Favorite Girls' Names

Amelia

German

"work"

Amelia is one of the hottest girls' names , a successor to the megapopular Emma and Emily. Amelia, the Number 2 choice in England, is now also comfortably ensconced in the US Top 10, where it ranked…

Violet

English from Latin

"purple"

Violet is soft and sweet, yet with a vivacious edge. Today, Violet is the top flower name for girls, outranking Lily and Iris in the Top 100, and the most popular color name for girls, pulling ahead…

Victoria

Latin

"victory"

Victoria is the Latin word for "victory" and a feminine form of Victor. It is the name of the ancient Roman goddess of victory, the equivalent of the Greek Nike, and also a popular third century…

Vivian

Latin

"life"

Vivian, once an elderly lady name, is on the rise, along with all forms of girl names that mean life — from Zoe to Eva to those who share the vivid Viv syllable. It was one of the fastest-rising…

Lucia

Italian and Spanish variation of Lucius, Latin

"light"

Lucia is a lush, rich Latinate equivalent of Lucy, popular in Spain and throughout Latin America and also a cross-cultural favorite. You might be surprised to know that Lucia has ALWAYS ranked among…

Juniper

Latin tree name

"young"

Juniper is a fresh-feeling nature name -- it's a small evergreen shrub -- with lots of energy. A new favorite of fashionable parents, Juniper joins such other tree and shrub names as Hazel, Acacia,…

Margot

French, diminutive of Margaret

"pearl"

Margot is suddenly a star again. After a nearly-half century absence, it hopped back on the Top 1000 list in 2013 and is on the rise. The Margot spelling is now given to three times as many baby…

Rowan

Scottish and Irish

"rowan tree; little redhead"

Stylish, gentle, and rustic at the same time, Rowan is a name that falls into various categories. Unisex and cool, mystical and woodsy, with the feel of both Rose and Riley, Rowan is a fresh but…

Veronica

Latin

"she who brings victory; true image"

The name Veronica projects a triple-threat image: at once saintly, sensuous, and strong. The name derives from Berenice, the Latin form of the Greek name Berenike "she who brings victory", with the…

Mae

Diminutive of Mary or Margaret, Hebrew, Latin

"beloved, bitter, drop of the sea; pearl"

Mae, a sweet and springlike old-fashioned name, hadn't been on the national charts in forty years, but finally made it back in 2010. Mae is derived from May, the month name that was chosen for its…

Hadassah

Hebrew

"myrtle tree"

This Hebrew name of Queen Esther is well used in Israel (especially for girls born around the holiday of Purim), and in the US is the name of a Zionist women's philanthropic organization. Formerly…

Petra

Greek

"rock, stone"

A strong Greek name with pan-European charm, Petra is a relatively recent feminization of Peter, though it relates back to an incredible ancient city in Jordan that was rediscovered in the early…

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…

Yael

Hebrew

"ibex"

Yael is an Old Testament name often heard in Israel that could work well here: just remember that it's pronounced with two syllables...it is also spelled Ya'el. In the Bible she was a Kenite woman in…

Ayelet

Hebrew

"deer, gazelle"

Ayelet is an unusual -- and somewhat challenging -- Israeli name familiar thanks to sometimes controversial Jerusalem-born novelist-essayist Ayelet Waldman. Well used in Israel, the name was taken…

Halina

Polish; Belarusian, from Greek

"calm, healer"

This sweet Polish & Belarusian form of Galina has a serene meaning and comes with the cute nickname Hallie. Very usable internationally even outside of the Slavic countries.

Vita

Latin

"life"

Vital and vivacious, Vita is stirring back to life along with many of her V-themed sisters -- Vivian, Vivica -- and is becoming a new celebrity baby favorite. Vita Sackville-West was a British author…

Anaise

Variation of Anais

Anais, the name forever attached to the daring French-born American novelist and diarist Anais Nin, is unusual and French enough without appending an e, though some may think it clarifies…

Agata

Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Slovene, Russian, Croatian, Serbian variation of Agatha

Agata is an Agatha form widely used throughout Europe. And the hard t may be more appealing to your ear than the th sound.

Gracia

Spanish variation of Grace

Although Gracia is the literal Spanish translation of Grace and is used as the Grace equivalent in Spanish-speaking countries, where it's pronounced grah-see-ah or grah-thee-ah, it's also a long-time…