Girls

Arielle

French variation of Ariel

"lion of God"

While not as popular as the Ariel spelling of Little Mermaid fame, this rendition has achieved popularity in its own right. Arielle has been on a steady rise, perhaps helped by the -elle ending…

Clemence

French feminine variation of Clement

"mild, merciful"

Calm, composed, and chic. Often seen with an accent in France, as Clémence.

Nyree

English from Maori

"flaxen"

Anglicized form of Ngaire, this name is sometimes heard in New Zealand and very occasionally in England.

Ottilie

German, French

"prosperous in battle"

Ottilie is trending in the UK, where the pronounced T helps the name sound pretty and delicate, rather like Amelie and Elodie. Ottilie is less popular in the US, where many Americans pronounce it as…

Ione

Greek

"violet flower"

This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan. Ione was one of the fifty sea nymphs —…

Arely

Spanish feminization of Areli, Hebrew, or contraction of Araceli

"lion of God; sky altar"

Appearing in the US Top 1000 and popular among Spanish speaking families, Arely may be one of two things: a twist on the Hebrew masculine name, Areli, or a shortened form of the Spanish Araceli. If…

Otylia

Otylia is a feminine name with Slavic origins, particularly popular in Poland. It derives from the Germanic name Odilia, which means 'prosperity' or 'wealth.' Saint Odilia (or Otylia in Polish) was a…

Oriel

Latin

"golden"

Pretty Victorian-feeling cousin of Ariel; also, more prosaically, a kind of bay window.

Auria

American variation of Aurelia or Aria, Latin

"the golden one or air"

Auria is a highly unusual choice with a pleasant aura. As cousin names Aurelia and Aurora become more prominent, Auria is getting some attention too. About 50 baby girls were called Auria in the US…

Auriel

Latin

"gold"

Auriel is a Roman name that was revived during the nineteenth-century craze for unique names . Could make an interesting substitution for the popular Aurora or Ariel.

Idony

English, Norse

"love again, renewal"

Idony is a Medieval variation of Idonea, itself an English form of Iðunn, the Norse goddess of spring and eternal youth. She was notable for carrying, keeping, and guarding the box of apples from…