Anna Banana's List of Girl Names

Amika

Japanese

"second + beautiful + fragrance"

An undiscovered "A sandwich" name that feels familiar yet distinctive.

Marissa

Variation of Maris or a combination of Maria + Louisa

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + famous battle"

Pretty feminissima name that never became as overused as cousin Melissa. The more streamlined Maris is a more modern sounding option. Namesakes include Marissa Mayer, the former CEO of Yahoo!. The…

Ondine

Latin

"little wave"

Mythological spirit of the waters; spelled Undine, she was an Edith Wharton heroine.

Sereia

Portuguese

"mermaid"

The lovely Sereia is the Portuguese word for mermaid but can also be used as a name. English speakers may shy away from the name because of pronunciation questions and indeed, any little Sereia…

Marin

Latin

"of the sea"

Marin is a lovely county north of San Francisco, and a lovely baby name on the rise, one which sounds more refreshing than the more familiar Marina. As a place-name, Marin is pronounced with the…

Galia

Galia is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Hebrew, it means 'wave of God' or 'God will redeem,' while in Russian and Slavic languages, it serves as a diminutive of Galina, meaning…

Indra

Sanskrit, Latvian

"possessing drops of rain; reed, water witch; estate ruler"

In Hindu tradition, Indra is the warrior god of sky and rain, whose name is often used as element of other names, such as Jaswinder or Rajendra. Its use as a feminine name may come from the Western…

Diondra

Diondra is a feminine given name that appears to be an elaborated form of Dionne or Dion. The name likely has Greek roots, potentially relating to Dion (meaning "of Zeus") with an added suffix. The…

Nerissa

Greek

"from the sea"

An offbeat possible replacement for the overused Melissa and Marisa, Nerissa was used by Shakespeare for Portia's witty confidante in The Merchant of Venice . Queen Elizabeth has a cousin named…

Asherah

Sumerian

"she who treads on the sea"

Asherah is probably one of the most ancient of mother goddess symbols, recorded in the pantheons of several civilisations from the tenth century BCE. As the mother to innumerable gods and goddesses,…

Isadora

Greek

"gift of Isis"

For a long time, Isadora has been overlooked in favor of Isabella, owing perhaps to its association with the tragic modern dancer, Isadora Duncan, or because parents would rather their daughter be a…