lavenderwitch's list "Cottage Garden Girl" of 20 great name ideas: Laurel - Winifred!

Cottage Garden Girl

Names in this category are cottage gardeners and small-town florists, homebodies and hedgewitches, beekeepers and flower fairies, lovers and dreamers. Colors and textures are rose and lilac, berry and plum, spring green and sunny gold; cottage eaves dripping with fragrant wisteria; spontaneous tea parties using mismatched china; patchwork paths wreathed in clusters of phlox and thyme; volumes of poetry bookmarked by pressed flowers; a clutch of fuzzy yellow chicks carried in a calico apron; hidden doors to secret gardens opened by intricate skeleton keys; cozy sweaters with pockets full of wildflowers; lazy picnics in the sun featuring delicate pastries and lavender lemonade; soft linen dresses patterned with dainty vintage florals; fat bumblebees drifting along a honeysuckle-scented breeze. 

Laurel takes Laura back to its meaning in nature, resulting in a gentle, botanical option. Even more directly than Laura, Laurel relates back to the laurel wreath signifying success and peace in ancient Greece and Rome.
 Sweet Laurel has been the unlikely name of two DC Comics superheroes—Laurel Kent and Laurel Gand, aka Andromeda.
 Laurel received its highest ranking in 1956, when it reached Number 241. It may be due for a resurgence, thanks to the trend for <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/l">girls' names starting with L</a>. Beware though, that it has the likelihood of being mistaken for Laura and Lauren.

Laurel

Magical and earthy, sophisticated but off-beat, Persephone appears as the daughter of Zeus by Demeter in Greek mythology. After she was kidnapped by Hades to be Queen of the Underworld, it was decreed by Zeus that she would spend six months of the year with her mother, allowing crops to grow, and six in mourning, thus accounting for the change of seasons. As such, she is both the goddess of the Underworld and of Spring. 
 
While some may find the mythological connects murky and unfavorable, Persephone has a light and lyrical aura, along with pleasant associations with springtime and the harvest. Persephone was seen in the Matrix movies, played by Monica Bellucci, and could make an interesting replacement for the overused Stephanie or vintage Penelope. 
 Persephone's meaning is in dispute: While some sources give it as the worrisome "bringing death," others indicate that's it's associated with shades of dark blue or with speaking. Persephone was called Kore in childhood while in Roman mythology, she is Proserpina.
 Persephone is popular on Nameberry, ranking in the Top 100, while in the real world, it has featured in the UK Top 1000 since 2013 and in a recent count, ranked at #520 alongside Gaia, Fleur, Bobbie, Soraya, and Iona. In the US, it made its debut on the charts in 2019 and has since risen to the Top 800 where it ranks next to Ramona, Lacey, Valery, and Kenzie.

Persephone

Like Peggy and Patsy, Penny is a peppy vintage nickname that fell out of favor (and the Top 1000) for a while, but has recently rebounded by reentering the charts in 2013. Expect it to continue gaining traction on the heels of Penelope.
 
A Top 200 choice in England and Wales, Penny could be considered a word name, as in the copper coin used in England and the US, and as a musical choice, thanks to The Beatles song, Penny Lane.

Penny

Pearl, like Ruby, has begun to be polished up for a new generation of fashionable children after a century of jewelry box storage. The birthstone for the month of June, Pearl could also make a fresher middle name alternative to the overused Rose. Cool couple Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson named their daughter Pearl Minnie, followed by Jack Osbourne picking Pearl Clementine. Several celebs have put it in the middle spot, as in Busy Philipps's Cricket Pearl, Jake Owen's Olive Pearl and Caleb Followill's Dixie Pearl .
After being a Top 25 name in the late nineteenth century, Pearl went into a long slide, but is showing signs of a strong comeback -- it reentered the Top 1000 in 2010.
 In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is the illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne, who gives her the name because she is 'her mother's only treasure.'
 Pearl was also the alter ego name of Janis Joplin, tied to singer Pearl Bailey, and---hmm--the birth name of western writer Zane Gray.
 Variations are PERLE and PERLA.

