Adios, Isabella!

Araminta

Literature, compound of Arabella and Aminta, Greek

"loveable; unyielding + defender; unfading"

Araminta is a poetic and enchanting eighteenth-century invention with plenty of elegance and a touch of old-fashioned clunkiness. It first appeared in William Congreve's 17th century comedy The Old…

Johanna

Hebrew

"God is gracious"

Johanna is the version of this name used in Holland, Germany, and Scandinavia. The extra h makes Johanna a slightly more dignified version of Joanna. A notable namesake is the author of Heidi ,…

Melania

Spanish and Greek variation of Melanie

"black"

The current wife of Donald Trump, Slovenian model Melania Knauss, brought this pretty version to the fore. Saint Melania was an heiress who freed thousands of enslaved people.

Sabina

Latin

"Sabine"

Sabina is a sleek but neglected name with the same spirited, stylish feel of Sabrina, Serena, and Selena. It ranked towards the latter end of the US charts in the early 20th century while a more…

Antonia

Latin

"from Antium"

Antonia is stronger than most feminized boys’ names , reflecting the pioneer spirit of Willa Cather's classic novel My Antonia . Antonia is hovering near the bottom of the US popularity list, which…

Katerina

Macedonian, Czech, Russian, Bulgarian, and Greek form of Katherine, Greek

"pure"

Katerina and its near-identical twin Katarina have a pleasingly lilting European sound, though for some Americans they may be uncomfortably close to Katrina, which will be linked for a long time to…

Tatiana

Russian, from Latin family name Tatius, meaning unknown

Classic yet spritely, Tatiana has long been familiar and popular in Russia and Eastern Europe, though it wasn't until the 80s that it caught on in the English-speaking world. With short forms Tiana,…

Florentina

Latin

"blooming"

The Latin names for girls Florentina may be the most feminissima and flowery of the 'Flor" names. Another option would be Fiorentina, though you can also downshift to Flora or Florence.

Laurentine

Laurentine is a feminine name of Latin origin, derived from the ancient Roman name Laurentius, meaning 'from Laurentum' or 'crowned with laurel.' This elegant name carries associations with victory…

Meliora

Latin, Cornish

"better; honey"

Unusual and lush Roman name adopted, improbably, by the Puritans. The Cornish version, pronounced mel-YOHR-ah, has been in use since the 13th century.

Corisande

Greek

"chorus-singer"

Corisande is a very unusual, haunting choice, with the aura of medieval romance--it is found in early Spanish romantic tales, arriving in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. 'La…