feminine names beginning with l

Lane

English

"a small roadway or path"

Lane is a unisex name equally accessible to boys and girls. Breezy, cool and contemporary, it might equally put in mind country lanes and banks of wildflowers. As a word name, Lane means "small…

Liesl

German diminutive of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Sweet but sleek, and distinctive, Liesl is an old German nickname-name for Elisabeth. It might have once seemed inextricably tied to to its country of origin, but now, like Elsa, Enzo, Saoirse,…

Lilla

Hungarian diminutive of Lívia and Lídia, Hindi variant of Lila, Italian, Swedish, and Danish word name

"to envy; from Lydia; lilac; little; purple"

This sweet and underused name is a multicultural choice with a surprising number of meanings. It is used as a diminutive of Lívia and Lídia in Hungary (meaning "envy" and "from Lydia" respectively),…

Lilja

Icelandic, Faroese, and Finnish variation of Lily; "lily"

"lily"

Cute and quirky Lily alternative.

Lin

Chinese, Arabic, Burmese, Korean, English

"forest; jade, green gem; soft, tender; clear, bright; neighbor; pretty, lake"

Concise, multicultural, and well travelled, Lin is a deceptively simple looking choice with its roots in a variety of languages. As a Chinese name, it is a unisex option, pronounced as LEEN, and…

Lissa

African, Arabic mythological name; diminutive of Melissa, Greek

"honeybee"

Lissa might be an abbreviation of Melissa, but it's more substantial in its own right: Lissa is the name of a supreme mother goddess in African mythology and an Arabic symbol of rebirth.

Lise

Diminutive of Elisabeth, Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Lise is most often found in the U.S. as the second half of the hybrid name Annalise. Canadian journalist Lyse Doucet bears a pretty alternative spelling, pronounced LEESE.

Livie

Diminutive of Olivia, Latin

"olive tree"

The adorable diminutive Livie is most often a short form of the popular Olivia and may also be spelled Livvy, Livvie, or Livi. But occasionally it may be short for the separate Ancient Roman name…

Louella

English, combination of Louise and Ella

A combo name that was used in the early 19th century, but has always been overshadowed by its sleeker counterpart, Luella. By blending Ella with Louise, Louella could mean "battle famous fairy…

Lou

Short form of Louise

"renowned warrior"

Lou is usually a short form of Louise, Louisa, or Lucy in English-speaking countries, when Lou is used for girls at all. But in France and Germany, it's a fashionable choice all on its own, sure to…

Luana

Combination of Louise and Anna or Hawaiian

"content, at ease"

In the slipstream of Luna, this everywhere-and-nowhere international name, with its attractive liquid sound, is popular in several European countries along with Hawaii.

Luise

German variation of Louise

See LOUISE.

Luiza

Russian and Portuguese variations of Louisa

"renowned warrior"

Luiza livens up Louisa. The insertion of the letter "Z" adds a lot more pizzazz. Luiza Perote is a Brazilian model.