Girl Names I Love That Hubby Wouldn't

  1. Layla
    • Origin:

      Variation of Leila, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "night"
    • Description:

      A lovely musical name (remember the old Eric Clapton-Derek & the Dominos song?), Layla's seen a significant surge in popularity, partly partly all names with a double L are stylish, and partly because all the forms of the name push it into the Top 15 for girls.
  2. Leilani
    • Origin:

      Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "heavenly flower"
    • Description:

      Lyrical, lively and bold, Leilani is a name that feels fresh, floral, and summery. Sharing sounds with the popular Lillian, Layla and Luna, Leilani is a fairly recent addition to the US Top 100.
  3. Leona
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "lioness"
    • Description:

      A Top 100 name from 1896 to 1921, Leona reached as high as Number 72. Since then, Leona had seemed to be one of the most unfashionable of the pride of lion names, but singer Leona Lewis has done a lot to rejuvenate it. Leona returned to the Top 1000 in 2009 after decades of being away.
  4. Libby
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Elizabeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Through all the years when Betty, Betsy, Beth, Liz, and Lizzie were the Elizabethan nicknames of choice, the bubblier Libby was set aside, but today it may be the most modern of all—it has already made a strong comeback in England and Wales, where it ranks Number 139.
  5. Liberty
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Less common than other virtue names, Liberty is nonetheless a name with a long American heritage.
  6. Liliana
    • Origin:

      Italian and Spanish variations of Lilian
    • Meaning:

      "lily, a flower"
    • Description:

      Frilly and fit for a princess, but with plenty of spark and flair, Liliana holds international appeal and a modern glamor. Joining Lily and Lillian in the US Top 100 for the first time in 2022, Liliana is a fast-rising choice for girls.
  7. London
    • Origin:

      English place-name
    • Meaning:

      "Capital city of England"
    • Description:

      The capital of England makes a solid and attractive twenty-first-century choice in the US where it is currently in the Top 1000. Given to nearly 1000 girls and 200 boys each year, it is a unisex option that has been in slow decline since its peak in 2013. Conjuring up images of Big Ben, red phone boxes, and the London Eye for some, but perhaps the rush hour commute and grey skies for others, London is far less popular in the UK and other English-speaking countries.
  8. Lolie
    • Léonie
      • Origin:

        French
      • Meaning:

        "lion"
      • Description:

        Leona with a French accent that gives it a bit more flair. It's currently very popular there – in the Top 30 for French baby girls.
    • Marlowe
      • Origin:

        Variation of Marlow, English
      • Meaning:

        "driftwood"
      • Description:

        Is it Marlo, Marlow, or Marlowe? Suddenly they all seem very much in the air, in tune with rhyming cousins Harlow and Arlo. It all started when Margaret Julia Thomas began being known as Marlo (after being previously nicknamed Margie and Marlow). More recently, Jason Schwartzman used the e-ending version for his young daughter, Marlowe Rivers, as did Sienna Miller for her baby girl Marlowe Ottoline.
    • Melody
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "song"
      • Description:

        A melodious choice big in the sixties, Melody is now starting to pick up tempo again. It cracked the Top 150 for the first time ever in 2015. Melody is also the name of Ariel's equally curious and more tom-boyish daughter in The Little Mermaid sequel. Read more about Melody and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.
    • Milan
      • Origin:

        Italian place name or Slavic
      • Meaning:

        "the middle of the plain; gracious, dear; union"
      • Description:

        In many Slavic and other European countries, Milan is purely a boys’ name, but in the US, it's also popular for girls – no doubt inspired by the fashionable Italian city. It entered the Top 1000 for boys in 2013, while for girls it has been in the Top 1000 since 2009. Currently, it is given to three boys for everyone one girl.
    • Monique
      • Origin:

        French variation of Monica
      • Meaning:

        "advisor"
      • Description:

        The sort of oh-so-French name that's falling out of favor now.
    • Medina
      • Nadia
        • Origin:

          Russian, Arabic
        • Meaning:

          "hope; tender, delicate"
        • Description:

          Nadia, an accessible Slavic favorite, has a strong run of popularity in the US in the early 2000s, partially thanks to the character on Lost called Nadia but actually named Noor, but it's since slumped down the rankings. An earlier inspiration was Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who won the 1976 Olympics.
      • Noemi
        • Origin:

          Italian and Spanish variation of Naomi
        • Meaning:

          "my delight"
        • Description:

          Noemi is a charming Latin spin on Naomi; another twist is Neomi. A quiet mainstay on the US Top 1000 since 1957, Noemi was one of the fastest rising names in 2023.
      • Nora
        • Origin:

          Diminutive of Honora or Eleonora, Latin
        • Meaning:

          "honor or meaning unknown"
        • Description:

          Nora is a lovely, refined name that conjures up images of Belle Epoch ladies in fur-trimmed coats skating in Central Park. Long seen as a quintessentially Irish name though its roots are not in Ireland, Nora is a quietly stylish favorite that's tiptoed to the top of the popularity ladder.
      • Nalah
        • Ohara
          • Origin:

            Japanese
          • Meaning:

            "small field"
          • Description:

            Could work for a blended Japanese-Irish family.
        • Orion
          • Origin:

            Greek mythology name
          • Description:

            The Greek mythological hunter who was turned into a constellation is much more often used for boys.