All-Time Girl Favorites

Azar

Iranian

"fire"

Simple yet unusual (to non-Iranians) is an excellent combination for a name, which the fiery Azar embodies perfectly.

Ciara

Irish

"little dark one"

Ciara is very popular in Ireland, more familiar here as the Anglicized Kiera or Keira. The uninitiated will tend to pronounce Ciara as the Italian Chiara, a form of Claire—kee-AHR-a or even…

Daria

Feminine variation of Darius, Persian or Latin from Greek

"kingly or possess well"

An early Christian martyr, a bespectacled MTV cartoon heroine, and Canadian supermodel Daria Werbowy: Daria is a name that manages to feel contemporary and usable without being exactly stylish. Which…

Dyani

Native American

"deer"

Beautiful Indigenous name connected to visual artist Dyani White Hawk. Dyani was most popular in 2001, when it was given to 73 baby girls.

Evadne

Greek

"pleasing one"

In Greek mythology, Evadne was the daughter of Poseidon. Evadne also appears in literature (Mary Shelley's "The Last Man") and has a pop culture reference as the cousin of Wonder Woman. A more…

Locklyn

Variation of male name Lachlin, Gaelic

"lake land"

This phonetic spelling of a traditional Scottish male name wasn't seen until used by Vince Vaughn for his daughter. As Lachlan becomes more of an established boy's name in the US, more parents are…

January

English month name from Latin

"doorway"

Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name. The first was a character named January Wayne in a bestselling 1973 Jacqueline Susann…

Joss

Diminutive of Jocelyn, German

"member of the Gauts tribe"

Joss is more fashionable than Jocelyn or Josslyn. This is a short form that could be used independently, a la the singer Joss Stone. One of a troupe of adorable boyish nicknames newly fashionable for…

Karys

Karys is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. It may be a modern variation of Karis (derived from the Greek word 'charis' meaning 'grace' or 'kindness') or related to the Welsh name Carys,…

Max

Latin

"greatest"

If Sam can make it as a girl's name, why not Max? Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's eldest daughter Maxima goes by Max, but you could also use it as a short form for Maxine, Maximilienne or even…

Mika

Japanese, Slovene, Hebrew, English, Greek

"beautiful fragrance; who is like God?; follower of Demeter"

Mika is a sparky and stylish Japanese girls' name that translates easily to English. Also used as a Slovene and Hebrew diminutive for Mihaela and Michaela, as an alternative spelling to the Biblical…

November

English word name

"month name"

The menu of usable month names seems to expand every, well, month, with such choices as November, October, and January joining more established names like April, May, June and August. Logical…

Olympia

Greek

"from Mount Olympus"

With its relation to Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods, and to the Olympic games, this name has an athletic, goddess-like aura, making it the perfect Olivia substitute. A well-known art reference…