My favorite girl names.

  1. Sophronia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "sensible, prudent"
    • Description:

      Stately and elegant, but with the familiar sounds of Sophia and Sophie, Sophronia was a familiar choice back in the 19th century but has since fallen into obscurity. Derived from the Greek sophron, it means "sensible, self-restrained".
  2. Amethyst
    • Origin:

      Gem and Color name
    • Description:

      As flower names become more unique, so can gem names move beyond Ruby and Pearl to names like Topaz, Sapphire, and Peridot. Amethyst, the purple birthstone for February, has never been in the Top 1000, but could have some appeal, joining similarly-hued Violet and Lilac, all of which make great names for Aquarius babies or names for February babies.
  3. Laelia
    • Origin:

      Latin family name and botanical name
    • Description:

      Upside: it has an interesting ancient look and feel, related to the Roman family name Laelius of uncertain meaning. There is also a type of orchid called the Laelia. Downside: possible confusion with all those Laylas, Lailas, etc. out there.
  4. Anthea
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "flowery"
    • Description:

      This unjustly neglected floral name is smart and crisp, with a touch of Athena, Anna, and Cynthia about it. It also has that stylish Greek mythological heritage: Anthea is an epithet of Hera, the Greek queen of the gods, and her name has been used as poetic symbol of spring.
  5. Arielle
    • Origin:

      French variation of Ariel
    • Meaning:

      "lion of God"
    • Description:

      While not as popular as the Ariel spelling of Little Mermaid fame, this rendition has achieved popularity in its own right.
  6. Melisande
    • Origin:

      French form of Millicent, German
    • Meaning:

      "strong in work"
    • Description:

      This old-time fairy tale name is rarely heard in the modern English-speaking world, but it's so, well, mellifluous, that it would make a lovely choice for a twenty-first century girl--a romanticized tribute to an Aunt Melissa or Melanie.
  7. Celestina
    • Origin:

      Italian and Spanish variation of Celeste
    • Meaning:

      "heavenly"
    • Description:

      We are hearing more of such heavenly names as Celeste and Celia, which opens the door to the range of lovely variations rarely heard before. Celestina is one of them, though given the more accessible options, it may be gilding the lily.
  8. Margarita
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Russian, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "pearl, daisy"
    • Description:

      Margarita is an international form of Margaret that shares its meaning of "pearl", but also directly translates to "daisy" in Spanish and Greek. Despite being widely associated with the alcoholic beverage in English, it has a long history of use in Spanish, Greek and several Slavic languages — most notably being the name of the heroine of Mikhail Bulgakov's 1966 novel Master and Margarita.
  9. Corinna
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "maiden"
    • Description:

      Delicate and gentle old-fashioned name, the kind found in early English poetry. While Corinna and the original Green Korinna are technically diminutives of the ancient Kore, now the popular Cora, this name will often be mistaken for other similar-sounding though unrelated names, such as Karenna. But it's pretty and is backed by more tradition than you'd guess.
  10. Calanthe
    • Origin:

      English from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "Christmas orchid"
    • Description:

      If you love Calliope and Callista, you'll love Calanthe, which combines the trendiness of the Greek 'cal' names with the equally fashionable "the" ending (like Xanthe and Evanthe) and a connection to the beautiful Christmas Orchid. Color Calantha one of the more unusual and captivating names for Christmas babies.
  11. Kestrel
    • Origin:

      English, bird name
    • Description:

      A kestrel is a bird of prey. It has good potential as a strong girls' name, similar to Falcon for boys.
  12. Galatea
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "she who is milk-white"
    • Description:

      This name's meaning derives from the material from which the mythical sculptor Pygmalion chiselled his ideal woman - she was carved from ivory. Pygmalion fell in love with his creation and Aphrodite, taking pity on him, brought the sculpture to life. The woman was named Galatea due to her incredibly pale skin. The Pygmalion myth was the inspiration behind the story of "My Fair Lady" starring Julie Andrews on stage and Audrey Hepburn on screen.
  13. Daniella
    • Origin:

      Italian, Polish, Czech, feminine variation of Daniel
    • Description:

      Daniella, Daniela, and Danielle were among the hottest names for twenty years, but now, though still popular, they can no longer be considered stylish options, lagging behind the newer Ella, Stella, Bella, Gabriella, and Isabella.
  14. Rosalina
    • Origin:

      Variation of Rosaline, English
    • Meaning:

      "rose"
    • Description:

      A feminine and fragrant member of the Rose family.
  15. Evangelina
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "bearer of good news"
    • Description:

      Why is Evangeline so popular -- close to Number 200 in the US -- while Evangelina hasn't charted in the Top 1000 since the early 1950s? The stardom of Evangeline Lilly has something to do with the relative popularity of that form, but Evangelina is just as pretty and romantic but given to only 10% as many baby girls.
  16. Lesley
    • Origin:

      Variation of Leslie, Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "garden of holly"
    • Description:

      Lesley runs a distant second to more popular sister Leslie, used for about 30 baby girls in one recent year vs. Leslie's 400+. And interestingly, no baby boys were named Lesley though about 40 were named Leslie. Once one of the most widely-used girl names starting with L, Lesley and Leslie now trail behind trendy L-starting girl names like Layla and Lily.
  17. Theophania
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Description:

      This ancient name, belonging to a Byzantine empress, may be difficult for a modern child to carry, though it can be an original way to get to cute nickname Thea or even Theo or Teddie. The English variation Tiffany may be more wearable, but with a much less elegant image.
  18. Meriel
    • Origin:

      Variation of Muriel, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "of the bright sea"
    • Description:

      This pleasant modernization of a dated original is still rare but has real modern possibilities. Alternate versions include Merial and Meryl.
  19. Crescentia
    • Origin:

      Latin, German
    • Meaning:

      "to grow"
    • Description:

      Derived from the Latin Crescentius and Crescens, Crescentia is a bold, strong but elaborate name borne by a 4th century saint and also the heroine of a 12th century German romance. Also spelled Kreszentia, it feels connected to the moon, due to its similarity to the word crescent.
  20. Aeliana
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "sun"
    • Description:

      This female form of the ancient Latin Aelian has an appealing sound, though kids might have a hard time handling that initial "ae" spelling. Just remember that the "ae" is pronounced "ee" (think Aesop's fables).The Annals of Aeliana is a children's fantasy series by Ryan Watters. The meaning is uncertain but is thought to derive from the Greek helios, which means sun.

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