pretty names

Saoirse

Irish

"liberty"

Before the young Irish actress Saoirse Ronan made her mark in the films Ladybird and The Lovely Bones , few of us had heard this name, let alone known how to pronounce it. But now it is slowly way…

Nela

Variation of Nell or short form of Cornelia or any name ending in -nela

Nela is a pretty if slight name that ranks among the Top 1000 for girls in the UK. It is commonly used throughout Europe as a short form for any range of names ending in -nela including Cornelia and…

Annalee

Combination of Anna and Lee

"grace; pasture"

A compound name with an old-fashioned ring. It only first appeared on the US Top 1000 in 2012. Annalie is a somewhat different name that is nevertheless pronounced the same.

Cicely

English variation of Cecilia

"blind"

This frilly Victorian name is a variant of Cecilia and Cecily, with which it might well be confused. Cicely was a surprise choice for comedienne Sandra Bernhard. Literary Cicelys can be found in Sir…

Cindy

English diminutive of Cynthia, Greek, or Lucinda, Spanish and Portuguese

"moon goddess, woman from Kynthos; "

Cindy as a name in its own right made it into the Top 20 in 1957 and remained a Top 200 girls' name until the end of the 20th century. Although it's fallen precipitously since then and left the Top…

Cynthia

Greek

"moon goddess; woman from Kynthos"

Sleek and serious, yet bright and energetic at the same time, Cynthia appears in classic mythology as an epithet for Artemis or Diana. While it is now a more neglected choice, it was once hugely…

Sindy

Sindy is a feminine name that emerged as a variant spelling of Cindy, which itself is a diminutive of Cynthia. Originating from the Greek name Kynthia, it relates to Mount Kynthos on the island of…

Barbie

English diminutive of Barbara, Greek

"foreign woman"

Despite the voluptuous doll's various career choices, from astronaut to doctor, her name still remains a euphemism for "bimbo".

Jennie

Diminutive of Janet, Jane, Jean, and Jennifer

Long before the Jennifer Era, Jennie was a fashionable pet form of several names, and was also used independently -- in 1875 it was in the Top 20. Jennie was replaced by the Jenny spelling in the…

Lace

English word name

Lace is a delicate feminine name derived from the English word for the ornate fabric made from intricately looped threads. As a given name, it emerged primarily in the late 20th century when word…

Narnia

Literary place-name

This Latin-sounding place-name, created by C. S. Lewis for his Chronicles , will undoubtedly be adopted by a few admiring parents.

Bernice

Greek

"she who brings victory"

Rarely heard today-- it fell off the list around 1980--Bernice is a biblical name of Greek origin. In the Bible, she is a sister of King Agrippa. Bernice was a Top 100 name in the US for more than…

Doris

Greek

"gift of the ocean"

Doris had long been on our so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out-for-babies list, and seemed to be written there in indelible ink. But there are signs of a sea change, that Doris could profit from the…

Felicia

Latin

"lucky"

A lacy, lucky name very popular in the Hispanic community a decade ago, less so now.

Carol

English, feminine variation of Charles

"free man"

A Caroline abbreviation that was wildly popular with Mom's generation...or Grandma's. At one time it was a name for baby girls born at Christmas . because of its association with Christmas carols.…

Lindsay

English surname

"marshlands of Lincolnshire"

In the early eighties, Lindsay, in tandem with Courtney, approached the Top 10. Lindsey is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the ey…

Lyndsey

See LINDSEY.