Afrodita

Agata is an Agatha form widely used throughout Europe.  And the hard t may be more appealing to your ear than the th sound.

Agata

Aira is a light and airy name that is currently on the rise. Playful but concise, Aira made its debut in the England and Wales Top 1000 in 2022. 
Short and simple as it may look, Aira has a number of different origins. It could be seen as an elaboration of the word name Air — similar to Kylie Jenner's son, Aire. Alternatively, it could be a variation of Ayra, meaning "worthy" and "noble" in Sanskrit. It can also be a Finnish name meaning "messenger", or a variation of the Armenian name Ara, meaning king.
 We suspect a number of the 128 US-based parents who named their baby girls Aira in 2022 had the former, pop culture inspiration in mind - likely enjoying it as an alternative to the likes of Skyla or River. Others might have been inspired by dancer Aira Casim or by lifestyle influencer Ashmita Srivastava, who has a daughter called Aaira. 
 
With the announcement of Jenner's baby Aire's name in early 2023 we suspect that Aira will continue to climb the charts.

Aira

Angeliki

Appoline

One of the new color names that is catching on, invoking a calm, blue-green-sea feeling. 

Aqua

We usually think of place-names as a modern invention, but in fact Arizona ranked on the US Top 1000 from its inception in 1880 until 1911, when it vanished below the surface. It peaked at Number 510 in 1882, before Arizona became a state. One notorious vintage bearer: criminal "Ma" Barker, born Arizona Clark.
This unusual and evocative southwestern place name was picked for his daughter by former Everclear frontman Art Alexakis. It popped up as a first name on the quirky Dr. Arizona Robbins, introduced on Grey's Anatomy in 2009, played by Jessica Capshaw.

Arizona

Arlenis Sosa, the hot young supermodel from the Dominican Republic, is popularizing this lovely and unusual choice, related to Arlen or Arlene.

Arlenis

Augusta is a dignified name reminiscent of wealthy great-aunts, but with the fashion for both August and Gus for boys, Augusta could get some fresh energy. 
 Augusta was the title of honor given to the wives and daughters of Roman emperors, which then morphed into a given name, brought to England by the German princess who became the mother of George III.
 Augusta is also a saint's name and a place name. Her literary Great-Aunt image was formed via the characters Lady Augusta Bracknell in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, an elderly relative in the Harry Potter books, and Aunts Augusta in both Graham Greene's Travels with My Aunt and P.G Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster novels. 
 Augusta has a choice of two friendlier nicknames--Aggie and Gussie.

Augusta

Aya, barely more than a breath, is an international favorite, with origins in several languages and cultures. Popular throughout Europe, It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2012.
 In the entertainment industry, Aya has two international bearers: Aya Korem, an Israeli singer-songwriter, and Aya Liu, a Taiwanese actress. And actress Hilary Swank named her twin daughter Aya (and her son Ohm).
 
Aya is also a Danish name (a creative spelling of Aja) and is a highly popular choice there.
 In Arabic, Aya means "sign, evidence" or "verse" and is a popular name in the Muslim community.

Amilna

Anique

Anisia

Aymeline

Gently appealing, a floral choice in Japanese.

Bara

Namibian supermodel Behati Prinsloo, who has walked the runway for every designer from Prada to Versace to Vera Wang, has introduced us to this Afrikaans version of Beate or Beatrice, a rhythmic twist on an international favorite.

Behati

Actually the Spanish name for Bethlehem, which means "house of bread," this name is high on Spain's popularity list and is rising in the US as well. Though this is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/495/spanish-names-for-girls">Spanish names for girls</a> that has not for the most part crossed over to the English-speaking population, that could change thanks to its similarity to the popular Belle or Bella.

Belen

Blue suddenly came into the spotlight, as the unusual color name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z for their baby girl Blue Ivy. Blue is also a starbaby middle name du jour, used for both sexes in different spellings and forms, from John Travolta and Kelly Preston's Ella Bleu to Alicia Silverstone's Bear Blu. Dave 'The Edge' Evans named his daughter Blue Angel back in 1989.
 Blue is the heroine of the trendy Marisha Pessl novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics.

Blue

Binx

Blesnya

Cato may have risen to new prominence in the English speaking world as an ancient Roman boys' name, popularized by The Hunger Games. But in the Netherlands, it's most widely used as a short form for Catharina and other forms of Katherine, ranking close to the Top 100, higher than any formal variation of the name.