Pearl

Luella is a sleeker spelling variant of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' name</a> Louella and is now more popular than the original. Sweet, but lively, it was a popular name in the the early 19th century, but fell out of favor in the 50s. Now, after a 60 year absence, it's back in the charts, in the US and the UK. 
 
A smoosh name that combines Lou- from Louisa with the popular ending -ella, the name could have some lofty meanings such as 'battle famous fairy maiden", "goddess of battle", "she who is glorious in war" or "renowned warrior of light", depending on which etymological root you follow. 
 
The blend of classic sounds in Luella come together to make a name that feels stylish and fresh but also vintage. Given to just under 300 girls each year, it could also work as an alternative for the popular Eloise.

Luella

A beautiful modern Cornish nature name that is rapidly picking up steam in the States: even spawning variant spellings like Elowyn and Elowynn. In its native region, it wasn't widely used as a name before the twentieth century, when the Cornish language was revived. A fresh and magical member of the fashionable El- family of names, it has a pleasant, evocative sound.

The traditional Cornish pronunciation is with stress on the middle syllable: eh-LOW-en. But most English speakers seem to pronounce it with first-syllable stress, perhaps on the example of more familiar names like Eleanor and Elodie.

 
Elowen has been in the Top 1000 in the UK since 2017 and is the preferred spelling there, while in the US, Elowyn is the favorite, currently in the Top 500. Elowen is also gaining attention however, and entered the Top 1000 in 2024 when it was chosen for 294 babies.

Elowen

Though it sounds like a chopped-off variation of Olivia, which means olive, the distinctively attractive Livia has been an independent name since the days of the ancient Romans, when it belonged to Livia Drusilla—the powerful wife of the Emperor Augustus—and is still commonly heard in modern Italy. 
 Livia was a literary favorite from the sixteenth century, appearing in the plays of John Fletcher and Thomas Middleton, and playing a minor role in Romeo and Juliet. Anna Livia Plurabelle is the name of a character in James Joyce's Finnegans Wake.
 Livia entered the US Top 1000 in 2004 but unlike its popular sister Olivia, it's never risen that high in the ranks. But Livia is a Top 100 girls' name in many other countries, including France, the Netherlands, Brazil, Sweden, Switzerland, and Austria.

Livia

Amelia meets Emily, gets a Bohemian spin and a French accent when it becomes Amelie. This favorite among <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/497/french-names-for-girls">French girl names</a> has been gaining notice here thanks to the charming 2001 French film Amelie and because of its similarity to the other popular choices, like the aforementioned Amelia and Emily, but also Aimee, Amber, Amari, and Allie. It entered the American popularity list in 2002 and is now solidly established in the latter end of the Top 1000. 
 
Despite their similarities, Amelie and Emily have different roots and meanings. The former is taken from the the Germanic element, amal, meaning "work, vigorous, unceasing", while the latter comes from the Latin aemulus meaning "rival". Neither are related to Emma (from the Germanic irmin meaning "whole") or Aimee (from the French Amée meaning "beloved") either. 
 Typically spelled as Amélie in France and Belgium, it's also popular in Austria, England and Wales, Australia, Italy, Czechia, the Netherlands and Switzerland. It would be pronounced as AH-MEH-LEE in French, AH-meh-lee in German, and A-muh-lee in English.
 Probably inspired by the name of French King Louis Philippe's consort Marie-Amelie, Balzac used the name for two of his prominent characters.

Amelie

Honey entered the US Top 1000 for the first time ever in 2024, following the lead of parents in England, who've elevated this nickname-name to the Top 300 girls' names in the UK. Honey's popularity in the UK can be credited to its status as a cute British celebrity baby name, used by actress Kate Winslet, chef Jamie Oliver, and TV presenter Fearne Cotton, among others.
 
More broadly, Honey's spike in popularity may have been inspired by the release of the 2022 film adaptation of Matilda the Musical, which, like the enduring novel it's based on, features the kind, compassionate teacher, Miss. Honey. Alternatively, nickname-names were just big in 2024, with Scottie, Billie, Lettie, and Indy also climbing the charts.
 
