User-created list
By kyra_nicole · Updated January 2021
Across 15 pages
of 15
Spanish
"grace"
A sparky and feminine elaboration on Gracia, Spanish for "grace".
English, place name meaning "bright town"
"bright town"
Brighton has long been known as a holiday resort town on the south coast of England. A cheery unisex name, it was used for his daughter by Jon Favreau, but was a boy on the TV show The Nanny .
Word name
Divine seems more proper a name with the rise of Heaven and its turned-around twin Nevaeh. Though superlative names like Divine -- Unique, say, or Precious -- sometimes seems as if they're trying to…
Spelling variation of Terrell, English
"to pull, stubborn; land"
Tyrell is kind of part Tyrone and Tyler, part Terrell, though it has never made the US Top 1000. As a form of Terrell it means "to pull", from the French tirel and from here, it gets the additional…
Hindi river name; Hebrew
"rain"
Refers to one of the seven sacred rivers of India.
French, German, and Dutch form of Sabina, Latin
"Sabine"
A concise choice with a hint of chic, Sabine is the French, Dutch, and German form of the Latin Sabina. While it has never charted in the US, Sabine saw a slight increase in use in recent data, with…
English
"supplanter"
Jackie Kennedy gave this name a lot of style, but it doesn't seem destined for a comeback the way brother name Jack has. Jackie and Jacqueline both peaked in 1961.
"of the sea"
A retro short form of Marina, dated to the era of the Hitchcock movie that made it famous, Marnie is beginning to feel fresh again — or rather, it is in the UK. Appearing in the Top 100 there in a…
Hindi-Sanskrit
"victory"
This name of a Buddhist goddess, a possible alternative to the trendy Maya, was chosen for their daughter by Laura Dern and Ben Harper. Jaya is simple yet unusual, a winning combination, and one of…
Latin, from ancient place name Lavinium
Lavinia is a charmingly prim and proper Victorian-sounding name which actually dates back to classical mythology, where it was the name of the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was considered the…
German and Scandinavian variation of Theresa
"to reap, gather, harvest"
A form of Theresa with a touch of European flair along with its saintly connotations, Therese is particularly familiar in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and the UK. While it has declined in use in…
Samia is a feminine name with rich multicultural origins. In Arabic, it means 'elevated' or 'sublime,' while in Swahili traditions, it carries the meaning of 'one who is friendly.' The name also…
French
"lion"
The y makes it seem more like a name and less like an animal, but it's still not as appealing as several Leo choices.
Spanish, feminine variation of Emmanuel
"God is with us"
Manuela is one feminine form that's more energetic than the male original, and is worth considering if you're seeking an easily assimilated Spanish name. In the 1948 film The Pirate , set in the…
French variation of Diana, Latin
"divine"
Like Joanne and Christine, middle-aged Diane has been overshadowed by the a-ending version of her name. Diane has a definite mid-century feel; it was a Top 20 name from 1946 to 1959. Though it has…
Variation of Posy or short form of Mariposa, English or Spanish
"a bunch of flowers or butterfly"
Posie and its near-identical twins Posy and Posey are delicate old-fashioned flower names of the type that are stylish today: Think Poppy, Marigold, Clover. Perhaps because it's the name of cosmetics…
Irish
"slender"
Keely is well-used in modern Ireland, also found as Keeley and Keela. The boys' form is Keelan. Largely unknown in the US, this could make an interesting update for Kelly or Kaylie or Kylie -- though…
Greek, feminine variation of Philip
"lover of horses"
Philippa is a prime example of a boy's name adapted for girls that was common as crumpets in Cornwall, but rarely heard stateside. That was before the advent of royal sister-in-law Philippa…
Greek mythology name
"echo or sound"
Although this is traditionally seen as a female name, via the classical mythological nymph who pined away for Narcissus until all that remained of her was a disembodied voice — it can also be used…
German
"godly helmet"
Selma has recently been given a more youthful spin via actresses Selma Blair and Salma Hayek. But while Selma has not yet become popular again in the US, it is widely used in both Sweden and Norway.…
