Girl Names - for the future

Emerald

Gem name; Persian

"green"

Emerald is the intriguing color and jewel name of the deep green stone treasured as far back as ancient Egypt — it's supposed to open one's heart to wisdom and to love and be good for strengthening…

Amaris

Variation of Amara or Amariah

Amaris sounds like "amorous," which is a loving name for a child, but doesn't really have a clear derivation or meaning of its own. The popular Amara is one of the most international names on the…

Evelina

English from French

"desired; or water, island"

A popular name in the Middle Ages, Evelina was eclipsed by Evelyn in the last century, but has a chance at a well-deserved comeback now, fitting right in with the other Ev-names. Like Evelyn, it…

Etta

English and Scottish, short form of any name ending with -etta: Henrietta, Loretta etc.

Thanks to the surprise hit revival of Etta James' song At Last and because of recent interest in vintage style nicknames, Etta has established herself as a possible successor to Emma and Ella. While…

Cordelia

Latin; Celtic

"heart; daughter of the sea"

Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both…

Annika

Swedish diminutive of Anna

"grace"

Annika is a surprise hit of recent years, inspired by golfer Sorenstam; for Trekkies, it was also the name of a 'Star Trek:Voyager' character. Some people's first memory of it might be as Pippi…

Arietta

Compound name, variation of Harriet

"little song; little lion; home ruler"

A name that is either inspired by the classic Harriet (and by the character Arrietty in The Borrowers ), or, a compound name, merging Aria and Ari with Etta, to generate the meanings "little song" or…

Avah

Variation of Ava, Hebrew, Latin or Germanic "life; bird; water, island"

"life; bird; water, island"

A spelling variation of Ava, perhaps influenced by the biblical-style, ends-in-H names currently trending: Delilah, Alayah, Aniyah, et al, along with more classic options like Leah and Hannah. It…

Cecily

Feminine variation of Cecil

"blind"

Cecily is as dainty as a lace handkerchief. Cecily has a wide assortment of namesakes. One Cecily was the mother of King Richard III, whose beauty gained her the title "the Rose of Raby," Cecily…

Delphine

French from Greek

"of Delphi; womb"

Delphine is a sleek, chic French name with two nature associations — the dolphin and the delphinium, a bluebell-like flower, a well as a link to the ancient city of Delphi, which the Greeks believed…

Edana

Irish

"fire"

Feminine of Aidan, but now girls would prefer to use the original.

Eira

Welsh

"snow"

This Welsh nature name that can be pronounced exactly like the male Ira. Or, to avoid confusion, you could just name her Snow.

Ellery

English

"island with elder trees; descendant of Hilary; cheerful, happy"

In the past few years Ellery has gone from middle-aged male detective -- from old school fictional hero Ellery Queen -- to a plausible girls' name, a la Hillary. Ellery is one of the golden names…

Harriet

English variation of French Henriette

"estate ruler"

Harriet has long been considered a stylish, upscale name in England, but it's still waiting to be revived in the US—though some parents seeking a solid, serious semi-classic are beginning to consider…

Ingrid

Norse

"fair; Ing is beautiful"

The luminous Ingrid Bergman's appeal was strong enough to lend universal charisma to this classic Scandinavian name, which has been somewhat neglected in the US. Even today, a child named Ingrid…

Isobel

Scottish variation of Isabel

"pledged to God"

The Scottish spelling of Isabel has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength but also an element of confusion. How do you pronounce that? Answer: Exactly like…

Jolena

Jolena is a feminine name that appears to be a modern combination or variation of names like Jolene and Elena. The name Jolene was popularized by Dolly Parton's 1973 song of the same name and derives…

Josetta

Josetta is a feminine name that serves as an elaborate variation of Josette, which itself is a French diminutive of Josephine (meaning 'God will add'). This elegant name carries a vintage charm with…

Linnea

Swedish

"twinflower, lime tree"

Linnea is an attractive Scandinavian name that derives from the renowned 18th century Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, who developed the Linnean system of classifying plants and animals. Linnea is…