Names of horses

Lula

Diminutive of any Lu name

Lula is one of the livelier nickname-names with the fashionable double-L sound: It joins Lulu, Lila, Lily, and Lou among the trendiest names today. Lula might be short for Talula and sisters or for…

Maple

English tree name from Latin

"maple tree; tree of the Acer genus"

Maple is one of those sweet-spot word names that sounds so almost name-like that it doesn't feel outlandish or strange, despite its relative newness as a given name. Just as Juniper is adjacent to…

Mariposa

Spanish

"butterfly"

Mariposa is a rare, romantic choice with an intriguing meaning. Uncommon but not unknown, Mariposa is an elegant entrant in the nature names category. And it comes with the adorable nicknames Mari or…

Mica

A flinty mineral name that puts a feminine spin on Micah, or short form of the biblical Michal.

Mirabell

Mirabell is a rare feminine name with romantic literary origins. It derives from Latin elements "mirabilis" (wonderful or miraculous) and "bella" (beautiful), creating a name that essentially means…

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…

Nightingale

Bird name from German

"night singer"

Charming nature name made even more appealing by the connection to iconic nurse and statistician Florence Nightingale.

Nutmeg

English

"musk nut"

Aromatic spice used in cooking, and a cute route to Meg, Nutmeg is predominantly used on pets rather than humans.

Oasis

Egyptian

"fertile spot in a desert"

A distinctive word name with musical ties, Oasis was given to 20 girls in 2024, compared with 14 in 2023.

Onyx

Word name

"gem stone; claw, nail"

Onyx is a fresh and trending gemstone name for boys, currently in the US Top 500, having climbed the charts rapidly since 2018. Now, an increasing number of girls are receiving the name, with a…

Pippa

English, diminutive of Philippa

"lover of horses"

Pippa, a peppy condensation of Philippa that turns it from serious to sprightly, has come into the public eye in a big way via the former Kate Middleton's sister. Pippa can and is given as a name in…

Rain

Word name

Among a small shower of rain-related names, this pure version can have a cool, refreshing image. Richard Pryor named his now-grown daughter Rain, and Rain is also one of the nature-named Phoenix…

Roma

Italian place-name

Never as popular as Florence; today's parents might prefer Venezia, Verona, or Romy. It is also a Hindu name meaning "one with shiny hair" and is another name for the goddess Lakshmi. In Roman…