An Arabic name popular in the Muslim community. It may derive from an Arabic word meaning "replacement, substitute", or from Aisha, the name of a wife of the Prophet Muhammad.

Aiza

Alza

Ava is one of the prime examples of a modern classic name, rising thought the course of a generation into the Top 10, where it has lingered for nearly 20 years.
 
In medieval times, Ava was a diminutive of Germanic names beginning in Av-, in particular Aveline, from which the name Evelyn would eventually arise. It may derive from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "island" or "water". However, the medieval name eventually fell out of use entirely, only to resurface in contemporary times. 
 
This suggests that today’s Ava may be a modern variation of Eva. Alternatively, Ava could also derive from the Latin avis, meaning "bird." Ava has separate Persian roots as a name meaning "voice" or "sound."
 
Ava was given a huge popularity boost—Ava's currently among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/nameberry/girls">top girl names</a> and the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/a">girls' name starting with A</a>—when dozens of high-profile stars such as Reese Witherspoon and Hugh Jackman chose Ava for their daughters. Another reason for its appeal: It's one of the elite group of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/607/girl-names-that-mean-life">girl names that mean life</a>. This Glamour Girl name via Hollywood beauty Ava Gardner is attractive but epidemically popular! 
 
Some parents who love Ava's simplicity and style have looked on to other choices that might take her place: Eva, Avery, Ada, Aveline and so on. The result, as with other popular names such as Hailey and Aiden that have spawned a raft of imitators, is that Ava is beginning to feel even more ubiquitous than it might otherwise based on its Top 5 standing. 
 
Ava seemed to be headed towards Number 1—it's no accident we titled one of our books on baby name style Beyond Ava & Aiden—but, though it seems to have been somewhat side-swiped by the Olivia-Isabella-Sophia group, it will still certainly stay in the Top 10 for years to come. It's a lovely name on many levels, but if you want something that will stand out, keep looking. 
 
One of the most fascinating things about Ava is that it's a much more ancient name than its modern-feeling sleekness would suggest. St. Ava was the daughter of King Pepin and was cured of blindness and became a nun. 
 
While Ava Gardner represents the Golden Age of Hollywood image of the name, director Ava DuVernay updates it to new Hollywood, together showcasing the name's attractive mix of glamor and strength.

Chloe is a pretty springtime name symbolizing new growth. Though slightly off its peak in the Top 10 in 2010, Chloe still ranks in the Top 20 and is solidly a modern classic. 
 Along with the US, Chloe has been also mega-popular throughout the English-speaking world and is also a top girls' name in Spain, Italy, Chile, and the Netherlands. The creative spelling Khloe has been moving up as well, thanks solely to the Kardashian klan.
 Chloe appeared in Greek mythology as an alternative name for the goddess of agriculture and fertility, Demeter. She was referred to as Chloe in the spring months, due to the name’s relation to sprouts and growth. Chloe is also mentioned in the New Testament as the name of a Greek Christian woman. 
 
While Chloe has not been used for any recent celebrity babies, it is the name of the now-grown daughters of Olivia Newton-John and of Candice Bergen and the late French film director Louis Malle. Actress and style leader Chloe Sevigny is another high-profile bearer, as is rising young star Chloe Grace Moretz.
 Chloe is a titular character in the Greek pastoral romance Daphnis and Chloe, appears in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and is the real name of Nobel prize-winning writer Toni Morrison.

Chloe

In Greek mythology, Daphne was the nymph daughter of Peneus, a river god. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollo’s romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. It is from this myth that the plant genus daphne, which contains the laurel species, gets its name.
 
Daphne's origins may be Greek, but it's seen by Americans as quintessentially British—as in the Daphne Moon character on Frasier and the heroine of the romantic drama Bridgerton. The shrub inspired the popularity of the name in England, where it became part of the British vogue for plant names at the end of the nineteenth century. 

