Classmates names

Emilia

Feminine variation of Emil, Latin

"rival"

Emilia is the feminine form of the Roman clan name Aemilius, which derived from the Latin aemulus , meaning "rival." In Shakespeare’s Othello , Emilia is the wife of Iago and confidante of Desdemona.…

Ada

German or Turkish

"noble, nobility, or island"

Ada is one of the classic baby names for girls that is suddenly super stylish again. A favorite at the end of the nineteenth century, Ada is an alternative to the over-popular Ava. Ada is also part…

Joanna

Variation of Johanna

"God is gracious"

Joanna derives from the Greek name Ioanna, which in turn came from the Hebrew name Yohannah. It is featured in the New Testament as a woman who accompanied Jesus on his travels and eventually reached…

Kamila

Latin, Arabic

"young ceremonial attendant; perfect"

Variant spelling of Camila, common in Eastern Europe. Kamila and Kamilah are also feminine forms of the Arabic name Kamil, meaning "perfect".

Paulina

Spanish, feminine variation of Paul

"small"

More stylish than either Paula or Pauline, it was given a glamour gloss by model Paulina Porizkova in the nineties.

Paula

Feminine variation of Paul, Latin

"small"

Paula still seems somewhat stuck in the era of duo Paul and Paula bopping out the song "Hey, Paula." Two pronunciations are possible—the English "PAW-la" and the Portuguese "POW-la." Modern bearers…

Adrianna

Feminine variation of Adrian

"man of Adria"

A popular spelling variation of Adriana.

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,…

Daria

Feminine variation of Darius, Persian or Latin from Greek

"kingly or possess well"

An early Christian martyr, a bespectacled MTV cartoon heroine, and Canadian supermodel Daria Werbowy: Daria is a name that manages to feel contemporary and usable without being exactly stylish. Which…

Marta

Italian, Spanish, Scandinavian, Slavic

"lady"

Sharper and steelier than Martha, but with the same underused vintage appeal.

Aleksandra

Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian version of Alexandra, Greek

"defending men"

Aleksandra is the preferred spelling in many Eastern European languages and cultures, but for English-speakers it's ironically more confusing if also perfectly phonetically clear.

Monika

Monika is a feminine name primarily of Latin origin, being a variant spelling of Monica. The name derives from the Latin 'moneo' meaning 'to advise' or 'to remind.' Monika is particularly popular in…