Female names - B-K

Isabeau

French variation of Isabel

"pledged to God"

With Isabel getting so popular, parents are searching for new varieties of the name, and Isabeau is one that makes a lovely French twist. Isabeau of Bavaria was the wife of King Charles VI of…

Isaura

Greek place-name

The name of an ancient country located in South Asia Minor, perfect for someone looking for a rare and feminine name with history.

Isolde

Welsh, German

"ice ruler"

Sleek, sharp, and soulful, Isolde is the German form of Iseult, the fabled lover of Tristan in the Arthurian romances. First appearing in the 12th-century, the name was fairly popular in the form of…

Ithaca

Place-name

The island home of Odysseus, and city site of Cornell University, sounds soft and pleasant enough to make it a candidate for babynamehood.

Izara

Arabic, Basque, Hausa

"shawl; star; section of tree"

Attractive, rhythmic choice with roots in several languages and cultures. It's a lesser-known a celestial name, meaning "star" in Basque and referring to a star in the constellation Boötes in Arabic.

Jacobina

English, Scottish, and Dutch feminization of Jacob, Hebrew

"supplanter"

Another, more feminine, female form of Jacob sometimes heard in Scotland.

Janvier

French word name

"January"

Used in France as a male name, this would make an appealing and unusual choice, as would two other Gallic month names, Avril and Mai.

Julienne

French from Latin

"youthful or sky father"

Fine in France, but here it means vegetables sliced into thin strips.

Juno

Latin

"queen of the heavens; young"

Juno is an ancient name that feels as fresh as if it had been minted, well, not yesterday, but in 2007. Since the release of the popular indie film Juno , this lively but strong Roman goddess name…

Kahlo

German

"bald"

Contrary to popular belief, the name Kahlo has German origins, rather than Spanish. It derives from kahl , a German word meaning "bald." Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo was born to a German father,…

Kasiani

Greek

"cinnamon"

Kasiani, also spelled Kassiani or Cassiane, is an ancient Greek name best known as the name of a saint famous as a hymnographer. The Hymn of Kasiani, traditionally sung on Tuesday of Easter Week in…

Keren

Hebrew

"ram's horn, ray of light"

Israeli-born singer Keren Ann introduced this traditional Hebrew name to the US, where it could well be mistaken for Karen. Nevertheless, 100 girls were given the name in a recent year.

Keturah

Hebrew

"incense"

Keturah, the Old Testament name of Abraham's second wife, is a possibility for anyone seeking a truly unusual and interesting biblical name; certainly a lot more distinctive than that of Abraham's…