If you find this name super sweet, but worry about its use as a (sometimes condescending) term of endearment, you could consider Honora, Henrietta, Helen, Hermione, or Holland with the nickname Honey instead.

Honey

Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from plants native to India, is particularly striking for both girls and boys. Indigo is the name of a character in the Ntozake Shange novel Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, and was used for his daughter by Lou Diamond Phillips.
 Some cultural references: The Indigo Girls are a folk duo, 'Mood Indigo' is a classic Duke Ellington jazz composition, and there is a 1970's New Age theory that Indigo children possess special, sometimes supernatural abilities.

Indigo

A favorite in England and Wales, Darcy is a unisex option with delicacy, grace, and strength. Associated with classic literary and courtesy thanks to Jane Austen's hero, Mr. Darcy, and Bridget Jones's Mark Darcy, its image was partly transformed by English ballerina Darcey Bussell, who helped popularize it for girls.
 
A name with multiple meanings, Darcy can be considered an anglicization of either d'Arcy, a French name associated with the town of Arcy, or of O'Dorchaidhe, an Irish surname meaning "dark one". It can also be spelled as Darcey, Darcie, and Darci too, all of which have featured in the England and Wales Top 1000 at least once since the 90s.
 
Darcie is currently the most popular spelling in the UK, appearing in the Top 100, while Darcy ranks in the Top 150 and Darcey in the Top #400. There's also Darcie-Mae in the latter half of the charts, along with Darcie-Rae, Darcie-Leigh, Darcie-Anne, Darcie-Rose, and Darcia which are all given to a handful of girls each year. 
 
In Australia, Darcy leans masculine and frequently appears in the Top 100 for boys, while in the US, Darcy recently re-entered the popularity characts girls after a 30 year absence.
 
Notable Darcys include the character Darcy Olsson of the TV show and graphic novel series, Heartstopper, the actress Darcy Rose Byrnes, and young social media star, Darcy Jane Pentland.

Darcy

Lilia is pretty double L name that makes for sparkly, floral choice with plenty of international flair. More distinctive that Lily, less popular than Liliana, Lia, and Lilian, Lilia was a new entry to the US Top 1000 in 2023.
 
A truly cross-cultural choice, the lilting Lilia is heard among the Russian, Spanish, Hebrew, and Hawaiian communities and currently ranks in the UK, France, Poland, and Brazil. It has a number of spelling variations too, including Liliya, Lilya, and Lilja, meaning it ranks in Iceland and Finland too. 
 Notable namesakes include Lilia Skala, an Austrian-born Oscar-nominated actress, Lilia Podkopayeva, a Ukrainian gymnast; Lilia Buckingham, a dancer and actress; Lilia Stepanova, a Moldovian contortionist; and Lilia Esquilin, of Youtube fame.
 
Given to 288 babies in the US in 2024, Lilia is a lively and lovely spin on popular Lily.

Lilia

Eleanor is back, Nora is back, and, as predicted, Eleanora is back too. 
 Having left the charts in the 1930s, this elaboration of Eleanor has returned and blends the elements of its two more popular sisters into one elegant, grand, and sophisticated sounding choice. 
 
Given to around 300 babies in the US in a recent year, the addition of that final vowel gives Eleanor a little flip at the end, making it more Latinate and poetic, while still sounding perfectly familiar and grounded. The name also ranks in the UK where it recently made its Top 1000 debut. 
 
If you love the idea of this but don't want her to become just another Nora or another Ellie, you could consider Leonor or Lenore too.

Eleanora

The quality of mercy makes this lovely Puritan virtue name a quiet favorite today. Although it was most popular in the late nineteenth century, Mercy is on its way to a comeback -- it rose 143 spots between 2012 and 2013, making it one of the year's fastest-rising names. Right now, it's still stylish and distinctive, a rare and wonderful combination.
 Mercy is one of the characters with allegorical names in John Bunyan's A Pilgrim's Progress, and Mercy Pecksniff appears in Dickens's novel Martin Chuzzlewit with the nickname Merry. Mercy Lewis, in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, was based on a real-life person, a witness at the Salem witch trials. Another historic Mercy is Mercy Warren, Revolutionary period patriot and writer of plays, books and poetry.
 Comic/sidekick Andy Richter, when he named his daughter Mercy, joked, "Just in case Puritanism comes back, we'll be ready with a real Puritan name"; Madonna renamed her Malawi-born daughter Mercy James. As a word name and modern virtue name, it's one of the most fashionable <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/501/english-names-for-girls">English names for girls</a>.

