Jenn's Girls names

Rhiannon

Welsh

"divine queen"

Most of us had never heard this lovely Welsh name with links to the moon until we heard the 1976 smash hit Fleetwood Mac song of that name, with lyrics by Stevie Nicks. That same year it popped onto…

Anabelle

French variation of Annabelle

This version of the name with only one n does not have nearly the popularity of its sister. Unless you have a particular aversion to the fourteenth letter of the alphabet, it may be best to stick…

Lucinda

English, Spanish, and Portuguese variation of Lucia

"light"

Lucinda, an elaboration of Lucia created by Cervantes for his 1605 novel Don Quixote , is a pleasingly pretty alternative to Lucy. It was subsequently used by Moliere in his play The Doctor in Spite…

Roxanne

Persian

"dawn"

Best known as the beautiful heroine to whom Cyrano de Bergerac says, "Your name is like a golden bell". After peaking in 1954, the name dipped out of the Top 1000 in 2012. It returned at Number 986…

Isadora

Greek

"gift of Isis"

For a long time, Isadora has been overlooked in favor of Isabella, owing perhaps to its association with the tragic modern dancer, Isadora Duncan, or because parents would rather their daughter be a…

Antonia

Latin

"from Antium"

Antonia is stronger than most feminized boys’ names , reflecting the pioneer spirit of Willa Cather's classic novel My Antonia . Antonia is hovering near the bottom of the US popularity list, which…

Simone

French feminine variation of Simon, Hebrew

"listening, hearkening"

Simone, the elegant French feminization of Simon, strikes that all-important balance between unusual and familiar, and it's oozing with Gallic sophistication. A dated choice in its native France,…

Havana

Taíno place-name

Politics aside, the Cuban capital is one of the most rhythmic of place-names. The question is: can politics be put aside?

Sabine

French, German, and Dutch form of Sabina, Latin

"Sabine"

A concise choice with a hint of chic, Sabine is the French, Dutch, and German form of the Latin Sabina. While it has never charted in the US, Sabine saw a slight increase in use in recent data, with…

Jacinda

Variation of Jacinta, Spanish and Portuguese

"hyacinth"

Jacinda, a form of the lovely and unusual Spanish and Portuguese flower name Jacinta (for Hyacinth), was first popularized by the Australian actress Jacinda Barrett. Today, the girls' name Jacinda is…

Circe

Greek

"bird"

In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea, who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to Odysseus's crew in…

Oriana

Latin

"dawn; gold"

Oriana is a dashing medieval name, with a meaning similar to Aurora. At this point, though, Oriana is much more unusual than Aurora and makes a unique choice if you're searching for names that mean…

Amethyst

Gem and Color name

As flower names become more unique, so can gem names move beyond Ruby and Pearl to names like Topaz, Sapphire, and Peridot. Amethyst, the purple birthstone for February, has never been in the Top…