User-created list
Names I like - Girls
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Calypso
Greek
"she who hides"
Melodic, rhythmic, and poetic in sound, Calypso is a name with connections to music, mythology, space, and pop culture. A distinctive was to nickname Callie or even Pip, it has that charming -o…
Colleen
Irish
"girl"
Midcentury Irish-American favorite, never used in Ireland itself, being the generic word for "girl"; rarely given today.
Eir
Norse
"peacefulness, mercy"
So airy, it's almost not there.
Eira
Welsh
"snow"
This Welsh nature name that can be pronounced exactly like the male Ira. Or, to avoid confusion, you could just name her Snow.
Elektra
Greek
"shining, bright"
This spelling of Electra makes this vibrant name less electric and more kinetic.
Elfrida
English
"elf power"
The name of the mother of Aethelred the Unready was once common among the Anglo-Saxon nobility, and was briefly revived during the 19th century, only to be lost once again to history. However, with…
Era
Word name
Name that enjoyed some popularity early in the 20th century but now is locked in another, ahem, era.
Ilisa
Scottish and English variation of Alisa and Elisa
Ilisa is a spelling variant that's less appealing than the original.
Imara
Kiswahili
"firm"
This could make a hauntingly evocative name for an American child, striking the perfect balance of the unusual and the familiar. Imara's meaning adds further appeal placing it among the special class…
Ireland
Place name
Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin put Ireland on the map when they chose it as a first for their daughter, saying that geographic names were a family tradition. And it seems they were a bit ahead of the…
Isis
Egyptian
"throne"
Isis has gone from magical, feminist name on the rise to the forbidden list because of the extremist terror group called ISIS, an acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Unsurprisingly, Isis was…
Isle
English
"small island"
Isla is a contemporary gem, so why not Isle? As an English word name, it takes you straight to the literal definition — a small island — which could have an appealing, aspirational ring to it, for…
Ithaca
Place-name, Latin, Greek
"island"
The island home of Odysseus, the name of a real-life Greek island, and the New York city site of Cornell University, Ithaca feels like a scholarly and distinctive choice. Pronounced as ith-uh-kuh, it…
Jinx
Word name
"spell, curse, bringer of bad luck"
Jinx, a James Bond heroine name has an ominous meaning but kinetic energy. In the film "Die Another Day," the actual first name of the character played by Halle Berry is Giacinta. It could therefore…
Lee
English
"pasture, meadow"
The original brief, breezy name is somewhat out of favor now even as a middle name. The Leigh spelling has more substance and is more identifiable as female.
Lynn
Diminutive of Linda, English, Welsh
"pretty, soft, tender; lake"
Lynn arrived in the 1940s, spinning off from the wildly popular Linda to become a top mid-century middle (and first) name, ranking at #58 during its 1956 peak. Now, however, Lynn is out of the…
Minerva
Latin
"of the mind, intellect"
Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the mythology names for girls that might appeal to adventurous feminist parents.…
Moira
Irish, variation of Mary
"bitter; beloved; drop of the sea"
Well-established Irish and Scottish name that has never really caught on across the pond. Remembered by an older generation as the beautiful red-haired ballerina in the film The Red Shoes , Moira…
Myrtle
Greek botanical name
Long in our category of so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out category, once seen as a gum-cracking 1940's telephone operator, we think it's time to reassess Myrtle, and look at is as a nature name, a…
Nixie
German
"water nymph"
If you love Dixie, Trixie and Pixie, this name of a mermaid-like sprite in German folklore may be for you. It might also make an update for Nicki.