Ada is one of the classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/">baby names</a> for girls that is suddenly super stylish again. A favorite at the end of the nineteenth century, Ada is an alternative to the over-popular Ava. Ada is also part of the trend toward simple, old-fashioned names beginning with a vowel, like Ivy and Ella.
 
Ada is derived from the German name Adelaide, which came from the ancient name Adalheidis. The root, adal, is a Germanic word meaning "noble." Ada can also be considered a variation of the biblical name Adah, pronounced AH-da, one of the first <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> mentioned in the Book of Genesis. 
 
A worthy namesake is Ada Lovelace, mathematician daughter of the poet Lord Byron, who worked with Charles Babbage on the forerunners to the calculator and the computer. In his poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Byron addresses her as "Ada! sole daughter of my house and heart."
 
Ada has a number of fictional references as well, appearing in Dickens's Bleak House and Nabokov's 1969 novel Ada; additional characters with the name were portrayed by Holly Hunter in The Piano and Nicole Kidman in Cold Mountain.
 
Ada returned to the Top 1000 in 2004, after being off since 1992; by contrast, Ada was a Top 100 name in the 1880s.
 
The Turkish name Ada means "island" and is unrelated — though it makes an excellent option for parents looking for a name spanning two cultures.

Alice is a classic literary name that's both strong and sweet, ranking in the US Top 100 and popular throughout the western world. Alice is derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of Adelais that itself came from the Germanic name Adalhaidis, which is composed of the Proto-Germanic elements aþala, meaning "noble," and haidu, "kind, appearance, type." 
 Alice is quite distinct among traditional <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a>—more feminine and dainty than Mary and Helen, more substantive than Ann or Jane, yet with more lightness and innocent charm than Margaret or Katharine. 
 
Alice has been riding a fresh wave of popularity, not only in the US and other English-speaking countries but in places as diverse as Italy, France, Brazil, and Sweden. That makes Alice a remarkably international choice.
 Alice is a darling of literature, from the immortal heroine in Alice in Wonderland to an unusual number of fine modern writers like Alices Munro, Walker, Sebold, Hoffman, McDermott, Adams, and Elliott Dark. In other fields, there were First Daughter Alice Roosevelt, painter Alice Neel, food innovator Alice Waters, and literary figure Alice B. Toklas, to name a few.
 As a British royal, Alice was Queen Victoria's second daughter, the princess who shocked her Victorian mother by breastfeeding her baby. More recently, Tina Fey helped popularize the name when she chose it for her daughter.

Alice

Amaris sounds like "amorous," which is a loving name for a child, but doesn't really have a clear derivation or meaning of its own. The popular Amara is one of the most international names on the charts, with derivations and meanings in cultures that truly span the globe. And Amariah is an ancient Hebrew name. Still, Amaris is unusual and pretty, and that may be enough.

Amaris

Ambrosia combines some of the more whimsical qualities of more popular Aurora and Isabella, with a heavenly meaning. 

In Greek mythology, Ambrosia was not a goddess or other figure but literally the food and drink of the gods, said to confer immortality. The Ancient Greek word ambrosios, meaning immortal, gave rise to the Latin name Ambrosius, which became the modern Ambrose.

Only a dozen baby girls were named Ambrosia in the US in the most recent year counted.

Ambrosia

Arden, the name of the magical forest in Shakespeare's As You Like It, is a stylish A name with a strong, straightforward image. Another reason to love Arden: its similarity to "ardent." Arden is solidly unisex, with the current gender distribution running about 60 percent girls and 40 percent boys.

 A locational surname name deriving from several places in England, there are multiple legitimate derivations for this name. One is from Old English earn "eagle" + denu "valley", while another is from the Celtic ard meaning "high".

 As a girls' name, Arden has been flirting with the bottom of the Top 1000 in recent years, hopping on and off the US list. A solid Nameberry favorite, this name should begin climbing more steadily.

 Arden is more familiar as a surname, as in cosmetics entrepreneur Elizabeth and actress Eve, and the narrative poem by Tennyson, Enoch Arden. Shakespeare's mother was Mary Arden.

Arden

Artemis, one of the key figures of the female Greek pantheon, is the ancient virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, childbirth, and a protector of young girls, later associated with the moon. Artemis is the equivalent to the Roman Diana, but a fresher and more distinctive, if offbeat, choice. 
 Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo, one of the twelve deities who lived on Mount Olympus. She features in three of the fifth century plays of Euripides. The meaning of the name is largely unknown, but it's related to two Greek words meaning safe or butcher, not nearly as lyrical as her mythological story.
 Artemas, on the other hand, is a male name, though some gender confusion could arise from the Artemis Fowl novels.

