Hidden Gems - Girls Outside the Top 1000
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This is a list of great girls names outside the current top 1000. Each one has an edge to it, without seeming outrageous among crowds of Emmas and Liams.
- Acacia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"thorny"Description:
Acacia is an attractive, rarely used Greek flower name enhanced by its popular beginning-and-ending-with 'a'-construct, and is gradually beginning to catch on as a new member of the stylish girl names starting with A.
- Audra
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"noble strength"Description:
Used primarily in Scotland, and represented here by singer Audra McDonald, the girls' name Audra has been overshadowed by the return of the classic Audrey. Audra may be to Audrey what Jenna is to Jennifer and Jessa is to Jessica: A variation that will rise as the original falls from favor, which may take another decade.
- Augusta
Origin:
Feminine variation of Augustus, LatinMeaning:
"great, magnificent"Description:
Augusta is a dignified name reminiscent of wealthy great-aunts, but with the fashion for both August and Gus for boys, Augusta could get some fresh energy.
- Aviva
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"springlike, fresh, dewy"Description:
Aviva is vivacious and memorable, a fresh spin on the Vivian and Vivienne names that have been getting more popular since Angelina and Brad chose one for their twin daughter. Another A-beginning palindrome name: Aziza.
- Avril
Origin:
French variation of AprilDescription:
French Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne has put the spotlight on her name.
- Bernadette
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"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.
- Bronwen
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"white breast"Description:
Bronwen is widespread in Wales, but still rare enough here to sound somewhat international — we think Bronwen is a real winner. (Note: the Bronwyn spelling is an Anglicization, since the -wyn ending is masculine in Welsh).
- Bryony
Origin:
Latin flower nameMeaning:
"to sprout"Description:
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 novel Atonement is spelled Briony, which is the variation and Bryony the original.
- Candace
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"white, pure, sincere"Description:
Candace, an ancient title of a dynasty of Ethiopian queens mentioned in the New Testament, is associated both with actress Candice Bergen and Sex and the City writer Candace Bushnell.
- Cassia
Origin:
Feminine form of Cassius or GreekMeaning:
"cinnamon"Description:
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 name of the plant as well. Cassia also has ties to the Ancient Roman name Cassius, an Ancient Roman family name meaning "hollow."
- Cecily
Origin:
Feminine variation of CecilMeaning:
"blind"Description:
Cecily is as dainty as a lace handkerchief. Cecily has a wide assortment of namesakes. One Cecily was the mother of King Richard III, whose beauty gained her the title "the Rose of Raby," Cecily Parsley is a Beatrix Potter bunny, Cecily Cardew is a character in The Importance of Being Earnest, and the author of the Gossip Girl books is Cecily von Ziegesar.
- Celesta
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"heavenly"Description:
The shimmery Celeste has been solidly in the Top 1000 for as long as data has been recorded. The dainty variation Celesta certainly feels useable as well. Other intriguing variations include Celestia and Celestine.
- Coralie
Origin:
French from LatinMeaning:
"coral"Description:
Coralie is a French name not often heard here, though she's gaining some recognition via Neil Gaiman's similar sounding spooky and lovely children's book, Coraline. Other literary appearances: Coralie is the stage name of an actress in Balzac's Lost Illusions, and a French girl in an 1850 Thackeray novel.Coralie is currently very popular in French-speaking Quebec, and there is a contemporary French singer named Coralie Clement.
- Cosima
Origin:
Italian feminine variation of Cosmo, GreekMeaning:
"order, beauty, universe"Description:
Cosima, the kind of elegant and unusual name the British upper classes love to use for their daughters, is given to a handful of baby girls in the US after being chosen by two high-profile celebs in the same month; cool couple Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars as well as supermodel Claudia Schiffer. It was used earlier by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, while the male form, Cosimo, was given to the son of Marissa Ribisi and Beck.
- Danica
Origin:
SlavicMeaning:
"morning star"Description:
While Danica may sound similar to Dana, Danielle, and Daniela, Danica is not a variation. Danica, a delicate and unique Slavic name meaning "Morning Star," is synonymous with Venus in many countries.
- Daria
Origin:
Feminine variation of Darius, Persian or Latin from GreekMeaning:
"kingly or possess well"Description:
An early Christian martyr, a bespectacled MTV cartoon heroine, and Canadian supermodel Daria Werbowy: Daria is a name that manages to feel contemporary and usable without being exactly stylish. Which may be a positive, in terms of Daria not being in danger of overpopularity.
- Deirdre
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"sorrowful"Description:
Sadly, this strong Celtic name often has "of the sorrows" attached to it because of the tragic character in Irish legend. Also a bit drab when compared with newer Irish imports.
- Dinah
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"God will judge"Description:
As the song says, "Dinah, is there anyone finer?" Dinah is a charming, underused Old Testament name with a rich literary and musical resume.
- Dominique
Origin:
French, feminine variation of DominicMeaning:
"belonging to a lord"Description:
Had a surge of popularity in the Dynasty days, now has subsided in the wake of fresher French choices like Destry and Delphine, though it retains its sense of sophistication. It's one of the most truly gender-neutral baby names right now.
- Elowen
Origin:
CornishMeaning:
"elm"Description:
A beautiful modern Cornish nature name that is rapidly picking up steam in the States: even spawning variant spellings like Elowyn and Elowynn. In its native region, it wasn't widely used as a name before the twentieth century, when the Cornish language was revived. A (currently) unique member of the fashionble El- family of names, it has a pleasant, evocative sound.