Famous Muses

Alice is a classic literary name that's both strong and sweet, ranking in the US Top 100 and popular throughout the western world. Alice is derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of Adelais that itself came from the Germanic name Adalhaidis, which is composed of the Proto-Germanic elements aþala, meaning "noble," and haidu, "kind, appearance, type."

Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, the lovely Beatrice with its long literary (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history is being looked at with fresh eyes by parents seeking a classic name with character and lots of upbeat nicknames, like Bea and Bee.

Cassady is a feminine name with Irish origins, derived from the Gaelic surname 'Ó Caiside,' meaning 'descendent of Caiside.' The name Caiside comes from 'cas,' which means 'curly-haired.' This name gained some prominence as a first name in the United States during the late 20th century, partly inspired by American counterculture figure Neal Cassady. While predominantly used for girls, it occasionally appears as a unisex name. Cassady has a distinctive, modern sound with traditional roots, making it appealing to parents seeking something uncommon yet not invented. The name carries a sense of free-spiritedness and individuality.

Reference to the mythological Three Graces of womanly charm, this one representing charity. Pronounced in Greek as starting with a back-of-the-throat H sound, most English-speakers would translate that to something closer to KAR-is. It's also the name of a girl who lived in Atlantis in the novel Taliesin, and appears in the Margaret Atwood novel The Robber Bride.

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 matter how many little girls are named Lizzie, Eliza, and Beth, you can still make Elizabeth your own.

June, a sweetly old-fashioned month name derived from the goddess Juno, was long locked in a time capsule with June Allyson (born Ella) and June Cleaver, but is rising again especially as a middle name.

Laura is a hauntingly evocative perennial, never trendy, never dated, feminine without being fussy, with long-standing literary links. All this makes Laura a more solid choice than any of its more decorative counterparts and one of the most classic girl names starting with L.

Victorine is appealing if you know it's an authentic vintage French girls' name, less so if you assume it's an awkward feminization, ala Davette or Richardine.