Imagery: Winter queens

Freya

Norse

"a noble woman"

Freya has long been popular in the U.K. but has only taken off in the US in the last decade, along with the entire category of mythological names. Derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning…

Winifred

Welsh

"blessed peacemaking"

One of the few remaining unrestored vintage gems, with a choice of two winning nicknames--the girlish Winnie and the tomboyish Freddie. Winifred, the name of a legendary Welsh saint, was a Top 200…

Isolde

Welsh, German

"ice ruler"

Sleek, sharp, and soulful, Isolde is the German form of Iseult, the fabled lover of Tristan in the Arthurian romances. First appearing in the 12th-century, the name was fairly popular in the form of…

Gwyneira

Welsh

"white snow"

An unusual Gwyn name with a lovely meaning, this compound name pairs Gwyn with the name Eira, meaning "snow". A relatively modern creation, it remains very rare.

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.

Sunniva

Scandinavian

"sun gift"

Sunniva was an Irish-born saint who fled to Norway, where she hid in an island cave with her followers and eventually died. After miracles were reported on the island, the cave was excavated and…

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.

Ceridwen

Welsh

"beautiful as a poem; crooked women"

A mythological Welsh name with an intriguing sound, Ceridwen appears in several Welsh legends, in which she is an an enchantress and the owner of the cauldron of poetic inspiration. She is also…