Winter 2013 anthro names

Penelope

Greek

"weaver"

As elegant and refined as it is sweet and energized., Penelope has been well and truly revived in the 21st-century. Off the Top 1000 for 25 years, Penelope jumped back on in 2001 and has been heading…

Athena

Greek

"from Athens"

Magical and distinctive but grounded and familiar too, it's no surprise that Athena has become one of the most widely used ancient goddess names in the contemporary Western world. Derived from the…

Lilian

Alternate spelling of Lillian, English

"lily; pledged to God"

Lilian is the far less popular than the 'Lillian' spelling. To avoid a lifetime of mistakes and misspellings, we suggest you go with the Lillian spelling, which also looks more polished on paper.…

Eileen

Anglicization of Eibhlín, Irish, German

"desired; or water, island"

The Gaelic Eileen was a mid-century darling that was on a long downward slide for decades. And then, in 2012, it took an unexpected pivot and has been inching upward in the US, perhaps inspired by…

Ramona

Spanish, feminine variation of Ramon

"wise protector"

Ramona is a sweet spot name – neither too trendy nor too eccentric. Kids will associate it with the clever Ramona Quimby character in the series of books by Beverly Cleary, also seen on TV. It was…

Quincy

French from Latin

"estate of the fifth son"

Quincy is a Presidential surname name that actually sounds both cute and strong when used for a girl. For the first time ever, Quincy joined the Top 1000 roster for girls in 2023, given to over 250…

Agnes

Greek

"pure, virginal"

Agnes is the Latin variation of the name Hagne, which itself derived from the Greek word hagnos , meaning "chaste." In medieval times, St. Agnes was a very popular saint, leading to its popularity as…

Rosalyn

Variation of Rosalind

True Blood may be the reason that variation Rosalyn has retained some popularity while the original Rosalind still languishes. Moderately popular in the middle of the last century, Rosalyn may…

Ines

Italian, Portuguese, Slovene and Croatian variation of Agnes

"pure, virginal"

This form of Agnes, Ines has always been popular since the true story of the thwarted lovers Queen Ines of Castro and King Peter of Portugal. This has to be one of the most heartbreaking and bloody…

Tabitha

Aramaic

"gazelle"

Though never as popular as the name of her Bewitched mother, Samantha, Tabitha has its own quirky, magical charm. The name of a charitable woman who was restored to life by Saint Peter in the Bible,…

Janie

Diminutive of Jane, English

"God is gracious"

Will this old-fashioned nickname make a comeback, now that Jane has shed her "plain" image? Janie is cute and approachable, and would stand as well on the birth certificate as Josie and Jessie do…

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…

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…

Naima

Arabic, Scandinavian variation of Naema

"tranquil; pleasantness"

As an Arabic name, the normal transcription is Na'ima, with an apostrophe. It was a Top 200 name in France in the 1970s and '80s, and ranked in the US Top 1000 from 2005 to 2008. Naima can also be a…

Marnie

English

"of the sea"

A retro short form of Marina, dated to the era of the Hitchcock movie that made it famous, Marnie is beginning to feel fresh again — or rather, it is in the UK. Appearing in the Top 100 there in a…

Maritza

Spanish diminutive of Maria

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

Used especially in Latin America, this would make a funky spin on Maria. The meaning of Maria is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea");…

Lora

Spelling variation of Laura, Latin

"from Laurentum or bay laurel"

A succinct and stripped back form of Laura, that also doubles up as a Portuguese diminutive of Lorena ("from the kingdom of Lothar") and as a German and Scandinavian short from of Eleanora. In the…

Hilda

German

"battle woman"

Short for Brunhilda, the operatic Valkyrie of Teutonic legend, Hilda still has not quite shaken off that image that image. Though with the resurgence of Matilda, she might just have a bit of a…

Misha

Russian, diminutive of Mikhail

Misha was a boys' name with a soft feminine sound and vowel ending until actress Mischa Barton turned it to the girls' side. Now Misha, like Sasha, works as well in either spelling for girls and…

Rhoda

Greek

"rose"

To those who remember, Rhoda is still reminiscent of the brassy Bronx 1970s sitcom Rhoda Morgenstern. But Rhoda has a much longer history--it is a name that can be found in the New Testament as a…