Artemis

At one time just the sound of the name Camille could start people coughing, recalling the tragic Lady of the Camellias, the heroine played by Greta Garbo in the vintage film based on a Dumas story, but that image has faded, replaced by a sleek, chic, highly attractive one. 
 Among its namesakes are Camille Claudel, a French sculptor and Camille Paglia, a feminist writer and critic. Princess Stephanie of Monaco is the mother of a Camille, and it is the middle name of both Nicole Richie and Willow Smith.
 Camille is a unisex name in France, where distinguished male bearers include the composer Saint-Saens and the painter Pissarro.

Camille

Cassia is related to the cassia tree, which has yellow flowers and produces a spice that can be a substitute for cinnamon. Keziah, the name of Job’s daughter in the Old Testament, derives from the name of the plant as well. Cassia also has ties to the Ancient Roman name Cassius, an Ancient Roman family name meaning "hollow." 
 
Cassia is one of the rare names that's truly unusual yet has a stylish feel. Cassia has the added attraction of the sweet smell of cinnamon, thanks to its botanical associations. We predict Cassia will become much more popular along with her brother names Cassian and Cassius. 
 
Keziah, the Biblical equivalent, is also due for rediscovery, while Kassia is the Greek spelling that ties the name to Saint Kassiani, a feminist heroine.

Cassia

Melodic and lively, Delilah has cut itself (mostly) free from its treacherous past to become a contemporary favorite. 
Though some people are naturally still put off by the deceptive Biblical figure, a large number of parents have been tempted by Delilah’s charms, meaning it now ranks in the Top 100 in the US, the UK, and Australia. 
Delilah is a Hebrew name, meaning “weak and languishing”, or, more appealingly, “delicate.” In the Old Testament, Delilah was the lover of Samson, but she betrayed him by cutting off the source of his strength – his hair – before handing him over to his enemies. 
Despite this negative namesake, Delilah has been occasionally used in the English-speaking world since the 1600’s when it was revived by the Puritans. 
It danced in and out of the charts during the 20th century, but by the mid 2000’s, it began to make significant gains. By 2018, it was in the Top 100, where it’s continued to rise ever since. 
With its alluring cadence, Delilah has been a hit in the music world. Camille Saint-Saens composed an opera based on the Biblical story in the 1880’s, while Tom Jones saw success in the 60’s with his song “Delilah.” 
Other artists who have sung about her include Queen, Chuck Berry, Sufjan Stevens, and Florence and the Machine, though it was after the release of the Plain White T’s song, “Hey there Delilah” that the name really jumped up the charts in 2007. 
Actors Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna were well ahead of the trend when they named their daughter Delilah back in 1998, and since then, it’s been a sparkling choice for celebrities. Kimberly Stewart, Benicio del Toro, Laurence Fishburne, Gina Torres, and Keira Knightley are among those who’ve selected Delilah for their daughters. 
Given to nearly 4000 babies every year, Delilah is still on the rise, while its international form, Dalila, remains popular in Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
If the sparkly, energetic sounds of Delilah do appeal to you, but the popularity or associations don’t sit right, then you could consider Tallulah, Keziah, Alaia, Azura, Talitha, or Fifer.

Delilah

Elsie is a sweet vintage nickname-name turned modern star. After a 30-year hiatus, Elsie started climbing the US popularity list 20 years ago and is still headed for the top.
 
In its native Britain, Elsie is even more popular, ranking in the Top 20. One reason for Elsie's popularity: She makes a fresh, charming honor name for all those grandma Elizabeths.
. Elsie was a popular name at the end of the nineteenth century until its image was damaged in this country by the association with Elsie the Borden cow. But it's rising now on the heels of Ella and Ellie, suddenly sounding fresh and frisky. Singer James Morrison picked it for his baby girl and Ioan Gruffudd has an adorably named little Elsie Marigold. Another youthful bearer is actress Elsie Kate Fisher, the voice of Agnes in Despicable Me.

Elsie

Emmeline is an Emma relative and Emily cousin that is destined for greater use in the wake of the megapopularity of those two names. A recommended Nameberry fave, Emmeline hopped onto the US Top 1000 in 2014 for the first time ever. While it is genuinely an old name, it was rarely used a century ago; only 17 baby girls were named Emmeline in 1915, the same number as were named Ernie!
 A popular medieval name, Emmeline was introduced to Britain by the Normans. It appeared as a character in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and is famous in Britain as the name of the illustrious suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst. Way back in 1980, it was the name of young Brooke Shields's innocent character in The Blue Lagoon. More recently, Emmeline Vance was a witch in the Harry Potter series.
 Christian Bale has a daughter named Emmeline.

Emmeline

This phonetic Anglicization of the Irish name Eithne was made familiar by the single-named Irish singer and composer. St. Eithne was the daughter of a king and an early Irish convert to Christianity.

