A Song of Ice and Fire: Female

Names of female characters from George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
  1. Lyra
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "lyre"
    • Description:

      Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's found new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's book series, His Dark Materials and its subsequent movie and TV adaptions. Simple yet starry, Lyra is familiar but not overused in the US, where it ranks in the Top 500.
  2. Mina
    • Origin:

      Hindu equivalent of Pisces or diminutive of Wilhelmina, German
    • Meaning:

      "resolute protection"
    • Description:

      Most famous as a Dracula victim (where Mina is short for Wilhelmina), Mina is a name that can stand on its own or be a diminutive of any name ending in -mina, most usually Wilhelmina.
  3. Leona
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "lioness"
    • Description:

      A strong, grounded choice that still has plenty of energy and charm, Leona is the feminine form of Leon, itself derived from the Greek word for "lion". Associated with courage, leadership, and royalty — and the star sign of July and August — Leona is popular in Croatia and Sweden, but familiar across the US, the UK, and continental Europe.
  4. Alyssa
    • Origin:

      English variation of Alicia
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      Alyssa was in the Top 20 from 1997-2010 and peaked as the 11th most popular girls’ name in 1998 and 1999 but has become less popular in recent years. It's related to the flower alyssum as well as to the classic Alice and variants. Alyssa Milano helped give it a bounce back when she was still a child sitcom star.
  5. Joanna
    • Origin:

      Variation of Johanna
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Joanna derives from the Greek name Ioanna, which in turn came from the Hebrew name Yohannah. It is featured in the New Testament as a woman who accompanied Jesus on his travels and eventually reached saint status. Other names related to Joanna include Joan, Joanne, Johanna, and Jana.
  6. Asha
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit; Swahili
    • Meaning:

      "hope; life"
    • Description:

      Asha is an Indian name that comes from the Sanskrit word for hope or desire, but it is also a Swahili name derived from Aisha, meaning life. Since the ascendance of Ashley through the 1980s and 90s, all baby names Ash-related have been used in the U.S. for both girls and boys, from Ashlyn to Ashby, Ashton to Asher. Despite its separate roots, Asha is part of this group.
  7. Arya
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit; Modern variation of Aria
    • Meaning:

      "noble; air/song"
    • Description:

      Arya was derived from an Indo-Iranian word meaning "Aryan" or "noble." It is a masculine given name in Iran, Indonesia, Bali, and Sanskrit-speaking regions of India. In Hindu- and English-speaking parts of the world, Arya is more often a feminine name, the latter influenced by the similar Italian name Aria, meaning "air" or "song."
  8. Elia
    • Origin:

      Spanish feminization of Elio, Italian and Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "sun"
    • Description:

      Though the most famous Elia, screenwriter Kazan, was male, this name sounds like a spin on many popular girls' names, from Ella to Ellie to Isla and Leah. While the Italian pronunciation has the middle syllable as LEE, making it closer to the original Elijah would give the middle syllable a long I sound — eh-LYE-ah.
  9. Mya
    • Origin:

      Variation of Maia, Maya, or Mia, Greek, Scandinavian, Hebrew, Burmese
    • Meaning:

      "mother; larger, greater; bitter, beloved; emerald"
    • Description:

      This distinctive spelling was popularized by the R&B singer Mya (Harrison) and entered the US Top 100 in 2009 after the singer appeared on Dancing with the Stars. While it has since declined in the US, it remains in the Top 100 in France, the Top 200 in Belgium, and the Top 300 in England and Wales.
  10. Elinor
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Eleanor, English, French
    • Description:

      A sleek, literary alternative to Eleanor, this stripped back form of Eleanor is a well-established spelling. It notably appears in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, borne by Elinor Dashwood, along with George Eliot's Middlemarch and Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind , as a middle name.
  11. Beth
    • Origin:

      English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      The sweetest and most sensitive of the pet names for Elizabeth, now also one of the most dated.
  12. Talla
    • Description:

      Talla is a delicate feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Scottish Gaelic tradition, it may derive from the word meaning 'by the river' or 'peaceful water.' In some African cultures, particularly in East Africa, Talla can be found as both a given name and surname. The name also appears in Sanskrit-derived languages where it can relate to rhythm or musical patterns. Talla has remained uncommon in English-speaking countries, maintaining an air of uniqueness and exotic charm. The name's brevity and melodic quality, with its repeated 'l' sound and open ending, give it a graceful, flowing character that feels both contemporary and timeless, making it appeal to parents seeking something distinctive yet pronounceable.

  13. Melisandre
    • Origin:

      French variation of Millicent, German
    • Meaning:

      "strong in work"
    • Description:

      The romantic fairy tale-like name has come to modern attention via the beautiful but terrifying sorceress in Game of Thrones. The character may look as lovely as her name sounds, but it's hard to imagine a parent familiar with the book wanting to use the name for their child. Two alternate directions: Millicent or Melisande.
  14. Alys
    • Origin:

      Welsh form of Alice, German
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      Popular in Wales, familiar across the UK, and ultimately derived from the Germanic Adalheidis, this isn't a creative respelling of a classic, but the Welsh variant of it.
  15. Arianne
    • Origin:

      French, from Latin Ariadne
    • Meaning:

      "very holy one"
    • Description:

      Soft and delicate French name rarely heard here.
  16. Janna
    • Origin:

      Dutch contraction of Johanna
    • Description:

      Could run into pronunciation confusion.
  17. Daenerys
    • Origin:

      Literary name
    • Description:

      Daenerys is yet another girls' name invented by "Game of Thrones" author George R. R. Martin that is beginning to gain some traction in real life. Daenerys was used for 67 baby girls in 2013 while one of the character's titles, Khaleesi, was given to 241 baby girls. And the name Arya, also from the hyper-popular series, is one of the fastest growing girls' names in the country.
  18. Meera
    • Origin:

      Hindi, Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "light, saintly woman; prosperous"
    • Description:

      Meera Bai, also spelled Mirabai, was a great female Hindu mystical poet whose works are popular throughout India. She was a fifteenth-sixteenth century Indian princess who devoted her life to writing paeans of devotion to the god Krishna.

      The story of Meera was the basis of an eponymous Indian historical drama television series in 2009. It's also gotten a boost from HBO's Game of Thrones, in which Meera Reed is a tough, wise character who cares for the disabled seer Bran Stark once he flees Winterfell.

  19. Myrcella
    • Origin:

      Variant of Marcella
    • Description:

      One of the many faux-Medieval names invented by George R.R. Martin for his A Song of Ice and Fire series of books, the source of HBO's Game of Thrones. Princess Myrcella Baratheon is the daughter of Cersei Lannister and (secretly) her brother Jaime. Their younger brother Tyrion sends her to Dorne to be married to the Dornish prince Trystane Martell to seal an alliance between the two houses.
  20. Serra
    • Origin:

      Italian, Portuguese and Catalan
    • Meaning:

      "ridge"
    • Description:

      This topographical name, more suited to a girl than a boy--though it would inevitably be confused with SARAH--has some distinguished bearers: famous Spanish missionary to Mexico Father Junipero Serra, and sculptor Richard Serra, known for his challenging large-scale metal works.

Introducing the Nameberry App

Nameberry App
Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
  • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
  • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
  • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
  • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
  • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.
Nameberry App Logo