My favorite girl names of all time

Delilah

Hebrew or Arabic

"delicate"

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,…

Khaleesi

Literature

"warlord"

Khaleesi is an invented name introduced to the world by inventive and prolific author George R. R. Martin for his wildly popular Game of Thrones series—it's Dothraki for "queen" and is one of the…

Persephone

Greek

"bringer of destruction"

Magical and earthy, sophisticated but off-beat, Persephone appears as the daughter of Zeus by Demeter in Greek mythology. After she was kidnapped by Hades to be Queen of the Underworld, it was…

Appoline

Appoline is a feminine name of French origin, derived from the Greek name 'Apollonia,' which itself comes from the Greek god Apollo, associated with light, music, and healing. This elegant name…

Brecklyn

Brecklyn is a modern feminine name that emerged in the early 21st century as part of the trend toward place-inspired names with the popular '-lyn' suffix. It appears to blend elements of Brooklyn…

Cassiopeia

Greek mythology name

"cassia juice"

Cassiopeia, the name of a mythological mother who became a stellar constellation, is challenging but intriguing, and has all those softening Cass nicknames available. And with all names Cass-related…

Haizley

Variation of Haisley, modern invented name

Haisley, but with more pizzazz.

Jaqueline

Jaqueline is a variant spelling of Jacqueline, a feminine name with French origins. Derived from the masculine name Jacques (the French form of James), it ultimately traces back to the Hebrew name…

Ludovica

Italian, feminine variation of Ludovic

"famous in war"

This Olde World name with a large measure of European style makes an offbeat possibility for the bold baby namer in search of interesting Italian names for girls . Currently very popular in its…

Mignonette

Form of Mignon, French

"delicate, dainty"

Mignonette is kind of a diminutive of a diminutive. Mignon is the French word for cute, so Mignonette is more or less cutie.

Ottiline

Ottiline is a rare feminine name with Germanic and Old English influences. It appears to be a variant of Ottoline, which combines elements meaning 'prosperity' and 'serpent' or 'dragon.' The name…

Quinley

English, modern invented name combining Quinn and ley

"descendant of Conn + clearing, meadow"

A modern choice for girls riffing on the popular unisex name Quinn, with an extra syllable to add substance and formality. And Quinn is still available as a nickname!

Rebel

Word name

"rebel"

Asking for trouble. Rebel Wilson is a hilarious Australian actress who puts a female spin on this contemporary badass baby name. Still, we think this name is truly gender neutral – though hardly…