User-created list
Cat's Favorite Names
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Amelie
French and German variation of Amelia
"work"
Amelia meets Emily, gets a Bohemian spin and a French accent when it becomes Amelie. This favorite among French girl names has been gaining notice here thanks to the charming 2001 French film Amelie…
Elisabeth
German, Dutch, Danish, English, variation of Elizabeth, Hebrew
"pledged to God"
This spelling of the classic name is found in France, Germany, Greece, and other cultures, and is worn by such notables as Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth Shue, Elisabeth Moss, and Elisabeth…
Ashlyn
Variation of Aislinn, Irish
"dream"
Though it relates to the Irish original, Ashlyn and its next most popular form, Ashlynn, owe more of their popularity as baby names in the US to the megastar Ashley, though all three have been…
Aleksandra
Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian version of Alexandra, Greek
"defending men"
Aleksandra is the preferred spelling in many Eastern European languages and cultures, but for English-speakers it's ironically more confusing if also perfectly phonetically clear.
Alissa
Variation of Alyssa or Alice
"noble"
The entire congregation of Alissa-related names—from the classic Alice and Elise to newer forms like Alicia, Alyssa, and Elissa—have faded somewhat from their heyday in the late 20th century but…
Ayanna
Arabic, African
"large eyes; or time; beautiful flower"
Variant of Ayana with international roots.
Deanna
English variation of Diana, Latin, feminization of Dean
"divine; church official"
Though still being used, Deanna peaked many decades ago.
Elissa
Variation of Alice or Elizabeth
The Elissa version of a long-popular name is fading in favor of Alyssa, Eliza and other variants. The legion of other forms and spellings includes Alissa, Allissa, Allyssa, Alyssa, Elissah, Ellisa,…
Haydee
Spelling variation of Haidee and Haydée, Literature
"modest, reverent"
A literary creation, first appearing in Byron's poem Don Juan (as Haidee or Haidée) and then in The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas (as Haydée).
Hayley
English
"hay field"
It all started in 1946, when Hayley Mills was given her mother's maiden name. Now that spelling is in third place, after Hailey and Haley, with all three adding up to one of the most popular names in…
Inessa
Russian variation of Ines; Spanish from Greek
"pure, chaste"
Inessa is a truly multi-cultural name, heard in Spain, Germany and Russia, and is related to the names Agnes and Ines/Inez. The singer who goes by the single name Inessa is German.
Kamilla
Scandinavian; Hungarian; Russian, variation of Camilla
Kamilla is the usual spelling of Camilla throughout Scandinavia and in Finland, Hungary, Iceland, and Greenland. Kamma is an appealing short form.
Natasha
Russian diminutive of Natalya
"birthday of the Lord"
Natasha, an appealing, still unusual name, entered the American mainstream post-Cold War but seems to have peaked in the eighties, replaced by the more straightforward Natalie. As is common for…
Ryley
English, Irish
"rye clearing; courageous"
An alternative spelling to the popular Riley, but significantly less used.
Viktoria
Viktoria is the Eastern European and Germanic spelling of Victoria, a name derived from Latin meaning 'victory.' This variation maintains the powerful meaning while giving it a distinctive…
Zsofia