Wonderful names for girls!

Lyra

Greek

"lyre"

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.…

Mercy

English word name

"compassion"

The quality of mercy makes this lovely Puritan virtue name a quiet favorite today. Although it was most popular in the late nineteenth century, Mercy is on its way to a comeback -- it rose 143 spots…

Mireya

Spanish from Latin

"admired"

A pretty and unusual path to the nickname Mira. Mira is the main character in Nobel Prize-winner Federico Mistral's poem of the same name. Mireya Moscoso was Panama's first female president.

Natasha

Russian diminutive of Natalya

"birthday of the Lord"

Natasha, an appealing, still unusual name, entered the American mainstream post-Cold War but seems to have peaked in the eighties, replaced by the more straightforward Natalie. As is common for…

Selina

Variation of Selena or Celine, Latin

"moon; heaven"

The Selina spelling swims below the Top 1000, which it fell off more than 15 years ago. Still, more than 160 baby girls were named Selina in 2023, compared with over 1300 named Selena and more than…

Sonia

Russian and Scandinavian variation of Sophia

"wisdom"

Early European import, well known in the 1940s via Norwegian skating movie star Sonja Henie, that has sailed back across the Atlantic, despite the rising popularity of other Russian names.

Brenna

Feminine form of Brennan

"descendant of the sad one; raindrops"

Brenna is a feminine form of the Irish surname Brennan, or perhaps a variation of Brenda or Brendan—all of which have different meanings. Whatever its derivation or authenticity, it's a modern…

Arina

Variation of Irina, Russian from Greek

"peace"

This form of Irina supersedes the original in its native country.

Keely

Irish

"slender"

Keely is well-used in modern Ireland, also found as Keeley and Keela. The boys' form is Keelan. Largely unknown in the US, this could make an interesting update for Kelly or Kaylie or Kylie -- though…

Ashira

Hebrew

"I will sing"

Unusual name with stylish, silky feel.

Nyssa

Greek

"goal"

A fairly common Greek name that would fit in well here.

Aryelle

Aryelle is a modern feminine name that blends elements of Ariel with the popular '-elle' ending. While not having ancient historical roots, it emerged in the late 20th century as a creative…

Jocasta

Greek, meaning unknown

Jocasta is a mythological name fashionably used in England, but mostly ignored here. She was the mother of Oedipus, King of Thebes, whom he (oops) unwittingly married. If you can ignore that small…

Ranna

Ranna is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Sanskrit, it means 'queen' or 'delightful,' suggesting nobility and charm. In Finnish, it refers to 'shore' or 'beach,' evoking natural…

Roanna

Variation of Rosanna or Latin

"sweet"

Most modern parents would probably prefer the cooler Rowan.