Though we don't see it becoming a Top 100 name in the US, Daphne is obviously finding more widespread acceptance—and for a distinctive, deeply-rooted, attractive girls' name, that's a positive thing. In fact, Daphne has been in the US Top 1000 for every year but two -- 1913 and 1938. And it's now at its highest point ever in the US and is also one of the most popular girls' names on Nameberry.
 Its most famous bearer is Daphne du Maurier, author of such suspense novels as Rebecca. Fictional Daphnes have appeared in Some Like It Hot (Jack Lemmon as a woman), The Jewel in the Crown, Scooby-Doo, Harry Potter, and Heroes.

Daphne

Eve, the oldest name in the Book, is now coming back into style, having the virtues of simplicity and purity, yet with more strength and resonance than other single-syllable names like Ann. British actor Clive Owen chose Eve for his daughter, as did Jessica Capshaw. 
 
While Eve is compromised by its similarity to trendy sisters Ava, Eva, Avery, Evelyn, Evie, ad infinitum, it still has them all beat with its streamlined classic style.
 The rapper born Eve Jihan Jeffers goes by the mononame Eve.
 Fictional Eves have figured prominently in the films All About Eve, Three Faces of Eve, and WALL·E, and on TV in Angel and Xena: Warrior Princess.
 Eve is the anglicized form of the Gaelic Aoife.

Evie was derived from Eve, which in turn comes from Chawwah, a Hebrew name related to the concept of life. Evie can be used as a nickname for any name that starts with Ev-, including Eva, Evelyn, and Evangeline, but also for names such as Genevieve and Maeve. Evie is typically pronounced with a long E sound, but a short E is also valid.
 
In the land of the nickname name, otherwise known as the UK, where diminutives like Freddie, Millie, Maisie, Alfie and Ollie are all the rage, Evie is a highly popular choice. In the US, she entered the popularity ranks in 2007 for the first time since 1941, appreciated for its energy and spunk.

Evie's star has been on the rise in the US, but her popularity here still lags behind that in the rest of the English-speaking world. Evie is a Top 100 name throughout the British Isles, in Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Princess Evie is the deuteragonist, or second most important character, in Disney's Descendants franchise. She is the daughter of the Evil Queen.
 Natalie Portman played an Evie in V for Vendetta and Rachel Weiss bore it in The Mummy.
 Evie, of course, can stand on its own, but its diminutive origins put it firmly in the ranks of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/508/cute-baby-names-for-girls">cute baby names</a>

Evie

Ezra is a biblical favorite for boys that's been making inroads into the girls' Top 1000 recently and continues to rise. 
 
Though it was given to 450 baby girls in 2022, that's still below the 10% cutoff required to make a name truly unisex. Nearly 8000 baby boys were named Ezra last year and its star continues to rise for boys too.
 Lovers of Ezra for a girl might like the pretty Turkish name Esra, which sounds pretty much identical.

Ezra

This sweet little acronym, popularized in the age of texting, has established itself as a baby name. The similarity to Ivy, Isla and Riley/Miley has undoubtedly played a role.

Isla is a hit name throughout the English-speaking world but hasn't found the same popularity in other western countries, perhaps because its spelling and pronunciation don't make sense for those whose native language is not English. Think island without the final two letters.

Adding to the confusion, the name is a twin of the Spanish word for island, which is pronounced EES-la. Isla is part of a trend for simple, old-fashioned <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> that start and end with a vowel: Ava, Ada, Ella, Emma, Eva, Ida, Ivy. 
 
Red-haired actress Isla Fisher, married to Sacha Baron Cohen, propelled the name to stardom. Isla Black Hitchens is a Harry Potter character; Queen Elizabeth has a great-granddaughter named Isla Elizabeth Phillips. 
Some other similar names that are not as trendy as Isla: Islay and Ailsa.

Isla

The quirky, offbeat and energetic botanical name Ivy is enjoying a deserved revival, propelled even higher by its choice by high-profile parents Beyonce and Jay-Z for daughter Blue Ivy. Ivy is also traditionally used at Christmas, make this one of the perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/577/names-for-december-babies">names for December babies</a>.
 Ivy is derived from the name of the ivy plant, which got its name from the Old English word ifig. Ancient Greeks presented an ivy wreath to newlyweds as a symbol of fidelity. In the language of flowers, Ivy signifies faithfulness.
 British novelist Ivy Compton-Burnett is a notable namesake and Ivy Baker Priest served as U.S. Secretary of Treasury. Another association is the prestigious Ivy League. 
Ivy has been a favorite of scriptwriters—she's appeared on everything from 90210 to Gossip Girl, Dollhouse to Downton Abbey, and is the name of a 1970's American Girl doll.