Cato for a girl is a cute idea and a fresh way to shorten the ubiquitous Catherine.

Cato

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

Cecilie

Clarine

Coco came to prominence as the nickname of the legendary French designer Chanel (born Gabrielle) and has lately become a starbaby favorite, initially chosen by Courteney Cox for her daughter Coco Riley in 2004. At first it was the kind of name that the press loves to ridicule, but we predict Coco's heading for more broad acceptance and even popularity.

Coco

In the New Testament, Damaris was an Athenian woman converted to Christianity by St. Paul. Known for her charitable work, her name was a favorite among the Puritans. Having slid off the bottom of the Top 1000 in 2012, Damaris might be deserving of more attention by parents in search of a New Testament name that is unusual but accessible, especially since girls' names ending in 's' are coming back into fashion. 
 Damaris is a supermodel name via Damaris Lewis; it's currently a Top 100 name in Chile.

Damaris

In Greek mythology, Daphne was the nymph daughter of Peneus, a river god. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollo’s romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. It is from this myth that the plant genus daphne, which contains the laurel species, gets its name.
 
Daphne's origins may be Greek, but it's seen by Americans as quintessentially British—as in the Daphne Moon character on Frasier and the heroine of the romantic drama Bridgerton. The shrub inspired the popularity of the name in England, where it became part of the British vogue for plant names at the end of the nineteenth century. 

Though we don't see it becoming a Top 100 name in the US, Daphne is obviously finding more widespread acceptance—and for a distinctive, deeply-rooted, attractive girls' name, that's a positive thing. In fact, Daphne has been in the US Top 1000 for every year but two -- 1913 and 1938. And it's now at its highest point ever in the US and is also one of the most popular girls' names on Nameberry.
 Its most famous bearer is Daphne du Maurier, author of such suspense novels as Rebecca. Fictional Daphnes have appeared in Some Like It Hot (Jack Lemmon as a woman), The Jewel in the Crown, Scooby-Doo, Harry Potter, and Heroes.

Daphne

Dayna

This spelling of Devon, as opposed to Devin or Devan, makes it a pretty and popular British place-name, evoking the beautiful county of farmlands and dramatic seascapes and moors in southwest England. A stylish ambi-gender name particularly well used in the early nineties, Devon remains an attractive option--though be aware that at this point in time, it is used more frequently for boys.

Devon

Dido was the heroine of Virgil's Aeneid and of the opera "Dido and Aeneas," and in Roman mythology the founder of Carthage. A strong ancient name in the Juno mode, but it could have some awkward associations down the line. 
 The English singer-songwriter Dido was born with the equally unusual name Florian Cloud, but was called Dido since childhood.

Dido

Dutch supermodel Doutzen (pronounced doubt-son) Kroes has introduced us to a name from the Netherlands that might have a hard time in an American classroom and is nowhere near as glamorous as its bearer.

Doutzen

Daiane

Dinara

Dioni

This Old Norse girl name has a lovely meaning and a familiar yet distinctive sound.

Edda

As Elodie filters into the mainstream, parents may turn to the rarer Spanish form Elodia as an alternative.

Elodia

Intriguing twist on several familiar names, though many people will mistake this for Elsa, Eliza, and so on. 

Elza

Esti is most commonly a short form of Esther and Estelle, both making the big move from old lady name to cool young name. It's also a popular short form of the Basque names Estitxu and Estibalitz. In French Canada, it's an untranslatable swear word.
 
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend welcomed daughter Esti Maxine in 2023, creating a subtle celestial sister set with Luna. Luna's name soared after they chose it in 2016. There were only 14 baby girls named Esti in the US in 2021, but the name might take off the way her siblings' names did.
 
Esti may be more popular than it seems because it's short for many longer names and also can be spelled different ways, including Estie and Estee, as in cosmetics brand creator Estee Lauder. The Esty spelling was featured in the Netflix mini-series Unorthodox.

Esti

Eniko

Eydis

Fia may be most notable at this moment as the Anglicized version of the Irish Fiadh, one of the fastest-rising names in the Republic of Ireland. The meaning of Fia or Fiadh is sometimes given as "deer" but that's in the sense of a wild deer, as the name relates to the ancient word for wild. 

In Portuguese, Fia means weaver, and Fia may also be a short form of the Italian or Spanish Sofia or Fiammetta or any other fia-related name.

