tekotthoff's list "Short List for Girls" of 4 great name ideas: Hazel - Harper!

Short List for Girls

Hazel has a pleasantly hazy, brownish-green-eyed, old-fashioned image that more and more parents are choosing to share. Former Old Lady name Hazel reentered the popularity lists in 1998 and now is near the top of the charts.
 
Hazel is a name that comes from the English word hazel, referring to the hazelnut tree. The word was derived from the Old English hæsel of the same meaning. Historically, a wand of hazel symbolized protection and authority.
 
When Julia Roberts named one of her twins Hazel in 2004, there was a great public outcry against "another one of those nutty celebrity names", though we saw it as the deserved revival of a lovely vintage name with roots in nature. Hazel was one of the botanicals that were all the rage at the turn of the twentieth century, when it was in the Top 25, then fell out of favor, off the list completely from 1976 to 1998.
 
Other celebrities with daughters named Hazel include Emily Blunt & John Krasinski, and Taylor Neisen & Liev Schreiber.
 
Hazel Motes is the protagonist of Flannery O'Connor's 1952 novel Wise Blood, and In The Hunger Games, one of the characters is the variant Hazelle. But the most influential Hazel of recent years is the heartrending heroine of Fault in Our Stars.
 
In a recent year, Hazel featured in the Top 10 in New Zealand and Australia, the Top 20 in the US and Canada, the Top 50 in Ireland, the Top 100 in the UK, and the Top 500 in the Netherlands. Given to 6400 girls in he US, Hazel was also chosen for 45 boys.
 
Love Hazel but not its popularity? Other nature-inspired vintage names include Myrtle, Sylvie, Goldie, Viola, and Fern, while some vintage leaning sound-alikes include Sybil, Hester, Adele, Zella, Mozelle, and Laurel.

Hazel

The quirky, offbeat and energetic botanical name Ivy is enjoying a deserved revival, propelled even higher by its choice by high-profile parents Beyonce and Jay-Z for daughter Blue Ivy. Ivy is also traditionally used at Christmas, make this one of the perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/577/names-for-december-babies">names for December babies</a>.
 Ivy is derived from the name of the ivy plant, which got its name from the Old English word ifig. Ancient Greeks presented an ivy wreath to newlyweds as a symbol of fidelity. In the language of flowers, Ivy signifies faithfulness.
 British novelist Ivy Compton-Burnett is a notable namesake and Ivy Baker Priest served as U.S. Secretary of Treasury. Another association is the prestigious Ivy League. 
Ivy has been a favorite of scriptwriters—she's appeared on everything from 90210 to Gossip Girl, Dollhouse to Downton Abbey, and is the name of a 1970's American Girl doll.

Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's found new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's book series, His Dark Materials and its subsequent movie and TV adaptions. Simple yet starry, Lyra is familiar but not overused in the US, where it ranks in the Top 500. 
 
Lyra is a constellation name taken from the lyre of Orpheus. It contains the star Vega and thus could make a melodic choice for a parent interested in music, astronomy, or mythology. It has more history than the similar, more wordy Lyric, and is more unusual in the US than the similar sounding Lyla, Leah, and Laura.
 
Given to nearly 640 American girls in a recent year, it is worth keeping in mind that it is considerably more popular in the UK where it entered the Top 100 back 2020. Additionally, while LIE-ruh is the most familiar pronunciation, LEE-ruh and LEER-uh are also used. 
 
Borne by Lyra Belacqua, the heroine of the aforementioned His Dark Materials, Lyra has also been chosen by celeb couples Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn, Anna Lundberg and Michael Sheen, and Sophie Dahl and Jamie Cullum.

Lyra

Harper got its start as a celebrity baby name when Paul Simon chose it for his now-grown son. Since then, other famous parents have followed suit: musician Tim Finn and actor Cecilia Peck both have sons called Harper.

Other high-profile Harpers, like author (Nelle) Harper Lee and starbabies Harper Burtka-Harris and Harper Beckham, are female, but it makes a handsome choice for either sex (and is in the US Top 1000 for both boys and girls).

Short List for Girls

The names

Hazel

Ivy

Lyra

Harper