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.

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.

Leigh

The fame of actress and Aerosmith daughter Liv Tyler helped to infuse life into this short but solid Scandinavian name that was chosen for her daughter by Julianne Moore.
 Liv Tyler was given the name after her mother, Bebe Buell, saw an image of Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann on the cover of TV Guide shortly before her daughter's birth.
 Liv combines the succinct charm of a nickname—people might assume it's short for Olivia—with the solidity of being a classic stand-alone Scandinavian name with a life-force meaning.
 Unlike its popular cousin Olivia, Liv has never risen that high in the US ranks, but it is a Top 100 girls' name in a range of international places, from Scandinavia to Switzerland to Israel.

Livvy

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. 

Lizzie

Lizzy

This name of a character played by Kirsten Dunst in the movie Virgin Suicides, originally a novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, is gaining attention, also thanks to the heroine Lux, Lady of Luminosity in the League of Legends games. Luz is the Spanish version.

Mavie is cute as can be, and feels stylish today as similar-sounding Maeve rising in popularity. Mavie may be inspired by the French phrase "ma vie" — meaning "my life". Mavie can also be a diminutive of classic Mavis.

Soccer star Neymar Jr. and girlfriend Bruna Biancardi named their daughter Mavie in 2023.

Mavie

In Greek mythology, Nyx was a powerful goddess and the embodiment of the night, but when spoken, its negative meaning can't be ignored. 

Paz, currently represented by actresses Paz Vega and Paz de la Huerts, would make a sparkling middle name choice. It originated as a title of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Peace, and is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/411/baby-names-that-mean-peace">names that mean peace</a>, derived from the Latin word "pax".
 Pazia is an attractive elaboration, while Pazit (pronounced Pah-ZEET) and Pazya are Hebrew variations. Paz in Hebrew means "gold".

Mia, Gia, and now Sia! 

Born Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, the Australian singer-songwriter scored a major international hit with "Chandelier" in 2014, and put her short, uncommon name on the radar. 

Sia can be a variation of the many Old Norse names derived from the element sigr, victory. But it could also be short for names like Sophia, Sienna, and Cecilia. One of those <a href="https://nameberry.com/lists/category/unusual-names">uncommon names</a> that also simple and approachable.

Although Sylvia seems to be having somewhat of a revival among trendsetting baby namers, we'd still opt for the even gentler and more unusual Sylvie. Despite being dated in its native France (where it was popular during the 1950s and 60s), in English-speaking regions it still feels fresh and international without being unfamiliar and has a cosmopolitan, international air. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2016.
 Jason Bateman chose it as the middle name of his daughter Maple. In one of Lewis Carroll's lesser known novels, Sylvie and Bruno, Lady Sylvie is the princess of Fairyland.

Sylvie

Like Vita and Viva, one of several similar life-affirming names, this one was chosen by Matthew McConaughey and his Portuguese-born wife Camila.  

Vida may also be a diminutive of Davida. Australian suffragette and human rights campainer Vida Goldstein is an notable bearer of this name.

Vida

Vital and vivacious, Vita is stirring back to life along with many of her V-themed sisters -- Vivian, Vivica -- and is becoming a new celebrity baby favorite. 

Vita Sackville-West was a British author and garden designer in the early 20th century, most famous as the friend and lover of Virginia Woolf.

Vita

Viva la baby with this life-affirming name, one of the appealing group of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/607/girl-names-that-mean-life">girl names that mean life</a>.! Singer Rufus Wainwright chose it for his baby daughter, perhaps in celebration of a new life entering the world the year after he lost his mother Kate McGarrigle. The baby's middle name is Katherine. 
 Viva (born Janet Susan) was one of Andy Warhol's single-named superstars.
 Other related life-giving names on the rise: cousins Vida and Vita, and Vivian, Aviva, and even Zoe.

