​
​
Advanced Search

The ette Girls Names

Rose20714
By Rose20714
Updated Thu May 25 2023
I've always loved long fancy girls names that ended in this sound (e.g. Scarlett, Charlotte, Juliet…) and found myself listing all the names I could think of. After doing so - especially for some of the more obscure sounding ones - I did some research so make sure that these are NOT just made up. And so, whether it be real or in literature, these names have been in usage somewhere (even if very rarely). If I've left any out, my apologies.
  1. Violet

    • Origin:

      English from Latin

    • Meaning:

      "purple"

    • Description:

      Violet is soft and sweet, yet with a vivacious edge. Today, Violet is the top flower name for girls, outranking Lily and Iris in the Top 100, and the second most popular color name for girls after Scarlett.
  2. Charlotte

    • Origin:

      French, feminine diminutive of Charles

    • Meaning:

      "free man"

    • Description:

      Charlotte, the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is the latest classic name to join Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella at the top of the popularity list. It is now among the most popular girl names in many English-speaking and European countries.
  3. Odette

    • Origin:

      French, from German

    • Meaning:

      "wealthy"

    • Description:

      Odette is the good swan in Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake, a role for which Natalie Portman won an Oscar ---and it would make a particularly soigne, sophisticated yet upbeat choice, unlike some of the more dated other 'ette'-ending names.
  4. Colette

    • Origin:

      French, short form of Nicole, feminine variation of Nicholas, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "people of victory"

    • Description:

      Like the French author with whom the name is most closely associated, Colette is a chic and charming name that is being rediscovered. After disappearing for nearly 30 years, Colette rejoined the Top 1000 in 2012 at Number 659 and has continued to rise since then.
  5. Scarlett

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "scarlet, red"

    • Description:

      Scarlett Johansson is doing more for this sparky southern name than Scarlett O'Hara ever did. Since the turn of the 21st century, Scarlett has gone from an obscure literary name to one of the most popular girls' names starting with S, right after longtime favorites Sophia and Sofia.
  6. Bernadette

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "brave as a bear"

    • Description:

      Although feminizations ending in "ette" are not particularly popular now, Bernadette is a pleasant, feminine, but strong name that doesn't feel prohibitively dated. And though strongly associated with the saint who saw visions of the Virgin Mary—Saint Bernadette of Lourdes—it is now no longer strictly inhabiting the Catholic diocese.
  7. Cosette

    • Origin:

      French literary nickname

    • Meaning:

      "little thing"

    • Description:

      Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables. In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some etymologists believe it's a spin on Colette, originally a female short form of Nicolas.
  8. Suzette

    • Origin:

      French diminutive of Susannah, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "lily"

    • Description:

      Suzette has a kind of clunky retro charm – so kitsch it's almost cool again.
  9. Annette

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "grace"

    • Description:

      Annette is a French diminutive of Ann which was among the first wave of widely-used girls' names from France, now neglected for so long that it's almost starting to feel stylish again.
  10. Antoinette

    • Origin:

      French feminine diminutive form of Antoine

    • Meaning:

      "priceless one"

    • Description:

      This feminization of Anthony, like other early French forms, such as Babette and Nanette, is not heard as often as it once was, but it could be time for a reappraisal of this delicate Gallic choice.
  11. Alouette

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "lark"

    • Description:

      Alouette is a sweet Gallic twist in the stylish bird name genre made familiar via the charming French children's song, Alouette, gentile alouette.
  12. Lynette

    • Origin:

      French elaboration of Lynn or Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "idol"

    • Description:

      Linda begat Lynn which gave way to Lynette, which peaked in the late 1960s. Lynette has been off the Top 1000 for a couple decades now, and the Lynn variations finding the most favor are those that put the "lyn" part at the end: Evelyn, Madelyn, Brooklyn.
  13. Claudette

    • Origin:

      French, feminine variation of Claude

    • Meaning:

      "lame; enclosure"

    • Description:

      Once seen as a dated French Claudette-Colbert feminization, along with Annette and Paulette, we can see Claudette moving into a more plausible Colette-Cosette arena. While some may be put off by the common "lame" meaning, some etymologists theorize that the name may relate to the word for enclosure or clause, an alternate meaning that may appeal to a child with a form of this otherwise-appealing name.
  14. Mariette

    • Origin:

      French diminutive of Marie

    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

    • Description:

      A less-popular alternative to Juliette, perhaps – although it feels rather more dated.
  15. Georgette

    • Origin:

      French, feminine variation of George

    • Description:

      Has a musty 1940s feel. Try Georgia -- or Georgiana.
  16. Evolet

    • Origin:

      Modern invented name

    • Description:

      This name coined for a character in the movie 10,000 BC, feels right on trend right now, given the popularity of Evie, Eva, Evelyn etc. In the movie, the name’s meaning is given as "the promise of life", but some creative parents have used the alternative spelling Evoleht — "the love" spelt backwards. Other spelling variants that have appeared on the SSA list include Evolette, Evalette, Evalet and Evoleth.
  17. Ayelet

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "deer, gazelle"

    • Description:

      Ayelet is an unusual -- and somewhat challenging -- Israeli name familiar thanks to sometimes controversial Jerusalem-born novelist-essayist Ayelet Waldman.
  18. Lucette

    • Origin:

      French diminutive of Lucy

    • Meaning:

      "little light"

    • Description:

      Popular in the 1930s in France, this is a diminutive of Lucy (or Lucie).
  19. Josette

    • Origin:

      French,pet form of Josephine, feminine of Joseph, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"

    • Description:

      One of the group of French 'ette'-ending names that emigrated to this country in the last century, though never as popular as some others, such as Claudette and Paulette--it did have a little six-year flurry here between 1967 and 1973. Josette may be feminine and flirty, but, given the choice, most parents today would prefer Josephine.
  20. Nanette

    • Origin:

      French diminutive of Anne

    • Meaning:

      "grace"

    • Description:

      There was a time when French names like Annette, Paulette – and Nanette – were chic, but now, we'd have to say "No, no, Nanette".