form of Leontios, Greek

"lion"

Leontine is the French form of a name that's more familiar by its spelling variation Leontyne, the name made famous by opera diva Price. An obscure choice, Leontine nevertheless feels right for our…

Adelind

Adelind is a feminine name of Germanic origin, combining the elements 'adal' meaning 'noble' or 'nobility' and 'lind' meaning 'gentle' or 'soft,' creating the beautiful meaning 'noble serpent' or…

Libby

English, diminutive of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Through all the years when Betty, Betsy, Beth, Liz, and Lizzie were the Elizabethan nicknames of choice, the bubblier Libby was set aside, but today it may be the most modern of all—it has already…

Louisiana

French place-name

Louisiana is a geographic spin on the Louise theme. Pretty, if a bit of a syllable overload. Short form Lou or Lulu lightens it.

Amoret

Literary name

This lovely name from Spenser's The Faerie Queene is borne by a character who represents married love. A related unusual-yet-usable choice: Amabel.

Ariadne

Greek

"most holy"

This name of the Cretan goddess of fertility is most popular now as the more melodic Ariana, but Ariadne has possibilities of its own. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. The renewed interest…

Lumi

Finnish

"snow"

Lumi may be a rare girls' name in the USA and England, but it comes in the Top 50 in Finland, where it means snow. Given the popularity of Winter, Holly, Ivy and many other wintery-christmassy names,…

Embla

Norse

"elm"

In Norse mythology, Embla is the equivalent of the Bible's Eve, who, along with her husband Ask, were the first humans to be created by the gods, in this case from trees. With its lovely nature…

Eulalie

French form of Eulalia, Greek

"sweetly speaking"

Eulalie hasn't ranked in the US Top 1000 since 1899, but its French roots might make it more appealing to modern ears than its sister Eulalia. "Eulalie" is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, and the name…

Bellatrix

Latin

"female warrior"

J.K. Rowling is a modern master of naming who brought a whole constellation of ancient and celestial names to modern parents. Bellatrix, of one of the stars of Orion, combines fashionable names Bella…