Mercy

Deriving from "Lilian", as an elaborate form of the flower name, "Lily", Lilianna is a clean and polished spelling for those wanting the pronunciation Lily-Ann-uh. 
While the Spanish-influenced spelling "Liliana" ranks higher on the charts, it would likely be pronounced Lily-ahn-uh, so if the smoosh-name-feel and distinctive 'A' sound is your preference, then this is a good option for you. A notable namesake is Lilianna Walczak, a Polish gymnast.

Lilianna

Guinevere was the name of the beautiful but ill-fated queen of Camelot, for so many years eclipsed by its modern Cornish form Jennifer. Today, Guinevere could be a cool possibility for adventurous parents intrigued by this richly evocative and romantic choice.
 Guinevere shares the attractive short form Gwyn with Gwyneth. Other cousin ideas: Gwendolen, Genevieve, Jenna, or Gwen.

Guinevere

A beautiful Hebrew name that would work perfectly for a child today.

Liora

Greta is an Old World name long tied to the iconic Garbo, but now synonymous with environmental activism.
 In the early 2000s, Greta was showing signs of a comeback, along with other Old Hollywood glamour names. It was even chosen by David Caruso and by Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline for their daughters. Then in 2018, Swedish teen Greta Thunberg became very famous, very fast, for her anti-climate-change protests. Since then, it seems that the name is too tied to one figure for most parents' tastes... which is a shame.
 Greta is currently popular in Germany, Hungary, and especially Italy. Dr. Greta Guttman was a character on Mad Men, Greta Van Susteren is a familiar face on TV, and Greta Gerwig is an up-and-coming young actress and director.
 Greta returned to the Top 1000 in 1999, and rose as high as the 500s, before swiftly plummeting in Thunberg's early years of public activism. The name's highest point ever was at Number 318 in 1932, at the peak of Garbo's career, the year she starred in Grand Hotel and one year after she was Oscar-nominated for Anna Christie. 
 Greta should be a sweet spot name — sophisticated with a touch of retro glamour — and a hero name, and we hope it will regain some of its former glory. On the other hand, variant Gretel is still out strewing crumbs in the forest with brother Hansel.

Greta

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 in 2014 for the first time ever. While it is genuinely an old name, it was rarely used a century ago; only 17 baby girls were named Emmeline in 1915, the same number as were named Ernie!
 A popular medieval name, Emmeline was introduced to Britain by the Normans. It appeared as a character in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and is famous in Britain as the name of the illustrious suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst. Way back in 1980, it was the name of young Brooke Shields's innocent character in The Blue Lagoon. More recently, Emmeline Vance was a witch in the Harry Potter series.
 Christian Bale has a daughter named Emmeline.

Emmeline

One of the few remaining unrestored vintage gems, with a choice of two winning nicknames--the girlish Winnie and the tomboyish Freddie. Winifred, the name of a legendary Welsh saint, was a Top 200 name into the mid-1920's.
 Winifred was one of the Forsytes in The Forsyte Saga, Winifred Foster was the heroine of Tuck Everlasting, and another appeared in Joss Wheden's Angel; in Once Upon a Mattress, Princess Winnifred (two n's) sings the song 'A Girl Named Fred'. The Disney folks seem to have been fond of the name--they used it in Jungle Book, Mary Poppins and Hocus Pocus. 
 Actress Jacqueline Bisset was born a Winifred and notable Winnies include Mrs. Mandela and the young girlfriend on The Wonder Years. Formerly considered old and fusty, Winifred is back in and was featured in the US Top 1000 in 2023.