User-created list
By RuthShterna · Updated May 2023
Across 95 pages
of 95
Spanish
"sweetness"
Miguel de Cervantes invented this elaborate-sounding name -- which roughly translates as "sweetness" -- for the beautiful maiden Don Quixote is obsessed with in his great novel. Even in the fictional…
Latin, feminine form of Laurence
This pretty female form of Laurence originated in ancient Rome and is still sometimes heard in the Latino community. It is one of the many intriguing Latin names for girls worth consideration by…
Latin
"joy, gladness"
Letitia is a delicate, once prim and proper sounding name whose staid image has been unbuttoned by numerous phonetic spellings. The original, often used in Spanish-speaking families, would still make…
"small plum"
Most ella names are hot, but this is one that won't catch fire because of the disagreeable connotations of prunes.
Medieval English and Old Swedish form of Adelaide
"noble, nobility"
Adeliza is a unique member of the popular Adelaide-Adeline family. Different enough to distinguish it from all the others? Maybe, and it's definitely got an appealing sound that makes it sound a bit…
Diminutive of Susan
This centuries-old nickname feels fresher and more modern today than Susie or Sue. A good short form if you're tempted by Susan, Susanna, or Susannah; another spelling is Sukey.
Diminutive of Susan, Hebrew
"lily"
Eighteenth-century nickname that still appears occasionally as an alternative to Suzy. Suki Waterhouse is a lovely English actress.
English flower name from French
"thought"
Pansy is an early floral name that lost credibility when it became a derogatory slang term for gay people. Better these days: Posy or Poppy.
Short form of Gertrude
Gertie has a certain homespun charm, summoning to mind butter-yellow braids and denim overalls, summoning mind the adorable character played by little Drew Barrymore in E.T. Is the world ready for…
Diminutive of Florence
"flourishing, prosperous"
Flossie was an extremely popular Florence nickname that was used independently in the early twentieth century, given to over five hundred girls per year a century ago. Appealing, sweet as candy…
English, diminutive of Nancy
Bobbsey Twins-era nickname name that could find new life via Nan, heroine of The Nanny Diaries. Nan was also the nickname of Annabel St George, the protagonist of Edith Wharton's novel "The…
Diminutive of Margaret, Greek
"pearl"
Meg, perennially one of the Little Women, is a Margaret short form that manages to be neither quite in nor quite out of style. Meg is sleeker and more sophisticated than Maggie, more contemporary…
Greek
"studious"
The unusual Parmenia is very occasionally chosen by Latino parents.
English, diminutive of Florence and Flora
A sweet Bobbsey-twin era nickname, fluffy and floral.
Irish, diminutive of Mairead, Irish form of Margaret
Infrequently used relic of the Maureen-Colleen-Kathleen era, though it does seem to have a bit more energy than the others.
Dulcy is a charming feminine name with English origins, typically considered a diminutive form of Dulcie or Dulcibella. These names derive from the Latin 'dulcis,' meaning 'sweet' or 'gentle.' The…
"fruitful"
Eustacia, the ancestor of mid-century fave Stacy, is just the kind of fusty old relic that might be polished up for modern use. Eustacia Vye is the central character of Thomas Hardy's The Return of…
French from German
"comrade in arms"
French form of Hildegard
"of royal birth"
In mythology, Iphigenia was sacrificed by her father, Agamemnon -- a difficult legacy to pass on to a daughter, and only one reason the name is hardly ever used.
"clear-voiced, whistling"
One of the Sirens in Greek mythology, Ligeia was also the title character in an Edgar Allan Poe story. The mythological Ligeia was half-bird, half-woman. Spelling may also be Lygeia or Ligia.