Enya

Not only are individual flower names more popular (and out-there) than ever, but so too are the more generic names like Florence and Flora. While brother name Fiorello became known via long-term New York Mayor LaGuardia, the lovely Fiorella has never crossed cultures. She could join Arabella as a post-Isabella ella choice. 
 And speaking of Isabella, Fiorella is the first of the three <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a> of Isabella Rossellini.

Fiorella

Hadley, an old surname-name best known as the name of author Ernest Hemingway's "Paris Wife," only recently broke onto the scene in a big way. While Hadley has considerable appeal, spelling variations such as Hadleigh—and onward to Hadleah, Hadleah, Hadli and so on—only emphasize its trendiness. Hadleigh made its first appearance on the US Top 1000 in 2014.

Hadleigh

The lynn suffix makes this one of the more feminine spellings of the popular name Jaelynn, which can also be spelling Jaelyn, Jaylin, and Jalen, among many other variations.

Jaelynn

Joyce was once a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boy name</a>, but took off for girls during the mid-twentieth century, when it spent 1930 to 1947 in the Top 20. 
 Now, Joyce is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/j">girls' names starting with J</a> least likely to make a comeback any time soon.
 Joyce has a long history as a surname, perhaps most prominently connected to James Joyce, author of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake.

Joyce

A cute nickname name that's risen high over the past decade or so, more especially as Kaylee, this name combines the attributes of Hailey and Kayla, Kylie and Callie.

Kaylie

Khepri

One of those names that's suddenly on the map because of a celebrity's influence, Leighton Meester of the TV show Gossip Girl. She pronounces it LAY-ton but some will intuitively say LEE-ton.

Leighton

Linnaea

Floral, elegant, and bold, Ophelia re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after more than 50 years off the charts. It has risen more than 700 spots since then and shows no signs of slowing down. Now in the US Top 300, could Ophelia one day become the next Olivia or Amelia?
 
It's certainly catching up in the UK, where, as of 2022, it's in the Top 100 and given to nearly 600 baby girls. Less likely to be heard as 'I feel ya', as it is pronounced with four syllables in the UK, Ophelia makes an arty but approachable choice. 
 Derived from the Ancient Greek word "opheleia", which means "help", Ophelia was used first by the poet Sannazaro in his 15th century poem "Arcadia". It was then popularized by Shakespeare's Hamlet in the 1600s and again in the 19th century by John Millais' painting. 
 
Other namesakes include the gutsy Ophelia in Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 Uncle Tom's Cabin, which seems to have had some influence on baby namers at the time, and more recently, the song "Ophelia" by The Lumineers.
 Among the actresses who have played modern non-Shakespearean Ophelias are Jamie Lee Curtis in "Trading Places" and Blake Lively in "Savages". The heroine of the film Pan's Labyrinth uses the Spanish spelling, Ofelia, while a popular YA novel, Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie sticks with the Shakespearean one.
 Actress Patricia Neal and author Roald Dahl named one of their now grown daughters Ophelia, and more recently musician Dave Grohl named his baby girl Ophelia Saint.
 
A hugely popular name on Nameberry and now out in the 'real world' too, you may hear this Shakespearean gem more often in the coming years. So, if you love Ophelia but want to beat the trends, you could try Cressida, Olympia, Cordelia, or Cerelia.

Ophelia

Rio is one of Japan's most popular girls names, constantly sitting in that country's Top 10. Of course, Rio may also stem from the Portuguese and Spanish word for river, and the Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro. A truly international name for a cosmopolitan baby!

Roísín

Sloane is a sleek, sophisticated surname name that has gradually morphed over to the girls' side. Sloane is definitely a name that's going to continue to rise. Spelled without the final "e," Sloan joined Sloane in the Top 1000 for the first time in 2011.
 Sloane has been the name of girlfriend characters in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Entourage, and it is currently the character played by Olivia Munn on The Newsroom. Sloane Crosley is a bestselling author, and comedian Rob Corddry named his daughter Sloane Sullivan.
 The association with London's Sloane Square and the upscale clique of Sloane Rangers, who have included Princesses Di and Kate, gives it some extra panache.

Sloane

A sweet and punchy Japanese name with a celestial meaning.

Tsuki

Zephyr may not be a name often heard in the U.S., but its variations are used throughout Europe. Zephyrine, a cousin in sound and feel if not in fact to such lovely names as Severine and Seraphina, has distinctive possibilities.


Zephyrine

sami..xx's list "Girl Names That Should Be More Popular" of 26 great name ideas: Ada - Zephyrine!

Girl Names That Should Be More Popular

These names are unusual but beautiful in their own way - whether it be through meaning or how elegant they sound. Either way, your princess deserves a name worthy for them.