Artistic Gymnasts...Past & Present

Elizabeth

Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Elizabeth is one of the most popular girls' names of all time, the female equivalent of James or William. Yet Elizabeth has so much going for it—rich history, broad appeal, and timeless style—that no…

Vanessa

Literary invention; also a species of butterfly

Vanessa was invented by writer Jonathan Swift for a lover named Esther Vanhomrigh—he combined the first syllable of her last name with the initial syllable of her first. Swift used it in the poem…

Aliya

Arabic, Hebrew

"heavens, highborn, exalted; to ascend, to rise"

Simpler and less tied to the singer in this form, Aliya is a feminine form of the Arabic name Ali, meaning "lofty, sublime, high" or "exalted." Boosted to fame by the ill-fated singer, Aaliyah, and…

Simone

French feminine variation of Simon, Hebrew

"listening, hearkening"

Simone, the elegant French feminization of Simon, strikes that all-important balance between unusual and familiar, and it's oozing with Gallic sophistication. A dated choice in its native France,…

Sandra

Diminutive of Alessandra, Italian from Greek

"defending men"

2012's Hurricane Sandy blew away whatever style currency Sandra retained from its 1960s Sandra Dee heyday. While in recent years it's been associated with Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor,…

Carlotta

Italian variation of Charlotte, French diminutive of Charles

"free man"

Carlotta has a large measure of finger-snapping charm and substance — despite being a not too pleasant character in The Little Mermaid . Carlotta is also the diva/prima donna in The Phantom of the…