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RenRose's Girls' List
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Emmeline
Old French form of archaic German Amal
"work"
Emmeline is an Emma relative and Emily cousin that is destined for greater use in the wake of the megapopularity of those two names. A recommended Nameberry fave, Emmeline hopped onto the US Top 1000…
Aira
Variation of Air, Ayra, or Ara, English, Sanskrit, Finnish, Lithuanian
"air; noble; messenger; river place name"
Playful but concise, Aira has become a rising star in England and Wales in recent years. Light and well, airy, it has also been trending upwards in the US. while in the US. Short and simple as it may…
Ira
Hebrew, Russian, Greek, Finnish, Sanskrit, "watchful one; peace; protectress; earth
Truly multi-cultural, Ira can be: a Russian short form of Irina, meaning "peace"; a gender-switch of the Hebrew male name Ira, meaning "watchful"; a modern Greek and Finnish form of Hera, meaning…
Eilidh
Gaelic form of Eleanor
Long popular in Scotland, this attractive name is strictly-speaking the Gaelic version of Eleanor, but is also often considered part of the Helen family of names. After the Normans introduced it into…
Hester
Medieval variation of Esther, Persian
"star"
The disgraced heroine of The Scarlet Letter 's name, after long neglect, just might have a chance at revival, following in the wake of sister-name Esther. We've characterized her elsewhere as an…
Annabel
Scottish variation of Amabel
"loving"
Annabel is a spirited name that embodies quirky British gentility. Appearing in Scotland as early as the twelfth century, where it was a royal name, it also recalls the romantic Edgar Allan Poe poem…
Arietta
Compound name, variation of Harriet
"little song; little lion; home ruler"
A name that is either inspired by the classic Harriet (and by the character Arrietty in The Borrowers ), or, a compound name, merging Aria and Ari with Etta, to generate the meanings "little song" or…
Cecily
Feminine variation of Cecil
"blind"
Cecily is as dainty as a lace handkerchief. Cecily has a wide assortment of namesakes. One Cecily was the mother of King Richard III, whose beauty gained her the title "the Rose of Raby," Cecily…
Chiara
Italian
"light, clear"
Chiara is a lovely and romantic Italian name that's familiar but not widely used here: a real winner. You might consider Chiara instead of Claire, Clara, Cara, or even Keira. Santa Chiara, Aglicized…
Chiyo
Japanese
"thousand generations"
The childhood name of the heroine of Memoirs of a Geisha is pretty and accessible. Chiyiko is a pet form.
Elinor
Spelling variation of Eleanor, English, French
A sleek, literary alternative to Eleanor, this stripped back form of Eleanor is a well-established spelling. It notably appears in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility , borne by Elinor Dashwood,…
Florianne
Fiera
Fiorella
Italian
"little flower"
Not only are individual flower names more popular (and out-there) than ever, but so too are the more generic names like Florence and Flora. While brother name Fiorello became known via long-term New…
Fianna
Irish
"band of warriors"
Fianna, a virtually unknown Irish name in the US, combines the best elements of Fiona and Brianna. In Irish and Scottish mythology, the Fianna were independent bands of warriors. It has ranked in…
Gisella
Italian form of Giselle, French, German
"pledge, hostage"
A bright, musical name, Gisella is the Italian form of the French Giselle. With its zippy "Zella" sound and potential nickname Gigi too, it could make an underused and appealing choice. Associated…
Jael
Hebrew
"mountain goat"
This attractive Old Testament option is the name of a place in northern Israel.
Lotte
German, Scandinavian diminutive of Charlotte
"free man"
Lotte is a short form of Charlotte and a name used in its own right in Scandinavia as well as Dutch- and German-speaking countries. It’s unlikely to catch on in the US, where even Lottie hasn’t…
Liesel
German diminutive of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Sweet but sleek, and distinctive, Liesel is an old German nickname-name for Elisabeth. It might have once seemed inextricably tied to to its country of origin, but now, like Elsa, Enzo, Saoirse,…
Linnea
Swedish
"twinflower, lime tree"
Linnea is an attractive Scandinavian name that derives from the renowned 18th century Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, who developed the Linnean system of classifying plants and animals. Linnea is…