Girls names as of the 12th of September 2021

Bronte

Greek

"thunder"

This lovely surname of the three novel-writing sisters, now used as a baby name, makes a fitting tribute for lovers of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights . While the original name took an umlaut over…

Bryony

Greek

"to sprout, to swell"

Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan…

Calypso

Greek

"she who hides"

Melodic, rhythmic, and poetic in sound, Calypso is a name with connections to music, mythology, space, and pop culture. A distinctive was to nickname Callie or even Pip, it has that charming -o…

Camber

English from Latin

"curved inwards"

Part Cameron, part Amber, Camber may be a new name but it feels right for our times. As a word, camber means a slightly arched surface.

Caprice

French from Italian

"impulsive change of mind; lively music"

Caprice is a word name with an appealing sound and a light-hearted meaning that may well put parents off. While it was given to just 10 girls in a recent year, the name did have a moment back in the…

Carlin

Irish

"little champion"

Stronger and more contemporary twist on Carla or Carly, Carlin was used just about equally for girls and boys in the US last year.

Carlisle

English

"from the walled city"

Carlisle may be a male name in Twilight (he's vampire hero Edward's adoptive father), but in the real baby naming world, it's used about a quarter of the time for girls. Unusual now, we think…

Carrington

English, Scottish surname

"from Carrington"

This habitational surname works as a modern way to honor a Carrie, Carolyn, or Caroline. Actress Beverly Garland had a daughter named Carrington.

Cass

English diminutive of Cassandra or Cassia, Greek

"shining or excelling man; cinnamon"

Ties to the unfortunate Mama are now unraveling, leaving Cass or Cassie to stand on its own as a fresher sounding Cathy or Kate. With gender-neutral names abound and the growing trend of boyish…

Channing

English or Irish

"people of Cana or wolf cub"

While the most famous Channing is the very male Channing Tatum, the name is now given about a third of the time for girls. Television executive Channing Dungey is a well-know example of a female…

Chapel

English word name

"small Christian church"

Spiritual word names are a hot trend and ever-expanding category of baby names. Chapel was notably used in 2020 by Josh Brolin for his daughter. He said of her name, "Chapel Grace is, to us, a…

Chauncey

Latin

"chancellor"

A name halfway between its old milquetoast image and a more jovial Irish-sounding contemporary one. Sounds more feminine than masculine these days.

Chesney

English from French

"oak grove"

A rising surname name for girls — it's overwhelmingly feminine, despite the association with Kenny Chesney.

Clarke

Variation of Clark

A rising choice for girls that fits in with tailored surnames such as Sloane, Greer, and Blair.

Clove

English word name

"clove"

Clove is a spice name that is a tad more piquant than Saffron or Cinnamon. It might get more attention now as a member of The Hunger Games family of names.

Collier

English occupational surname

"coal miner"

An old-fashioned term for a coal miner, or nowadays, a sister to Harper and Piper.

Connelly

Irish

"love, friendship"

Connelly is a rollicking and rare example of the popular surname genre that may work even better for girls. A huge update on Colleen.

Copeland

English surname

"bought land"

Ballet dancer Misty Copeland may draw more parents to consider her surname for a baby girl — which at last count was 29% female.

Cricket

Nature name

Nickname name from the era of Father Knows Best , though we can see it making something of a comeback, a la Clover and Pippa. Cricket has new potential especially since it has recently been chosen by…