User-created list
English and British Royal names from 1066
Across 11 pages
of 11
Dorothea
Greek
"gift of God"
Dorothea is a romantic Victorian-sounding name that blends elegance, gravitas and a hint of clunkiness too. Popular in the early decades of the twentieth century, it has been off the charts since…
Eleonora
Italian, German, Dutch, and Polish variation of Eleanor
Makes a serious name frilly and feminine, which, depending on your viewpoint, might be a good or a bad thing. In this case, we vote good.
Feodore
Georgiana
English, feminine variation of George
"farmer"
Long a popular upper-crust form in England, where it's pronounced George-ee-AH-na, Georgiana has been been neglected here. But with Georgia growing more popular and the general fashion for elaborate…
Henrietta
Feminine variation of Henry, German
"estate ruler"
Despite a return to such feminizations of male names as Josephine, Clementine, and Theodora, starchy Henrietta has not made it into that group. Still, if you look hard enough, you'll see that…
Joan
English feminine variation of John, Hebrew
"God is gracious"
Joan was the perfect name choice for one of the leading characters on Mad Men , being a quintessential girls' name of the period. A Top 10 name in the 30s, a Top 50 name from the 40s through the…
Karoline
German and Scandinavian variation of Caroline, French
"free man"
Karoline is the form of the classic Caroline commonly used in Germany and throughout Scandinavia, where it is popular. It's an acceptable if not traditional spelling variation, given to nearly 100…
Margherita
Italian form of Margaret, Greek
"pearl"
This elegant variation carries the same core meaning as Margaret while featuring the distinctive Italian pronunciation and spelling. The name has historical significance in Italy, where Saint…
Maud
English and French diminutive of Matilda, German
"battle-mighty"
Maud, lacy and mauve-tinted, was wildly popular a hundred years ago but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose Maud again, especially as a middle. Maude…
Olga
Slavic variation of Helga, Norse
"holy"
This Slavic form of the Norse name Helga is a classic in many Slavic countries, including Russia and Poland, where it currently ranks within the Top 100 girl names. It has historically ranked among…
Pauline
French, feminine variation of Paul
"small"
Pauline had its moment of glory a century ago, when movie audiences were thrilling to the silent serial The Perils of Pauline , released in 1914. A Top 50 name in the US between 1908 and 1930, it…
Philippa
Greek, feminine variation of Philip
"lover of horses"
Philippa is a prime example of a boy's name adapted for girls that was common as crumpets in Cornwall, but rarely heard stateside. That was before the advent of royal sister-in-law Philippa…
Theresa
English form of the Spanish Teresa
"to harvest"
The popular appeal of the strong, intelligent Saint Teresa of Avila, combined with the selfless compassion of the more recent Mother Teresa, have fused to give this second-tier classic a somewhat…
Wilhelmina
German and Dutch, feminine variation of Wilhelm
"resolute protection"
Wilhelmina might once have been condemned as a clunky relic best left in the past, but a steadily increasing number of parents are dusting it off for their 21st century babies. A reasonably popular…
Wilhelmine
Wilhelmine is a feminine name of Germanic origin, serving as the female form of Wilhelm (William), which means 'resolute protector' or 'determined guardian.' Popular in Germany, Austria, and…
Alix
French
"noble type"
A chic and sassy French choice, popular in France but likely to be confused with the more prosaic Alex in English-speaking countries. Although sometimes used in the US as a variant spelling of Alex,…
Ida
German
"industrious one"
Many vowel names stylish a century ago are coming back, and Ida seems like a possible, logical successor to Ada and Ava. A century ago, Ida was considered "sweet as apple cider," and was Number 10 on…
Mathilde
French; Norwegian; Danish; Dutch; German, variation of Matilda
"battle-mighty"
Mathilde is even more popular in France than Matilda, a hipster favorite thanks to Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger, is here. And the French pronunciation, while confusing to English speakers,…
Mafalda
Italian and Portuguese variation of Matilda
Mafalda is nearly unknown in the English-speaking world, despite an appearance in Harry Potter. Indeed, it does have a witchy feel. Matilda itself is preferable, or her French form Mathilde, Spanish…
Urraca
Basque or Portuguese, 'magpie'
Urraca was the name of many infantas and queens of several medieval Iberian kingdoms (most notably Leon). Despite its royal roots, Urraca is one of the names best left to the history books.