Fancy Names For Girls

Jennelle

Jennelle is a feminine name that combines elements of 'Jennifer' and the popular '-elle' suffix, creating a more elaborate variation of Jenny. With roots in Celtic and English traditions, Jennelle…

Lavender

English color and flower name

"purple flower"

Lavender lags far behind sweet-smelling purple-hued sister names Violet and Lila, but is starting to get some enthusiastic attention from cutting-edge namers along with other adventurous nature names…

Leocadia

Spanish

"splendid brightness"

Leocadia marries a mix of sounds: the strength of a lion, with a rhythmic Latin ending. St. Leocadia was an early martyred Spanish saint, and "La Leocadia" is a famous Goya painting of Leocadia…

Lilaea

Latin variation of Lilaia, Greek

"longed for"

A water nymph in Greek mythology, for which the Greek village of Lilaia is named.

Lilaia

Greek

"longed for"

Lilaia is the name of a city in Ancient Greece, as well as a modern village, after the mythological nymph Lilaea. As Alaia makes its way up the charts, could parents be convinced to turn to Lilaia?

Linnaea

Linnaea is a botanical feminine name derived from Linnaea borealis, a flowering plant named after the famous Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus. The delicate twin flower grows in forest settings across…

Lucasta

English

"pure light"

Lucasta was invented by seventeenth century poet Richard Lovelace for a collection of poems dedicated to a lover named Lucy, and is familiar through the Eugene O'Neill play and film Anna Lucasta .…

Macrina

Latin

"thin or long"

An ancient alternative to the modern Mac- names, this name was borne by two early saints.

Mareike

German variation of Mary

"bitter"

Mary has hundreds of variations around the world, and this German form, pronounced Ma-RYE-keh, is virtually unknown in English-speaking lands. A possible alternative to Mariah?

Marianne

French combination of Marie and Anne

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"

A midcentury Catholic classic that's not chosen by many parents today. Leonard Cohen fans might think of the beautiful song So Long, Marianne , named for his lover and muse Marianne Ihlen. The…

Mathilda

Variation of Matilda

"battle-mighty"

The addition of the h makes it more Old World, which is not the direction you want to push Matilda in.

Mathilde

French; Norwegian; Danish; Dutch; German, variation of Matilda

"battle-mighty"

Mathilde is even more popular in France than Matilda, a hipster favorite thanks to Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger, is here. And the French pronunciation, while confusing to English speakers,…

Mercedes

Spanish

"gracious gifts, benefits"

Mercedes is one of the few names attached to luxury living that we can wholeheartedly recommend, it being a legitimate Spanish appellation stemming from one of the epithets given to the Virgin…

Merindah

Australian Aboriginal

"beautiful"

Also spelled Merinda, this name meaning beautiful comes from the language of the Gadigal people in Eastern Australia. One famous bearer of this name is Merindah Donnelly, a dancer and nominee for…

Mimosa

Latin plant name

Adventurous parents are venturing deeper into the garden in search of fresh names, but remember that this also makes for an alcoholic brunch.

Narelle

Australian Aboriginal

"little river"

The Narellan is the name of a river in New South Wales. From this name comes this quasi-French girls' name, which is quite common in Australia.

Noami

Noami appears to be a variant spelling of Naomi, a Hebrew name meaning 'pleasantness' or 'delightfulness.' This alternative spelling may have emerged through transliteration variations or simply as a…

Olympia

Greek

"from Mount Olympus"

With its relation to Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods, and to the Olympic games, this name has an athletic, goddess-like aura, making it the perfect Olivia substitute. A well-known art reference…

Omaira

Arabic

"long life; red"

Omaira is an intriguing Middle Eastern possibility.