Viva

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

Vivia

Vivian, once an elderly lady name, is on the rise, along with all form of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/607/girl-names-that-mean-life">girl names that mean life</a> -- from Zoe to Eva to those who share the vivid Viv syllable. It was one of the fastest-rising names of 2023, vaulting into the Top 100.
 The name is famous in legend and literature from Vivian, the enchantress of Merlin in the Arthurian romances, spelled Vivien in Tennyson's Idylls of the King. Originally Vivian was the male form, Vivien the female: Vivien Leigh, for some reason, changed her name from Vivian. Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone have a daughter named Vivian, as do Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady. A memorable movie Vivian was played by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.
 Vivienne, the elaborated Gallic version, chosen first by Rosie O'Donnell for her daughter and then catapulted to superstardom when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie used it for their twin daughter. This celebrity stamp of approval has given Vivienne a recent boost in popularity. An adult namesake is the British designer Vivienne Westwood.

Vivian

Xen might also be a minimalist reduction of Alexandra.

Still projects the potent allure of television's warrior princess. 

Xena

A modern invented name, possibly a variation on Ziola, which comes from Greek Zoilos meaning "lively". It appears in several songs by the band Jane's Addiction, inspired by the adopted name of a former girlfriend of one of the band members.

Xiola

Zoe is one of those popular names that's inspired many spelling variations, and Xoe is one of the new ones. A simple name sure to attract a lot of attention.

When aspiring British writer Sadie Smith decided to change her name to the more distinctive and zippy Zadie at the age of fourteen, this attention-magnet name was born.  But though it might sound like a modern initial-switch, Zadie was actually Number 539 in 1881, remaining in the Top 1000 for almost thirty years.

Zadie

Zaela

Sometimes cited as an Anglicized form of the Spanish name Rosalia/Rosaelia, Zaelia may also derive from other similar-sounding names, like Azalea, Zelia or Zélie. With high-value Scrabble letters and the "ay" sound bang on-trend, it's surprising that this striking name remains so rare.

Zaelia

Zahar

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.

Zahra

Joining Maia, Raya, and Kaia, is alluring, evocative Zaia. Possibly a variation of the Italian surname Saia, meaning "kind of cloth", or potentially stemming from the Italian dialect word zaia meaning "wicker basket", Zaia is full of energy and style. While yet to crack the US Top 1000, Zaia is rising fast. The name was given to 119 babies in 2023, versus only 47 in 2022.

Zaia

Could be some disconnect between spelling and pronunciation. 

Zaida

Zaila

Zailee

Zaki

Strong cross-cultural name that could be a feminine spin on the Zachary family. 

Zakia

Zandi

A feminine multicultural nickname name perfectly able to stand on its own. 

Zanna

Zara has multiple origins, but most notably is a variation of Zahrah, a name derived from the Arabic zahrah, meaning "blooming flower." Zara can also be a diminutive of the Bulgarian name Zaharina, a feminine form of the Hebrew Zechariah. Today, Zara is heavily associated with the Spanish fast-fashion empire of the same name.
 
Zara is an evocative name, often used in early movies and novels for a sultry character from the East — Greta Garbo played one in the 1932 film As You Desire Me. Britain's Princess Anne defied royal convention by giving her daughter the Arabic name in 1981, thus bestowing on Zara instant upper-class status.
 One of the first uses of Zara was by William Congreve in his 1697 play The Mourning Bride as the name of an African queen. Zara, Priestess of the Golden Flame, also was a Wonder Woman comic book villain.
 Zara can also be spelled Zarah or Zahra, as Chris Rock did for his daughter. The related Zahara is the name of Brad and Angelina's oldest daughter.
 
Possible downside:the Zara clothing stores now in many malls.

Zara

This contemporary creation plays on a couple of trends by applying the attractive Z to the rhyming family of names including Hailey, Bailey, and Kayley. The -ee suffix is the icing on the cake. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2015.