Whatever its origin and meaning, Fia is a light and pleasant alternative to the mega-popular Mia.

Flo is an antiquated nickname not often used these days, possibly because "Aunt Flo" is a euphemism for a period. 

This rare and archaic French name is a little too close to Chlorine for our liking. Despite its flowery origins, Florine has a warrior history - Florine of Burgundy was a female French crusader, who fought in battles alongside her husband and died after continuing to fight with seven arrows in her chest.

Florine

Franzi

Fangda

Faretta

Gemma is a jewel of a name, an Italian classic that was very popular in 1980s England, but has only recently been started to be used here; it entered <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">the list</a> in 2008.
 Coming from a medieval Italian nickname for a precious gem, Gemma was the name of Dante's wife and was borne by a nineteenth century saint.
 Gemma is the name of the character played by Katey Sagal on Sons of Anarchy, and actress Catherine Bell has a daughter called Gemma, as does Kristin Davis.
 Bottom line: A stylish cousin of Emma and Jenna.

Gemma

Greta is an Old World name long tied to the iconic Garbo, but now synonymous with environmental activism.
 In the early 2000s, Greta was showing signs of a comeback, along with other Old Hollywood glamour names. It was even chosen by David Caruso and by Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline for their daughters. Then in 2018, Swedish teen Greta Thunberg became very famous, very fast, for her anti-climate-change protests. Since then, it seems that the name is too tied to one figure for most parents' tastes... which is a shame.
 Greta is currently popular in Germany, Hungary, and especially Italy. Dr. Greta Guttman was a character on Mad Men, Greta Van Susteren is a familiar face on TV, and Greta Gerwig is an up-and-coming young actress and director.
 Greta returned to the Top 1000 in 1999, and rose as high as the 500s, before swiftly plummeting in Thunberg's early years of public activism. The name's highest point ever was at Number 318 in 1932, at the peak of Garbo's career, the year she starred in Grand Hotel and one year after she was Oscar-nominated for Anna Christie. 
 Greta should be a sweet spot name — sophisticated with a touch of retro glamour — and a hero name, and we hope it will regain some of its former glory. On the other hand, variant Gretel is still out strewing crumbs in the forest with brother Hansel.

Greta

Ginta

Hadassa

Harleth is a name which probably stems from combining the oh-so-trendy Harlow with the evergreen Elizabeth. However, literary parents may also remember the beautiful but difficult character Gwendolen Harleth from George Eliot's Daniel Deronda. Harleth has a fashionable edge to it, being associated with rising supermodel Harleth Kuusik. We think that Harleth is a pretty alternative to Harlow and hope to see more of it.

Harleth

Heloise is an ancient name related to sleek, peppy classic Eloise. Both ultimately derive from the Germanic name Helewidis, which became Helewis in medieval England. In the twelfth century, the name was borne by the beloved of the French philosopher Pierre Abelard, who was considered to be one of the most learned women of the Middle Ages.
 
Most familiar to Americans as the author of Household Hints, Heloise is ready to reclaim its fashion status.

Heloise

Reddish dye that sounds as if it could be a real name — of the outdated, Old World, Yetta-Hedda variety.

Henna

Hildie

Hayett

Helly

Herieth

Hirschy

Ing was a powerful Norse god whose name inspired several modern variations -- though Inga has become a caricatured Scandinavian choice. 

Inga

Inka

Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin put Ireland on the map when they chose it as a first for their daughter, saying that geographic names were a family tradition. And it seems they were a bit ahead of the curve (or trendsetting)—Ireland has been among the fastest-rising names of recent years. Other Irish place names include Shannon, Kerry, Galway, and Dublin.

Ireland

Isabeli

This first name of a Norwegian supermodel has no known meaning of its own and is most closely related to Isleen, which is a variation of the Celtic Aislin or Ashling.

Iselin

Issa might make more sense if you're using it as a nickname for any one of the various names ending in -issa, but this spelling is also an Arabic and Hebrew boy name. The Isa spelling is almost exclusively feminine. 

Issa

Ilva

Ilvie

Though this may be thought of as a short form of the legitimate name Jetta, that one's gone to the cars. This sounds more modern if a bit supersonic. In the Netherlands, it's in the Top 100, originating as a short form of -ette ending names such as Henriette and Mariette.

Julita

Jula

Katlin

Kia is a sweet, simple name that is now, unfortunately, associated with a Korean car label.  Better today: Nia, Thea, or Keira.

