Outlandish Girl Middles

Elowen

Cornish

"elm"

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…

Guinevere

Welsh

"white shadow, white wave"

Guinevere was the name of the beautiful but ill-fated queen of Camelot, for so many years eclipsed by its modern Cornish form Jennifer. Today, Guinevere could be a cool possibility for adventurous…

Arwen

Literature, Sindarin, Welsh

"noble maiden; fair, blessed"

Best known as the princess of the Elves in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings , Arwen is a fantasy-inspired choice that feels perfectly down to earth. In 2022, it entered the UK Top 400, making it one of…

Azura

English, Persian

"sky blue, lapis lazuli"

A sparkly elaboration of the color name Azure, Azura is a vivid choice that may appeal to those who enjoy Azaria, Aurora, Astrid, and Alara. Used in English to mean "sky blue", azure ultimately comes…

Brynja

Icelandic

"armour"

Sharp and bright, this Icelandic name comes from the Old Norse word from a coat of chain mail or an armour plate.

Ceridwen

Welsh

"beautiful as a poem; crooked women"

A mythological Welsh name with an intriguing sound, Ceridwen appears in several Welsh legends, in which she is an an enchantress and the owner of the cauldron of poetic inspiration. She is also…

Cerys

Welsh

"love"

Common name in Wales that's all but unknown in the U.S. Certainly an attractive choice ripe for export. In the UK it sits at Number 330.

Corisande

Greek

"chorus-singer"

Corisande is a very unusual, haunting choice, with the aura of medieval romance--it is found in early Spanish romantic tales, arriving in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. 'La…

Delyth

Welsh

"pretty and blessed"

If you like soft, lispy Welsh names like Gwyneth, or want an alternative to Delilah, Adele, or Edith, consider this out-of-the-ordinary option.

Elestren

Cornish

"Iris"

Less known than other Cornish beauties like Elowen, Demelza, and Kerensa, Elestren is a pretty botanical name ripe for wider usage. While it may have a starry, celestial feel, likely owning to…

Embla

Norse

"elm"

In Norse mythology, Embla is the equivalent of the Bible's Eve, who, along with her husband Ask, were the first humans to be created by the gods, in this case from trees. With its lovely nature…

Erinna

Greek

"spring or hero"

Erinna was an ancient poetess from the island of Telos near Rhodes. Only fragments of her poems remain, which were reproduced in Bergk's Poetae Lyrici Graeci (published in 1900). Her name is of…

Etain

Irish

"jealousy"

The Etain (or more properly Étaín) of Irish mythology was a beautiful fairy turned into a fly (or in some versions, a butterfly), by a jealous queen. The insect Étaín fell into a glass of milk and…

Ferelith

Scottish

"true sovereignty"

Ferelith is an unusual yet deeply-rooted Scottish girl's name, also found in ancient Ireland and drawn from the Gaelic Forbhlaith or Forbflaith. While it went through a period of dormancy after the…

Fionnuala

Irish Gaelic

"white shoulders"

This lovely Gaelic name, very popular in the Emerald Isle, has inspired a whole host of diminutives (including Nuala and Nola) and variant spellings, from Finola to Finula to the Scottish and English…

Illyria

Ancient place-name, feminine variation of Illyrius, Greek

Illyria can trace all its varied associations to the name of an ancient place in the western part of the Balkan peninsula, also called Illyricum. Its inhabitants, conquered by the Romans in 168 BC,…

Liadan

Irish

"grey lady"

An old Irish saint’s name and the name of a lovelorn poetess in Irish folk legend. Liadain and Líadan are other variations.

Lillemor

Scandinavia

"little mother"

Lillemor is a relatively recent coinage in Scandinavia, where it was most popular in the 1930s and '40s, especially in Sweden. As such, it is considered rather dated in Scandinavia, but it would…

Melisande

French form of Millicent, German

"strong in work"

This old-time fairy tale name is rarely heard in the modern English-speaking world, but it's so, well, mellifluous, that it would make a lovely choice for a twenty-first century girl--a romanticized…

Merewen

Old English

"sublime delight"

This Anglo-Saxon gem was borne by a few medieval women including Saint Merewen, Abbess of Romsey Abbey. It has also been used in literature, for example in Kit Berry's Stonewylde series. Merewen has…