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Warrior Queen

lavenderwitch
By lavenderwitch
Updated Tue May 23 2023
Names in this category are swordswomen and shieldmaidens, onna-bugeisha and Amazons, viragos and valkyries; knights in less-than-shining armor who rescue themselves; badass queens of legend who lead their armies into battle, get their hands dirty, and fight alongside their soldiers on the frontlines. Colors and textures are iron and steel, blood and stone, leather and bone; well-used armor, bloodied and dented, but oiled against rust; dwarven-forged greatswords passed down through generations; trusted warhorses, powerful and courageous, pluming the air with their breath; medieval castles with towering stone walls; the devotion of a populace who knows their ruler is one of them, rather than set apart; a ceremonial crown, left untouched on a velvet pillow while its mistress rides off to war.
  1. Maeve

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "she who intoxicates"

    • Description:

      Maeve is a short and sweet name that has become one of the most stylish Irish names for girls in the modern US. It joined the Top 100 for the first time in 2023 and now ranks at Number 75.
  2. Freya

    • Origin:

      Norse

    • Meaning:

      "a noble woman"

    • Description:

      Freya has long been popular in the U.K. but has only taken off in the US in the last decade, along with the entire category of mythological names. Derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning "Lady, noble woman", Freya is the name of the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.
  3. Isolde

    • Origin:

      Welsh, German

    • Meaning:

      "ice ruler"

    • Description:

      Sleek, sharp, and soulful, Isolde is the German form of Iseult, the fabled lover of Tristan in the Arthurian romances. First appearing in the 12th-century, the name was fairly popular in the form of Iseult, Yseut, Yseult, and Ysolt, however, it wasn't until the 19th-century that this form began to catch on, after the composer Richard Wagner used it for his 1865 opera (and for his own daughter!)
  4. Lyra

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "lyre"

    • Description:

      Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's found new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's book series, His Dark Materials and its subsequent movie and TV adaptions. Simple yet starry, Lyra is familiar but not overused in the US, where it ranks in the Top 500.
  5. Eluned

    • Origin:

      Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "idol, image"

    • Description:

      Romantic and mysterious, Eluned's beauty and intelligence were legendary in Welsh legend; she was the handmaiden of the Lady of the Fountain in a Welsh Arthurian romance, who had a magic ring that made the wearer invisible. Pronunciation is usually similar in emphasis to Eleanor, but with ned instead of nor at the end. However, it's sometimes also pronounced el-LIN-ed or even shortened to Luned, the sounce of Lynette, in Tennyson's Gareth and Lynette.
  6. Matilda

    • Origin:

      German

    • Meaning:

      "battle-mighty"

    • Description:

      Matilda is a sweet vintage name that has been gently climbing the popularity list for the past 15 years, after a half-century slumber. The spunky children's book heroine Matilda is one factor in its rise, along with others of its class like Eloise and Caspian.
  7. Seraphina

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "ardent; fiery"

    • Description:

      Seraphina is one of the most-searched name on Nameberry, destined for even greater popularity. The highest-ranking angels, the six-winged seraphim, inspired the lovely name Seraphina.
  8. Thea

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "goddess, godly"

    • Description:

      Thea is a diminutive of names ending in -thea, including Dorothea, Althea, and Anthea. It is also the Anglicized spelling of Theia, the Titan of sight, goddess of light, and mother of the moon. She was the consort of Hyperion, and mother of Helios, Selene, and Eos.
  9. Astrid

    • Origin:

      Scandinavian

    • Meaning:

      "divinely beautiful"

    • Description:

      Astrid has been a Scandinavian royal name since the tenth century, and many people associated it with the Swedish author of the Pippi Longstocking stories, Astrid Lindgren. Astrid is derived from the name Ástríðr, which is made up of the Old Norse elements that mean "god" and "beautiful."
  10. Adelaide

    • Origin:

      Variant of Adelheidis, German

    • Meaning:

