Lopes da Silva (female names, part 4 of 12)

  1. Divine
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Divine seems more proper a name with the rise of Heaven and its turned-around twin Nevaeh. Though superlative names like Divine -- Unique, say, or Precious -- sometimes seems as if they're trying to hard and protesting too much.
  2. Dorena
    • Dorothy
      • Origin:

        English variation of Greek Dorothea
      • Meaning:

        "gift of God"
      • Description:

        In the 1930s, Dorothy left Kansas and landed in the Land of Oz; by the '80s she had become a Golden Girl, living in Miami with roommates Blanche and Rose, giving her a decidedly older image. But parents today seeking a quiet classic are bringing Dorothy back—she reentered the Top 1000 in 2011 after almost completely disappearing.
    • Derya
      • Eileen
        • Origin:

          Scottish variation of Evelyn
        • Meaning:

          "desired; or water, island"
        • Description:

          The Scottish Eileen was a midcentury darling that was on a long downward slide for decades. And then, in 2012, it took an unexpected pivot and has been inching upward in the US. The unrelated but similar-sounding Isla may have revived the taste for Eileen. Isla along with Lee and Lena might be nicknames for Eileen. Eileen is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Eibhlin or Aibhilin, which is technically a form of to Evelyn/Aveline, but is also sometimes considered part of the Helen family of names. Aileen is the Irish version, less popular now than Eileen.
      • Elena
        • Origin:

          Spanish, Italian, German, Greek variation of Helen
        • Meaning:

          "bright, shining light"
        • Description:

          Elena is at its most popular point ever in the US, thanks to its cross-cultural appeal and the overall popularity of El- names. It's more international than Ellen or Eleanor, but still accessible.
      • Filine
        • Gaia
          • Origin:

            Greek and Latin
          • Meaning:

            "earth mother; rejoicing"
          • Description:

            The name of the Greek mythological earth goddess and universal mother; actress Emma Thompson stated that she was attracted by its ecological element, so other "green" parents may want to follow her lead.

        • Gracie
          • Origin:

            English, diminutive of Grace
          • Description:

            Cute Gracie is one of the more recently revived nickname names by parents who chose it over the more formal Grace--or variations like Graziella or Grania. Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw cut straight to the nickname when they called one of their daughters Gracie, and actors Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt named their newborn daughter Gracie James. Gracie Gold is a popular young figure skater.
        • Gwenaelle
          • Haleigh
            • Origin:

              Spelling variation of Hailey
            • Description:

              Trendy -leigh suffix.
          • Helia
            • Origin:

              Greek
            • Meaning:

              "sun"
            • Description:

              The feminine form of Helios or Helio is occasionally heard in Spain and Portugal. In Greek mythology, Helia is one of the Heliades, daughters of the sun god Helios by Clymene the Oceanid.
          • Hermione
            • Origin:

              Greek, feminine version of Hermes, "messenger, earthly"
            • Meaning:

              "messenger, earthly"
            • Description:

              Hermione's costarring role in Harry Potter has made this previously ignored, once stodgy name suddenly viable. Hermione could really take off once today's children start having kids of their own.
          • Jala
            • Origin:

              Arabic
            • Meaning:

              "great, illustrious"
            • Description:

              Simple, pretty, and delicate.
          • Joela
            • Josceline
              • Julie
                • Origin:

                  French from Latin
                • Meaning:

                  "youthful, sky father"
                • Description:

                  Wildly popular in the 1960s and '70s, Julie is no longer anywhere near as stylish as the name's longer forms. Try Juliet, Juliana, or even the more grownup Julia.
              • Kari
                • Origin:

                  Short form of Karen, Carol, or Katherine
                • Description:

                  Kari and all her many sisters, from Carrie to Carey to Kerry and onward, originated for the most part as short forms of either CatherineKatherine or one of the Charles feminizations such as Carol or Caroline.
              • Karlie
                • Origin:

                  Spelling variation of Carly
                • Description:

                  Supermodel Karlie Kloss lends this spelling variation some style. Having appeared in the US Top 1000 since 1991, it was in trouble of dropping off completely when it ranked Number 992 in 2009. Since then, however, it has made modest strides back up the list.
              • Kate
                • Origin:

                  English, diminutive of Katherine
                • Meaning:

                  "pure"
                • Description:

                  Kate, in the headlines via Catherine Middleton aka the Princess of Wales, has been as pervasive as Kathy was in the 1950s and 1960s, both as a nickname for Katherine and Kaitlyn and as a strong, classic stand-alone name.