Best of A-Z Names for Girls

  1. Camilla
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "young ceremonial attendant"
    • Description:

      The Spanish Camila, pronounced ka-MEE-la, is the fastest rising version of this ancient Roman name, but recent royal Camilla may have helped promote the British brand. In Roman myth, Camilla was a swift-footed huntress so fast she could run over a field without bending a blade of grass.
  2. Cassandra
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "shining or excelling man"
    • Description:

      The name of the tragic mythological Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but was condemned never to be believed, Cassandra has been used for striking characters in movies and soap operas. Ethereal and delicate, Cassandra was in the Top 70 throughout the 1990s but is now descending in popularity.
  3. Cassia
    • Origin:

      Feminine form of Cassius or Greek
    • Meaning:

      "cinnamon"
    • Description:

      Cassia is related to the cassia tree, which has yellow flowers and produces a spice that can be a substitute for cinnamon. Keziah, the name of Job’s daughter in the Old Testament, derives from the name of the plant as well. Cassia also has ties to the Ancient Roman name Cassius, an Ancient Roman family name meaning "hollow."
  4. Cassidy
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "curly-haired"
    • Description:

      Has fallen off its Kathie Lee Gifford inspired peak in the 1990s, but since that notably celebrity baby is now a grownup and out of the limelight, Cassidy may once again reclaim its own Irish charm.
  5. Cataleya
    • Origin:

      Flower name, from English surname
    • Meaning:

      "Cattley's flower"
    • Description:

      Cataleya is the name of a genus of orchids that gained visibility as a baby name after it was used for the character played by Zoe Saldana in Colombiana. Part Caitlin, part Aaliyah, and part Leah, Cataleya is a trendy choice that just might transcend its momentary popularity. It is a spelling adaptation of Cattleya, named after the British horticulturalist William Cattley.
  6. Catalina
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Catherine
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      This name of a touristed island in sight of Los Angeles makes an attractive and newly stylish variation on the classic Catherine or overused Caitlin.
  7. Catherine
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      Catherine is one of the oldest and most consistently well-used girls’ names, with endless variations and nicknames. The Catherine form feels more gently old-fashioned and feminine than the more popular K versions. Most stylish nickname for Catherine right now: Kate...or Cate, a la Blanchett.
  8. Cece
    • Origin:

      Short form of Cecelia, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "blind"
    • Description:

      Cece, all by itself, gained notice as the nickname of Jim and Pam's baby on television's The Office. On the show as in real life, Cece is often short for Cecelia or even Cecilia, but it can also be a short form of just about any C name. Cece -- or, less elegantly, CeCe -- can also be a stylish nickname name used all by itself, ala Coco and Lulu. If you really love girl names starting with C, this is one way to express your devotion every time you say your daughter's name!
  9. Cecily
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Cecil
    • Meaning:

      "blind"
    • Description:

      Cecily is as dainty as a lace handkerchief. Cecily has a wide assortment of namesakes. One Cecily was the mother of King Richard III, whose beauty gained her the title "the Rose of Raby," Cecily Parsley is a Beatrix Potter bunny, Cecily Cardew is a character in The Importance of Being Earnest, and the author of the Gossip Girl books is Cecily von Ziegesar.
  10. Celia
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "heavenly"
    • Description:

      Celia, splendidly sleek and feminine, is a name that was scattered throughout Shakespeare and other Elizabethan literature, but still manages to feel totally modern.
  11. Charis
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "grace"
    • Description:

      Reference to the mythological Three Graces of womanly charm, this one representing charity. Pronounced in Greek as starting with a back-of-the-throat H sound, most English-speakers would translate that to something closer to KAR-is. It's also the name of a girl who lived in Atlantis in the novel Taliesin, and appears in the Margaret Atwood novel The Robber Bride.
  12. Charisma
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Trying to imbue your child with charisma at birth involves a certain degree of chutzpah. It was brought into the mix by ex. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" actress Charisma Carpenter, who was named after an Avon perfume.
  13. Cheyenne
    • Origin:

      Sioux
    • Meaning:

      "people of a different language"
    • Description:

      The name of a courageous tribe, Cheyenne became quite popular in the 1990s, inspiring a wide range of spelling variations—Shyanne is one example that's still on the rise.
  14. Chiyo
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "thousand generations"
    • Description:

      The childhood name of the heroine of Memoirs of a Geisha is pretty and accessible. Chiyiko is a pet form.
  15. Chloe
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "young green shoot"
    • Description:

      Chloe is a pretty springtime name symbolizing new growth. Though slightly off its peak in the Top 10 in 2010, Chloe still ranks in the Top 20 and is solidly a modern classic.
  16. Ciara
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little dark one"
    • Description:

      Ciara is very popular in Ireland, more familiar here as the Anglicized Kiera or Keira. The uninitiated will tend to pronounce Ciara as the Italian Chiara, a form of Claire—kee-AHR-a or even see-AHR-a, like the American singer-songwriter Ciara. In the US, Ciara peaked in 2005, when it was the Number 150 name; it's since fallen down to Number 882.
  17. Claret
    • Origin:

      Color name, also Bordeaux wine
    • Description:

      Rich purplish red color choice that may gain favor along with Claire, though the wine connection can't be ignored.
  18. Colby
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from a coal town"
    • Description:

      One of the first reality show-inspired names (he was a Texas hunk on an early season of "Survivor"); hugely trendy for boys but just starting for girls.
  19. Cree
    • Origin:

      Native American
    • Description:

      This Native American tribe name is an attractive option for a boy or a girl. Tia Mowry used it for her son in 2011.
  20. Cyane
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "bright blue enamel"
    • Description:

      Cyane is a mythological Sicilian nymph who lived in a pool and whose name is an intriguing twist on the color name trend.