Girls

Melinda

English combination name

"beautiful honey"

In the eighteenth century there was a poetic fad for names with the 'inda' sound, and, along with Belinda, Clarinda, Dorinda and Florinda, Melinda was one of those created at that time. It came into…

Elsa

German diminutive of Elisabeth

"pledged to God"

Lost in limbo for decades and decades, Elsa now stands a good chance of following along in the progression from Emma to Ella to Etta, thanks to the ice queen heroine who "Let It Go" in the wildly…

Orli

Hebrew

"light"

Cute, nickname-y, and international, à la Romy or Demi. Spelling it Orly turns it into a busy French airport.

Nairi

Armenian place name

This was the old name for ancient Armenia, land of canyons.

Naara

Naara is a feminine name with Hebrew origins, meaning "maiden" or "young girl." It appears in the Bible as a place name and has connections to the Hebrew word "na'arah" referring to a young woman.…

Nevara

Spanish

"to snow"

One of several snowy options, this one lacking a tie to a specific place: an asset.

Neiva

Neiva is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. In Portuguese, it may derive from 'neve' meaning 'snow,' suggesting purity and beauty. It could also have Brazilian origins, possibly…

Ellerie

Ellerie is a feminine name with a modern, lyrical quality. It likely evolved as a variation of names like Ellery or as a feminine form of Ellery, which originated as an English surname derived from…

Xia

Chinese dynastic name

This name of the first recorded dynasty of ancient China is short and simple enough to make a possible Asian-American alternative to Mia and Tia. British-Filipino child star Xia Vigor has invigorated…

Tula

Choctaw, English, Spanish, Hindi, or Kiswahili

"leaping waters; town; spear strength; mountain peak"

Tula is a multicultural name, linked to the names Tallulah, Gertrude, and Tullia, a mountain range in Antarctica, and to the Greek Toula, used for the heroine of the hit film My Big Fat Greek Wedding…

Mattea

Italian, from Hebrew

"gift of God"

This pretty, international feminization of Matthew was chosen by Mira Sorvino for her daughter, Mattea Angel. As the Spanish Mateo and the Italian Matteo become more popular for baby boys throughout…

Aletha

Aletha is a feminine name with ancient Greek origins, derived from 'aletheia' meaning 'truth' or 'sincerity.' This elegant and uncommon name carries philosophical associations with truth-seeking and…

Suvi

Finnish

"summer"

Light, zippy, and sunny, Suvi has a sparky yet sweet feel. Notably borne by Finnish supermodel Suvi Koponen, it is taken from the Finnish word for Summer, making it and interesting alternative to…

Sarika

Hungarian variation of Sarah, Hebrew, Hindi, Sanskrit, Khmer

Zippy and multicultural, Sarika can be considered a pretty nature name, referring to a myna bird in Hindi and Sanskrit and to a blackbird in Khmer (or Cambodian). In these contexts, it would be…