      "noble, nobility"

    • Description:

      Adelaide is now heading straight uphill on the coattails of such newly popular sisters as Ava, Ada, and Audrey, and in the company of Adeline and Amelia. It was chosen by actress Katherine Heigl for the name of her second daughter.
  11. Juno

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "queen of the heavens; young"

    • Description:

      Juno is an ancient name that feels as fresh as if it had been minted, well, not yesterday, but in 2007. Since the release of the popular indie film Juno, this lively but strong Roman goddess name has held new potential as a baby name. Currently in the UK Top 500 and used in The Netherlands too, Juno is on the rise in the US - and is 15 times more popular than it was before the release of the film.
  12. Helena

    • Origin:

      Latinate form of Helen, Greek

    • Meaning:

      "torch; shining light"

    • Description:

      Helena is one of those classic names that just misses making the US Top 1000 girl names for its entire history, falling off for a single year in 1992. Since then it's been drifting lazily up the charts, and makes a perfect choice if you want a name that both fits in and stands out.
  13. Saskia

    • Origin:

      Dutch

    • Meaning:

      "Saxon"

    • Description:

      From the first time we saw the name Saskia attached to a portrait of Rembrandt's wife (her full name was Saakje van Uylenburgh, but she was always called Saskia), we have found it utterly charming and wondered why it hasn't attracted more fans In this country--she's appreciated by the Brits, who have moved her to Number 392. Saskia is one of those names that's been used in Europe since the Middle Ages, but has never crossed the ocean.
  14. Lilith

    • Origin:

      Assyrian, Sumerian

    • Meaning:

      "ghost, night monster"

    • Description:

      Lilith is derived from the Akkadian word lilitu meaning "of the night." In Jewish folklore she is portrayed as Adam's rejected first wife, who was turned into a night demon for refusing to obey him. Lilith is unrelated to most other Lil- names, with the exception of Lilita, which is the Latvian variation.
  15. Octavia

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "eighth"

    • Description:

      Octavia began as the Latin, then Victorian name for an eighth child. While there aren't many eighth children anymore, this ancient Roman name has real possibilities as a substitute for the overused Olivia; recommended for its combination of classical and musical overtones. It was chosen for his daughter by Kevin Sorbo.
  16. Rowena

    • Origin:

      Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "white spear; famous friend; fame and joy"

    • Description:

      A fabled storybook name via the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819), which featured a heroine called Rowena of Hargottstanstede, and also a Harry Potter name, as Rowena Ravenclaw, founder of one of the Hogwarts houses, Rowena is a retro feeling choice with literary charm.
  17. Lavinia

    • Origin:

      Latin, from ancient place name Lavinium

    • Description:

      Lavinia is a charmingly prim and proper Victorian-sounding name which actually dates back to classical mythology, where it was the name of the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was considered the mother of the Roman people.
  18. Diana

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  19. Joan

    • Origin:

      English feminine variation of John, Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      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 early 60s, it was the fifth most popular name in the country for three years running and ranks as one of the most common names for girls in the 20th century. But alas, Joan hasn't even appeared in the Top 1000 for a dozen years, and these days it's primarily associated with Joans of the generation of Joan Crawford, Joan Collins and Joan Rivers--just a few of the noted Joans whose ranks also include the singers Joan Sutherland, Joan Baez, Joan Armatrading and Joan Jett. But it's possible that modern parents who are reviving Jane might move on to Joan, inspired by Joan Hollaway Harris.
  20. Elaine

    • Origin:

      French and Scottish

    • Meaning:

      "bright, shining light"

    • Description:

      This old Scottish form of Helen has had quite a history, going from appearing as one of the shining heroines of the Arthurian legends, the princess who fell in love with Sir Lancelot and became the mother of Sir Galahad, referred to as 'Elaine the fair' and 'Elaine the lovable', to being the name of the most famous of New York's celebrity restaurants, to being the archetypal New York neurotic on Seinfeld.

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