pretty names

Nola

Gaelic

"white shoulder"

Nola, a name with a sleek, enigmatic quality, was used for the much-pursued heroine of Spike Lee's 1986 breakout film, She's Gotta Have It , and again by Woody Allen in Match Point . It's a short…

Erin

Irish

"from the island to the west"

First-wave Irish name and place name—the poetic name for Ireland—now supplanted by newer alternatives such as Maeve and Delaney.

Tara

Irish, Sanskrit

"elevated place, sacred place; star"

A multicultural choice steeped in mythology, Tara was popular in the US back in the 70s and 80s, likely owing to its appearance in the novel and subsequent movie, Gone with the Wind , in which it's…

Julie

French from Latin

"youthful, sky father"

Wildly popular in the 1960s and '70s, Julie is no longer anywhere near as stylish as the name's longer forms. Try Juliet, Juliana, or even the more grownup Julia. Julia and Julie derive from Julius,…

Linda

Spanish, Portuguese and Italian

"pretty"

Linda will live forever in baby name history for toppling Mary from its four hundred year reign as Number 1. Queen of Names in 1947, Linda has fallen even further in favor than Mary today. Still,…

Nancy

English diminutive of Ann or Agnes, Hebrew or Greek

"grace or pure"

To some, Nancy is a sweet, sparkly, vintage choice with plenty of energy and style. For it strays too much into '"old-lady" territory to be cool again yet. It's out of fashion in France, New Zealand,…

Barbara

Greek

"foreign woman"

Barbara is back and among the fastest-rising names of recent years! Credit goes to 2023's breakout movie Barbie , which gave a new stylish feel to the classic Barbara and set it up to rank alongside…

Lisa

English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian

"pledged to God"

Elvis naming his daughter Lisa Marie and Nat King Cole's hit song "Mona Lisa" conspired to catapult one of Elizabeth's many offshoots to a high of #4 in 1970. It has largely fallen from favor in the…

Pam

Diminutive of Pamela, English

"all honey"

This mild-mannered short form was Queen of the Prom in the fifties and sixties, but today is mostly heard on TV's The Office (and of course as one of the founders of Nameberry). While about 100 baby…

Cami

Cami is a feminine name that functions both as a standalone name and as a diminutive of names like Camille, Camila, or Cameron. With Latin roots, it relates to 'ceremonial attendant' through its…

Porter

English from French occupational name

"doorkeeper or carrier"

Porter is one clubby surname or occupational that was given to around 80 baby girls in the US last year -- and nearly 600 baby boys. Porter has an 80s WASP-y Ralph Lauren feel, buttoned-up and old…

Eimear

Irish Gaelic

"swift"

Popular in Ireland but less familiar elsewhere, Eimear is a mythological choice, which some may see as a fresh alternative to Emma. In Irish legend, Eimear was the wife of the warrior hero…

Shannon

Irish

"old and wise"

Irish place-name -- it's a river, a town, and an airport -- once popular but now supplanted by such newer immigrants as Saoirse and Seanan.

Cissy

Cissy is a feminine diminutive that traditionally serves as a nickname for names like Cecilia, Cecily, or Priscilla. Derived from the Latin 'caecus' meaning 'blind,' its root names were popularized…

Sister

English

"a female who has one or both parents in common with another"

Sister is an old-timey nickname-name for girls, ranking in the Top 1000 as a proper name for girls until the beginning of the 20th century. But more often, Sister was used as a nickname in the truest…

Nessa

Scandinavian

"headlands, promontory"

Like its cousin Tessa, Nessa -- a shortening of Vanessa or Agnes or Anastasia among other possibilities -- is an attractive nickname that can stand on its own.

Niamh

Irish Gaelic

"bright"

Niamh, derived from the Old Irish Niam, is an ancient Irish name that was originally a term for a goddess. In Irish myth, one who bore it was Niamh of the Golden Hair, daughter of the sea god, who…

Lavender

English color and flower name

"purple flower"

Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names…