Kiki is one of the Coco-Gigi-Fifi-Lulu bohemian-type French nickname names from the turn of the last century, which have endless energy and sparkle. Artist Kiki Smith is its most well-known contemporary representative, and Kiki was the inspiring heroine of Zadie Smith's On Beauty. Kiki can be a nickname for any name beginning with the K sound, from Katherine to Christina to Kayla. 
 Kiki is also a Japanese name most famous via an anime film, Kiki's Delivery Service.
 The notorious artist-actress known as Kiki de Montparnasse but born Alice Ernestine Prin, was most famous as a muse for such Parisien artists as Soutine, Picabia and Cocteau. English singer Kiki Dee was originally named Pauline Matthews.

Kiki

Ksenia

This somewhat snobby-sounding surname popped onto the name map when Mariel Hemingway used it for one of her daughters. 

Langley

Leaf is a hippieish choice that, for girls, still retains an evergreen quality.

Leaf

Lula is one of the livelier nickname-names with the fashionable double-L sound: It joins Lulu, Lila, Lily, and Lou among the trendiest names today. Lula might be short for Talula and sisters or for Lucy or Louise, or may stand on its own two adorable feet. Lula was actually a Top 50 name in the late 1880's and continued in the Top 100 for a couple of decades more.
 Bryan Adams named his second daughter Lula Rosylea, sister of Mirabella Bunny, and master character namer J. K. Rowling has a Lula in her novel The Cuckoo's Calling.

Lula

Leomie

Lineisy 

Lululeika

Luma

Malaika

Marga

Yes, it's pronounced with a long o sound at the end, just like Margo and Margot.  This spelling was popularized by supermodel, actress, and tragic Hemingway granddaughter Margaux, whose name spelling came courtesy of a bottle of French wine.  (The original spelling of her name was Margot; she changed it when she heard her parents were drinking a bottle of Chateau Margaux the night she was conceived.)

Margo itself is a diminutive of Margaret, which means "pearl" or, in its French version, "daisy."  Margaret or Marguerite would be more stylish variations now.

Margaux

Marine is an extremely popular and fashionable name in France that's virtually unknown here &mdash; and is ready to set sail. Marine feels more contemporary than Marina and less hippie-esque than Oceane, another popular name for girls in France.


Marine

A flinty mineral name that puts a feminine spin on Micah, or short form of the biblical Michal.

Mica

Mona had more than a moment in the sun, peaking in 1950 at Number 230 but falling off the Top 1000 completely in the late 1980s. Its similarity to the word "moaner" undercuts the appeal of its simplicity.  In one recent year, fewer than 100 baby girls received the name, and we don't see it reviving any time soon.

Mona

Marinet

Marland

Marling

Mayowa

Muna

Nella

Enticing modern nickname name possibility. 

Nika

Well, parents are naming their children Eden and Heaven...so why not?

Nirvana

Officially a shortening of the traditional and tricky Gaelic Fionnghuala/Fionnuala, Nuala makes a lovely choice all on its own. Nuala is well-used in Ireland.

Nuala

Odette is the good swan in Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake, a role for which Natalie Portman won an Oscar ---and it would make a particularly soigne, sophisticated yet upbeat choice, unlike some of the more dated other 'ette'-ending names. 
 Odette de Crecy, is the flamboyant wife of Charles Swann in Proust's A la Recherche du Temps Perdu. 
 The name became publicized during World War II via the courageous French Resistance heroine Odette Brailly, who risked her life to supply information to the Allies, was captured by the Germans, and wrote her story which was retold in an eponymous film.
 Actor Mark Ruffalo chose Odette for his daughter. 
 Variant Odetta is associated with the folksinger who was one of the first to go by a single name.
 Odile, who is Odette's evil Swan Lake twin, gives her name a sinuous, sensuous appeal.

Odette

With its relation to Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods, and to the Olympic games, this name has an athletic, goddess-like aura, making it the perfect Olivia substitute.
 A well-known art reference is the famous 1865 painting of a reclining nude by Edouard Manet titled Olympia. Contemporary bearers include former Maine Republican Senator Olympia Snowe and actress Olympia Dukakis.

Olympia

Ondria

Othilia

Genevieve Apple's list "International model names" of 144 great name ideas: Afrodita - Zhenya!

International model names

Names of international models that I think exemplify that high-fashion quality of being fresh and spunky, striking and beautiful, eclectic and well-traveled.