NataleeMJohnson's ABC Favorite Girl Names
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These are my favorite names from each letter of the alphabet:
- Sienna
Origin:
Italian color nameMeaning:
"orange red"Description:
Sienna has been a Top 100 choice in England & Wales since 2005, the year after Sienna Miller's acting breakthrough in the hit movies Alfie and Layer Cake. In the US, it also got a big boost in the early noughties, before dropping slightly then rebounding to reach an all-time high in 2022.
- Vivienne
Origin:
French variation of VivianMeaning:
"life"Description:
Vivienne is an elaborated Gallic version of the name Vivian, chosen first by Rosie O'Donnell for her daughter and then catapulted to superstardom when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie used it for their twin daughter. An adult namesake is the British designer Vivienne Westwood. Rosie O'Donnell also has a daughter named Vivienne, known as Vivi.
- Louisa
Origin:
Latinate feminine variation of LouisMeaning:
"renowned warrior"Description:
Louisa, a quaint but strongvintage name, is an example of the idea that these days, old-style girls’ names are more fashionable when they end with an a rather than with an e, as in Julie/Julia, Diane/Diana. So for the next generation, Louisa may rise again, especially with the growing popularity of other Lou/Lu-starting names, like Lucy and Luna. Louisa reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 45 year absence.
- Diana
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"divine"Description:
Diana, the tragic British princess, inspired many fashions, but strangely, not one for her name. For us, Diana is a gorgeous and still-underused choice.
- Holly
Origin:
English nature nameDescription:
Holly ranks just in British Top 50, but it's been out of favor here since the 1970s Era of Nickname Names. Still, the name may be on her way back as a rejuvenated nature pick.
- Wendy
Origin:
English, Celtic, WelshMeaning:
"friend or white"Description:
It is popularly claimed that the name Wendy was invented by Sir James Barrie in 1904 for the big sister character in his play Peter Pan, which was followed by the classic novel in 1911. Barrie supposedly took it from the nickname "fwendy-wendy", that he was called by a young girl acquaintance.
- Norah
Origin:
English, ArabicMeaning:
"woman of honor, light"Description:
The skyrocketing success of singer Norah Jones brought this spelling of the name onto the pop charts in 2003. As well as being a spelling variant of Nora in English, it's also an alternative transcription of the Arabic name Nura, from Nur/Noor "light".
- Isobel
Origin:
Scottish variation of IsabelMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
The Scottish spelling of Isabel has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength but also an element of confusion. How do you pronounce that? Answer: Exactly like Isabel or Isabelle.
- Beth
Origin:
English diminutive of Elizabeth, HebrewMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
The sweetest and most sensitive of the pet names for Elizabeth, now also one of the most dated.
- Xiomara
Origin:
Feminine variation of Guiomar, Spanish, PortugueseMeaning:
"famous in battle"Description:
The gorgeous and romantic name Xiomara popped into the Top 1000 from 2004-2011 after a contestant on America's Next Top Model increased interest in her rare name.
- Anthea
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"flowery"Description:
This unjustly neglected floral name has a BBC accent and a Greek mythological heritage: Anthea is an epithet of Hera, the Greek queen of the gods, and her name has been used as poetic symbol of spring.
- Joanne
Origin:
French variation of Joanna, HebrewMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
A Top 100 name from the 1930s all the way through the 1950s, it's now firmly in Mom -- or Grandma -- land and supplanted for babies by Joanna.....or even great-grandmother Josephine. In its heyday, it had a host of variations, including JoAnn and Jo-Anne.
- Yolanda
Origin:
Spanish from GreekMeaning:
"violet flower"Description:
Bold and distinctive, Yolanda is a floral name that doesn't sound frilly or delicate. Ultimately deriving from the Greek words ioles meaning "violet" and anthos meaning "flower", it appears in a variety of forms internationally, including Jolanda, Jolanta, Iolanthe, Iolanta, Iolanda, and Jolana.
- Cambria
Origin:
Place name, Latin from WelshMeaning:
"Wales"Description:
Most names that start with Cam- are on the upswing, so why not this obscure term for Wales as well as for a prehistoric time period.
- Rochelle
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"little rock"Description:
Long-standing French name that retains a feminine, fragile, and shell-like image.
- Emiliana
Origin:
Italian variation of EmilyMeaning:
"rival"Description:
The enormous popularity of Emily and Emma means that parents will be looking further afield for substitutes -- and this is one of the prettiest.
- Olivette
Origin:
Feminine form of Oliver, French, LatinMeaning:
"olive tree"Description:
A feminine form of Oliver and a diminutive of Olive, Olivette could make an interesting choice for those who love Colette and Violette, but also Olivia. It was used in the 19th century French opera Les noces d'Olivette and ranked in the Top 500 in France in the early half of the 20th century.
- Felice
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"lucky"Description:
Felix is rising in the chart for boys, and its feminine variations are sure to follow. The best knows these days, thanks to the TV character, is Felicity, but there's also Felicia and Felice. Like Lucia, Felice is a name with different pronunciations depending on where it's used. The Italians pronounce it fa-LEECH-ay, but the Americanized version is feh-LEESE.
- Mariam
Origin:
Arabic variation of MaryMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
Popular among parents with Arab roots. Also found as Maryam.
- Paulina
Origin:
Spanish, feminine variation of PaulMeaning:
"small"Description:
More stylish than either Paula or Pauline, it was given a glamour gloss by model Paulina Porizkova in the nineties.