User-created list
By Mhill46 · Updated March 2023
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Danish feminine form of Benedict
"blessed"
Bente, pronounced ben-tah, is a popular girls' name in both The Netherlands and Denmark though largely unknown in the English-speaking world. It suffers by being a near-homonym of the English word…
Russian and Greek
"smooth"
In ancient history, Glafira was an Anatolian princess. More recently, Russian actress Mariya Poroshina chose the name for her daughter born in March 2016.
Scottish variation of Griselda
Two famous women, both with the same surname, feature this name in Scottish history. The first, Lady Grisell Hume Baillie, was an 18th century songwriter. The second, Grisell Baillie, was the first…
Hebrew
"my delight is in her"
This is a streamlined spelling of the biblical Hephzibah. Hephzibah is an Old Testament name that came into use in the 17th century, but is not often used today. It does have less formal nicknames…
Old English
"Strength of the army"
Hereswith is a rare name that comes to us from the dark ages. She was a Northumbrian saint, whose more famous sister, Hilda, was the Abbess at Whitby and patron of the first English poet, Caedmon.…
Greek
"of royal birth"
In mythology, Iphigenia was sacrificed by her father, Agamemnon -- a difficult legacy to pass on to a daughter, and only one reason the name is hardly ever used.
Irish
"little dog"
An unusual, energetic surname choice that would make a good Madison alternative. Madigan was a typical police detective series of the 1970s, starring Richard Widmark.
German, Swedish diminutive of names beginning with Mein- or Magn-
"strong"
The names from which Meja derived, including Meinhild and Magnhild, are long gone, but a Swedish singer called Meja (born Anna Pernilla Torndahl) has piqued interest in this modern derivative. Meja…
Turkish
"bright moon"
Nuray is one of the most popular girls' names in the Middle East though it's largely unknown and unused in the Western World. The meaning, related to the more familiar Noor, adds appeal.
Latin
"golden"
Pretty Victorian-feeling cousin of Ariel; also, more prosaically, a kind of bay window.
Literary name
"gold"
Orleanna was the young heroine of Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible , whose name may share the same golden meaning as New Orleans, or be a twist on Orlena and Arlena.
Hawaiian
"a bird"
Pacific island member of the currently-in-favor Lila/Leila family and one of the most attractive and unique girls' names starting with P .
Word name
"poetry"
This old-fashioned word for poetry has some antiquated charm but doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
"first"
Will assure your daughter she's numero uno.
Italian
"deep brook"
Unique choice, with a pleasant antique feel.
Combination of Rose and Ellen
Another of the Rose-plus names, now far out of fashion.
Persian
"noble lineage"
Scheherazade -- or Sheherazade --is a legendary Persian queen immortalized as the narrator of all one thousand stories in the One Thousand and One Nights . Her story is even more remarkable than the…
Queen of Babylon
Semiramis was the most important Queen of Assyria, who conquered much of Asia. Semiramis restored ancient Babylon and protected it with a high brick wall that completely surrounded the city. Then she…
Saxon
"battle swan"
An ancient name belonging to "the most beautiful of all women" in Germanic mythology, whose tragic story features in many northern European legends. The daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun, her jealous…
Welsh
"shining brow"
Taliesin is a name an architecture-minded parent could love, because of its close association with Frank Lloyd Wright.
