A cute, zippy French saint's name that's picking up in popularity there, and starting to in the US as well. Zélie originated as a short form of Azélie, thought to derive from Adelaide via the Occitan form Azalaïs. Saint Zélie was born Marie-Azélie.

Now that Zoe is getting wildly popular in the U.S. and the U.K. -- one poll puts it at number one in Wales -- parents may start hunting down fresh twists like this.

Sunny, sassy, and stylish, Zella is a multicultural and versatile choice which works across multiple languages. Popular back in the early 19th century, Zella is now catching the attention of cotemporary parent as a rival to Ella, Stella, and Della.

When the Eddie Murphys named their fourth daughter Zola, it affirmed the up-and-coming status of the name, which has African roots, but also literary links to Emile Zola. Zola may also be recognizable to some as the adopted daughter of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd on the hit, long-running show Grey's Anatomy.

Viva la baby with this life-affirming name, one of the appealing group of girl names that mean life. Other related life-giving names on the rise: cousins Vida and Vita, and Vivian, Aviva, and even Zoe.

Short, sweet, and sharp, this multicultural choice is currently popular in Croatia, Czechia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. While not in the charts elsewhere, it is familiar in English speaking countries, and in the Netherlands.

Mavie is cute as can be, and feels stylish today thanks to similar-sounding Maeve. A fairly recently invented name, it was used first in Germany, where it is alleged to be inspired by the French phrase ma vie meaning "my life".

Likely a variation of the Greek name Xenia, Xena is associated with the the TV Warrior Princess, played by Lucy Lawless back in the 90s. Also used as a diminutive form of Alexina or Zenobia, the name was used as a nickname, or temporary name, for the minor planet now known as Eris. It was chosen when it was still being decided how Eris would be classified, and was selected because it began with X and had the mythological, TV connection.

Lizzie was commonly used as an independent name in the last half of the nineteenth century. Today Lizzie is still one of the most stylish short forms of Elizabeth, but few U.S. parents put it on the birth certificate.

A thirteenth-century Tuscan saint, patron of homemakers, Zita is the kind of name that sounded really creative in an earlier era.

This spelling adds a little more femininity to the neutral Lee. Leigh and sister Lee were quite popular in the 1960s and 1970s among the first cool wave of unisex names for girls, but now have vanished from the Top 1000. The Biblical Leah is preferred.

Vivia, the fresh Italian version of newly popular name, streamlines and even vivifies the original.

Stylish, sweet, and bubbly, Livvy is a familiar short form of the popular Olivia, though it could easily work as a nickname to Olive, Lavinia, or Liv as well. In recent years, however, Livvy has been gaining attention as a standalone option, with 110 baby girls called "just" Livvy in the US in the latest stats.

This jazzy French diminutive of Isabelle was first made famous by the title character of Raymond Queneau’s novel Zazie dans le métro, which was adapted into a film in 1960. It could also work as a nickname for Elizabeth or Susannah.

Ezra is a biblical favorite for boys that's been making inroads into the girls' Top 1000 since 2018 and it's easy to see why. With its soft sounds and -a ending, it holds the same appeal as Noa, Sasha, Micah, and Luka do: short, sweet, and solid. 2024 saw Ezra climb 61 places up the US charts, placing it just outside the Top 700.

Zephyrus was the Greek god of the west wind, and all names associated with him have a pleasantly gentle, breezy feel. With its cool Z initial and similarity in sound to Stephie and Serafina, Zephyr has been rising up the US charts in recent years as a unisex name.

The original brief, breezy name is somewhat out of favor now even as a middle name. The Leigh spelling has more substance and is more identifiable as female.

Abbreviated form of Zahara that was used by Chris Rock for his daughter and as a middle name by both Eddie Murphy and David Bowie. Compared with the even-more-abbreviated Zara, Zahra may create more spelling problems but clarify pronunciation.

A feminine multicultural nickname name perfectly able to stand on its own, Zanna might technically relate to either Susanna or Jane, making it a flexible honor name for an ancestral Susan or Jane or even John.

Lizzy is a feminine name primarily used as an affectionate diminutive of Elizabeth, which has Hebrew origins meaning 'God is my oath' or 'pledged to God.' This friendly, approachable nickname gained independent usage in the 19th century and continues to be chosen as a standalone name today. Lizzy projects a youthful, spirited, and warm personality while maintaining connections to the regal history of Elizabeth. The name enjoyed renewed popularity in the late 20th and early 21st centuries as parents increasingly chose shorter, less formal names for their daughters. Cultural references like Pride and Prejudice's Lizzy Bennet have contributed to the name's enduring charm and appeal.