User-created list
By augusta_lee · Updated May 2023
Across 62 pages
of 62
Welsh
"bird"
This 1950s Welsh bird name sounds less dated than our fifties Robin.
Hindi-Sanskrit
"mother or legendary bird"
Delicate and lacy, with less emphasis on the jar syllable.
Hawaiian
"a bird"
Pacific island member of the currently-in-favor Lila/Leila family and one of the most attractive and unique girls' names starting with P .
Hebrew
"sigh, breath"
This feminine form of Abel is also a flower name and makes a distinctive alternative to the widely used Abigail. There is a similar name, Adelia, that is beginning to be rediscovered thanks to the…
Portuguese
"bay"
This possible word name, which rhymes with Maia, makes an even more distinctive alternative.
Audrea is a feminine name that functions as a variant spelling of Audrey, which derives from the Anglo-Saxon name Æðelþryð, meaning 'noble strength.' This alternative spelling maintains the…
French female form of Leontios, Greek
"lion"
Leontine is the French form of a name that's more familiar by its spelling variation Leontyne, the name made famous by opera diva Price. An obscure choice, Leontine nevertheless feels right for our…
Variation of Sybil or Sibyl
"seer, oracle"
The lovely Sybella is being nudged into the spotlight by two influences: the original Sybil (the most popular spelling) or Sibyl, name of the beauteous youngest sister of television's period megahit…
Variation of Briana, English
"strong, virtuous and honorable"
Briona is another of the increasingly popular Bri picks, a cross between Briana and Briony.
Diminuitve of Carol or Caroline, English, French ,"free man"
"free man"
Upper-crusty nickname occasionally used in Britain, particularly in 1930s novels featuring significant garden party scenes, but eclipsed here by Carrie et al.
French
"song"
Vocal name seldom heard, with most elle-ending names these days dropped in favor of the more straightforward Elle and Ella.
Willabelle is a charming feminine name combining the Germanic element 'wil' (meaning will or desire) with the French-derived suffix 'belle' (beautiful). This compound construction emerged primarily…
Welsh, river name
The striking name of a Welsh river, Eleri feels as mystical as it does modern. A recent year saw it feature in the England and Wales Top 1000, with 49 babies given the name: of them, 29 were born in…
English combination of Emma + Beth
"universal + pledged to God"
South African-raised actress Embeth Davidtz added this unique smooth name to the mix. Perfect if you can't decide between Emma and Elizabeth and more unusual than Annabeth.
Italian, musical term
Cadenza takes the popular CADENCE and gives it a more operatic flourish.
Latin, Cornish
"better; honey"
Unusual and lush Roman name adopted, improbably, by the Puritans. The Cornish version, pronounced mel-YOHR-ah, has been in use since the 13th century.
Italian, Greek
"hyacinth"
Flora and operatic in style, Giacinta comes from the Greek Hyacinthus, itself derived from the name of the purple hyacinth flower. The Italian relative of Spanish Jacinta, Giacinta is also the name…
Greek
"divine flower"
Diantha, a mythological flower of the supreme Greek god Zeus, is a melodious and more unusual cousin of Diana, heard most often in The Netherlands. Some similar choices: Diandra and Dianthe.
Kaska is a feminine name with origins that may be linked to Eastern European or Slavic languages. It could be a variant of the Polish name Kasia, which is a diminutive of Katherine, meaning 'pure.'…
French variation of Isabelle
A trendy name in France, sometimes also spelled Ysaline, that's related to both Isabelle and Iseult. To the American ear, it freshens up Isabelle without really improving on it.
