Fanciful Names for Girls

Avielle

Hebrew

"God is my father"

Variation of Aviela/Abiela, feminine forms of the Biblical Aviel/Abiel "God is my father". The modernized/anglicized double-l spellings are popular now in English-speaking countries.

Belinda

Spanish or German

"pretty one, or, serpent"

Belinda, cousin of Linda and Melinda, enjoyed a brief return to the Top 1000 from 2005 through 2013, only to fall off again in 2014. A name that some may consider a modern spin on the midcentury…

Birgitta

Scandinavian variation of Bridget, Gaelic, or feminine form of Birger

"strength or exalted one; help, rescue"

Not to be confused with the Hungarian and German Brigitta, Birgitta is often considered the classic Scandinavian form of the Irish Bridget, used in Iceland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, and…

Blossom

English

"to bloom"

Now that parents have picked virtually every name in the garden, from the common Rose to the captivating Zinnia, some are reconsidering the old, more generic names like Flora and Posy and Blossom —…

Briar rose

Literary name

We give Briar Rose its own page thanks to the down-to-earth name of Princess Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty. Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen named their newborn daughter Briar Rose, but we like…

Brighid

Irish

"strength or exalted one"

Brighid is the original Gaelic form of the name of the mythological goddess of fire, poetry, and wisdom. More commonly found these days in any number of different guises: Bridget, Brigid, Brigitte et…

Brigitta

Brigitta is a feminine name with rich historical roots, derived from the ancient Celtic name Brighid, meaning 'exalted one' or 'high goddess.' It's the Central European form of Bridget, particularly…

Brigitte

French variation of Brighid

"strength or exalted one"

Brigitte is the French version of the ancient Irish Brighid long associated with 1950s sex symbol Brigitte Bardot. If you want to pronounce Brigitte the French way, it's brih-ZHEET.

Bryony

Greek

"to sprout, to swell"

Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan…

Calandra

Greek

"lark"

Calista Flockhart opened the door to a whole flock of graceful and unusual Greek names like this, including Calantha, Calla, Carissa, and Cassia. Calandra itself is the name of a species of lark, and…

Calanthe

English from Greek

"Christmas orchid"

If you love Calliope and Callista, you'll love Calanthe, which combines the trendiness of the Greek 'cal' names with the equally fashionable "the" ending (like Xanthe and Evanthe) and a connection to…

Calixta

Greek

"most beautiful"

Calista Flockhart may have made her variation of this beautiful Greek name familiar to modern Americans, but the even-edgier x version was the name of an earlier feminist heroine: a character in Kate…

Callaia

English, Greek

"beauty"

A spin on Calia or Calla, with a lot of fashionable sounds.

Callista

Greek

"most beautiful"

Calista Flockhart spotlighted this lovely Greek name that has a long future in the English-speaking world. Kallista is another spelling; Calixta and Calixto are related.

Calluna

Botanical name

From the botanical name for common heather, Calluna vulgaris , which ultimately derives from the Greek kallos "beauty". A unique, nature-inspired route to the fashionable nicknames Callie and Luna.

Calytrix

Botanical, from Greek

"star-flower (English name)"

The Calytrix flower is endemic to much of Australia and is part of the myrtle family. They are commonly known as star flowers, due to their dainty (usually bright white) 5 petalled flowers. The name…

Cambria

Place name, Latin from Welsh

"Wales"

Most names that start with Cam- are on the upswing, so why not this obscure term for Wales as well as for a prehistoric time period.

Camellia

English flower name from Czech surname

"Kamel's flower"

Camellia is a rare flower name with distinct roots related to the Camille/Camila group and has varied associations to the moon, water, wealth, and perfection. It could be thought of as a floral…

Cantara

Arabic

"little bridge"

An interesting and unusual choice, with a choral feel.

Cassia

Feminine form of Cassius or Greek

"cinnamon"

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…