girl names with an edge

Sutton

English

"from the southern homestead"

Sutton is a habitational surname propelled to popularity by Tony-winning Broadway actress Sutton Foster, who's also the star of Hulu's Younger -- based on a novel written by Nameberry co-creator…

Soleil

French

"sun"

An attractive French word name known here via former child TV star Soleil Moon Frye, aka Punky Brewster. It started to be lightly used in the U.S. in the 1920s and is now attracting some attention as…

Vada

English, Sanskrit, German

"knowledge, rule"

Vada is a feisty retro choice that feels like a fresh spin on the likes of Ava and Ada. Its bold V initial is bang on trend, although Vada remains very uncommon in the US. It is perhaps best known as…

Chase

French

"to hunt"

Chase is starting to be seen on a handful of girls each year, and has been heard as a nickname to Chelsea. Reminiscent of Casey and Charlie, around 40 girls were given the name in a recent count.

Magenta

Color name

Magenta is a vivid Crayola color name, that could make a vivid, colorful choice. It was named in 1859 after the Napoleonic Battle of Magenta, a town in Northern Italy. One of J.K. Rowling's…

Sabine

French, German, and Dutch form of Sabina, Latin

"Sabine"

A concise choice with a hint of chic, Sabine is the French, Dutch, and German form of the Latin Sabina. While it has never charted in the US, Sabine saw a slight increase in use in recent data, with…

Onyx

Word name

"gem stone; claw, nail"

Onyx is a fresh and trending gemstone name for boys, currently in the US Top 500, having climbed the charts rapidly since 2018. Now, an increasing number of girls are receiving the name, with a…

Veruca

Latin

"wart"

Veruca is a name Roald Dahl made up for the horrid little girl Veruca Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . A modern rock band adopted the name, though few parents familiar with the original…

Memphis

Greek and Coptic place-name

"Enduring and beautiful"

Tied to the bluesy southern city and to the world heritage cite in Egypt after which it was named, Memphis is a modern choice with ancient history. Currently significantly more popular for boys in…

Lilac

English, from Persian

"bluish or lilac"

Could Lilac be the next Lila or Lily or Violet? It certainly has a lot going for it--those lilting double 'l's, the fabulous fragrance it exudes, and the fact that it's a color name as well,…

Antigone

Greek

"worthy of one's parents, in place of one's parents"

In Greek mytholgy, Antigone was the noble and courageous daughter of Oedipus, who acts as his guide after he blinds himself. Antigone is also the eponymous heroine of a play by Jean Anouilh. Despite…