Zaylee

Zayley -- which may also be styled Zaylee or Zaylie or Zalie, among other spellings -- is a member of the squad of names that include Bailey, Hayley, and Kaylee and is always welcoming new members.

Zayley

Zayna is a simplified spelling of Zaynab, the name of the eldest daughter of Muhammad, and also the feminine version of Zayn. Zaina is a widely-used spelling variation. Zainabu is another form of the name, also found in Swahili.

Zayna

Funky choice with za-za-zoom. Zaza could be used as a nickname for almost any name with the "za" cluster, including Elizabeth and Esperanza.

Zaza

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. Actress Zazie Beetz, Emmy-nominated for her supporting role in FX's Atlanta, has lent new verve and energy to this already upbeat, on-trend name.

Zazie

Zazu

Zeena

Zeeva

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.

Zelie

This is an African name that would fit into any culture. 

Zella

Zellah

Zelpha

The advent of Zemi is likely due to the ultra-stylish name Remi, which has been picking up steam for girls and boys. Zemi debuted in 2020, when it was given to six baby girls.
 
In the Taíno culture of the Caribbean, a zemi was a god or ancestral spirit.

Zemi

Parents searching for a simple, peaceful name may be attracted to this one.

Familiar through the similarly pronounced TV Warrior Princess, but the original Xena spelling is cooler. 

Zena

Zephyrus was the Greek god of the west wind, and all names associated with him have a pleasantly gentle, breezy feel. 

Zephyr

The sixth letter of the Greek alphabet, popularized by Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones -- Zeta was her grandmother's first name.  Zeta can also refer to the letter Z, the last in the Roman alphabet, or be a spelling variation of Zita, a name with several possible origins and meanings.

Zeta

Zettie

A short and zippy name that would blend right in with but also stand out among a group of girls named Mia, Gia, Lia and Tia. If you're searching for <a href="https://nameberry.com/girl-names">girl names</a> that work in many cultures, this is an accessible yet distinctive choice. One caveat though: in an Italian-American family it would be strange to have a baby named Aunt.

Ziola is a Zoe relative via Zoila, the feminine form of the Ancient Greek name Zoilos or Zoilus, borne by a 4th century BC cynic philosopher.

Zoilos adopted a name meaning "Homer whipper" for himself.

Ziola

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

Zita

Possibly a variation of the ultra-popular Greek Zoe, Zoa was given to around 2 dozen baby girls each recent year.

Zoelie, also spelled Zoélie, looks like a modern elaboration of Zoe but may have deeper roots. It is thought to be a form of Zoelle, a feminization of Zoel, the French version of the saintly name Zoellus. His name seems to be a form of Zoilos... which itself comes from the same root as Zoe, meaning "life"! Whether it's ancient or modern, Zoelie is a pretty name that might appeal as an unusual alternative to Sylvie and Coralie.

Zoelie

A modern combo name created from Zoe + Ella – or, in the case of influential British Youtuber Zoella, from Zoë + Elizabeth.

Zoella

Zoelle is a modern-sounding name combining the stylish Zoe, which means life, with the trendy Elle, French for "she". Could make for a zippier spin on sweet Noelle.

Zoelle

A unique relative of Zoe via the Ancient Greek name Zoilos, borne by a 4th century BC cynic philosopher. 

Zoila

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.

Zola

Zora is a meaningful literary heroine name honoring Zora Neale Hurston, an important black writer and leader of the Harlem Renaissance. 
 Spelled Zorah, it is a biblical place name, and is also the name of a character in the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta Ruddigore.
 Fairly well used from the 1880s until 1940, Zora reached a high of Number 293 in 1885.

Zora

A star in the constellation of Leo, perfect for a sci fi character but for a baby, not so much.

Zosma

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. 

Zoya

Zareeb

Zelig 

Zeline 

Zuza

Zélie 

MiaLen's list "Alternatives to Zoe or Zoey" of 82 great name ideas: Aiza - Zélie !

Alternatives to Zoe or Zoey

Here are some excellent alternatives to Zoe and Zoey, two lovely greek names with spirited meanings. 