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Taffy's Faves - Girls (I - A-B)
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The names
Alexandria
Variation of Alexandra, Greek
"defending men"
Alexandria turns classic Alexandra into a more distinctive place-name, in both Egypt and Virginia, while also giving it a touchy of frilliness. The name peaked in the 90s when it entered the US Top…
Alison
Norman French, diminutive of Alice
"noble"
Alison has been long popular in Scotland and widely used here since the fifties. This more feminine medieval elaboration of Alice had long surpassed the original in popularity, but now sounds a tad…
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…
Amanda
Latin
"she must be loved"
Amanda may no longer be the most popular girls' name in her class, but it still holds appeal with its pleasing meaning and solid yet romantic sound. Its heyday however was back in the eighties when…
Amber
Word name, English
Though perhaps not as currently stylish as Ruby, Jade, or Pearl, Amber has a colorful history (remember the notorious Forever Amber heroine?). Unfortunately, it does come with the "Amber Alert"…
April
Latin
"to open"
A favorite back in the 70s and 80s when it ranked in the US Top 30, April has since been overtaken by the likes of June, May, August, and Winter. Nevertheless, it still holds appeal as a…
Angie
Diminutive of Angela
Cute nickname of Angela and other angelic names, Angie is now being used on its own, although its popularity has fallen in recent years. That said, Angie is one of those surprising classics, hanging…
Abby
Diminutive of Abigail, Hebrew
"my father is joyful"
Gently old-fashioned stand-alone nickname that owes its popularity to mega popular Abigail.
Adina
Hebrew
"slender, delicate"
Name of an Old Testament soldier that's been also used as a girls' name in modern Israel. An alternate spelling is Adinah. Some mistake Adina and Adinah to be the root of Dinah, but the Biblical name…
Aggie
English, diminutive of Agatha and Agnes
Mauve-tinted nickname with vintage charm that could just follow in the footsteps of ABBIE. More prominent now as the nickname for the Texas A&M sports teams.
Britta
Scandinavian, variation of Birgit or Britt
"strength or exalted one"
If you want a pan-Scandinavian name with energy and style that could have been a winner, if not for the sound-alike water filtration company Brita.
Brandy
English from Dutch
"burnt wine"
The alcohol-laced member of the Randy-Candy-Mandy sorority of 1970s to 80s nickname names; now pretty much on the wagon.
Bernadette
German
"brave as a bear"
Although feminizations ending in "ette" are not particularly popular now, Bernadette is a pleasant, feminine, but strong name that doesn't feel prohibitively dated. And though strongly associated…
Brenda
Scottish
"blade of a sword"
First the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's 1822 novel The Pirate , then a glamorous 1940s debutante, then the troubled twin on Beverly Hills 90210, and now fading in favor of more modern Brenna, Briana,…
Betty
Diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
Combine the popularity of Betty White and Mad Men 's glamorous Betty Draper Francis, with the residual sweetness of Ugly Betty 's Betty Suarez, and the result is an impending return of the name. It's…
Arizona
Place-name from Papago Indian
"little springs"
We usually think of place-names as a modern invention, but in fact Arizona ranked on the US Top 1000 from its inception in 1880 until 1911, when it vanished below the surface. It peaked at Number 510…
Beverly
English
"dweller near the beaver stream"
The remarkable success of the girls' name Everly makes a revival of the name Beverly seem possible. More commonly a masculine name in the 19th century, it began to be used for girls in the early…
Belinda
Spanish or German
"pretty one, or, serpent"
Belinda, cousin of Linda and Melinda, enjoyed a brief return to the Top 1000 from 2005 through 2013, only to fall off again in 2014. A name that some may consider a modern spin on the midcentury…
Brigitte
French variation of Brighid
"strength or exalted one"
Brigitte is the French version of the ancient Irish Brighid long associated with 1950s sex symbol Brigitte Bardot. If you want to pronounce Brigitte the French way, it's brih-ZHEET.
Angelique
French diminutive of Angela
"angelic"
Angelique was the fastest-rising girl name of 2021, influenced by French-Mexican actress Angelique Boyer, who starred in the telenovela Imperio de mentiras ( Empire of Lies ). After a long run of…