My top girl names

Amelia

German

"work"

Amelia is one of the hottest girls' names , a successor to the megapopular Emma and Emily. Amelia, the Number 2 choice in England, is now also comfortably ensconced in the US Top 10, where it ranked…

Everly

English

"wild boar in woodland clearing"

Sweet and stylish, with a sporty, energetic undertone, Everly is a name that ticks lots of boxes. It's a contemporary choice that doesn't sound invented; it's got unisex appeal but still sounds…

Mabel

Diminutive of Amabel, Latin

"lovable"

Mabel is cuddly Victorian favorite rising in popularity in the US, after a 50-year nap If you love offbeat old-fashioned names like Violet or Josephine, only sassier and bubblier, Mabel is one for…

Coraline

Variation of Coralie, French from Latin

"coral"

Coraline may not be original to Neil Gaiman's wonderful book of the same name, but it might as well be. Gaiman's young heroine Coraline Jones is constantly called Caroline but as a name Coraline is…

Inaya

Arabic, Bengali and Urdu

"care, concern"

Inaya is a soft and expressive name that derives from the Arabic word "inayah", meaning "care, concern, help". It is an indirect Qur'anic name, and the strictly feminine form of the unisex Inayat . A…

Indigo

Greek

"Indian dye"

Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from…

Imogen

Celtic

"maiden"

Imogen has long been fashionable in England and is gaining favor in the US among stylish parents. Pronounced the British way — the initial i is short as in Kim, as is the final E as in Ken — Imogen…

Sidra

Latin, Hebrew, Arabic

"like a star; order, sequence; lotus tree"

Sidra is an uncommon name shared by a gulf off the coast of Libya. Popular in the Jewish community of North Africa, its Hebrew meaning refers to a weekly reading portion of the Torah. In Arabic, it's…

Sabine

French, German, and Dutch form of Sabina, Latin

"Sabine"

A concise choice with a hint of chic, Sabine is the French, Dutch, and German form of the Latin Sabina. While it has never charted in the US, Sabine saw a slight increase in use in recent data, with…

Echo

Greek mythology name

"echo or sound"

Echo, the pretty, resonant name of a legendary nymph, was the heroine of Joss Whedon's sci-fi series Dollhouse . Nick Hexum, of the band 311, named his daughter Echo Love. In the Greek myth, Echo was…

Zosia

Variant of Sophia, Greek

"wisdom"

This unusual and alluring choice was used by David Mamet for his daughter, who is now grown and an actress on the hit show Girls .

Savina

Italian variation of Sabina

Saint Savina of Milan gave comfort to prisoners. Her name is a variation of the Latin Sabina, which refers to the Sabine people. Not completely unknown in the US, there were 25 baby girls named…

Joya

Elaboration of Joy or variation of Joia, English, Catalan, Spanish

"joy, happiness; jewel, gem"

A bright and cheerful name, Joya may be considered an elaboration of the word name Joy and a variation of Joia, a multicultural choice with its roots in Catalan, Medieval English, and Judeo-French…

Gioia

Italian

"joy"

Prettier than Joy and just beginning to be used here.

Solveig

Norse

"the strong house; the way of the sun"

Currently popular in Norway where it ranks in the Top 50, Solveig is a sunny but strong choice, also familiar across Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Finland. It notably appears as the name of the…

Kiva

Hebrew, variant of Akiva

"protect"

The spiritual sounding Kiva has a number of other-worldly associations. Kiva is a "Stargate" character who becomes a commander in the Lucian Alliance, as well as a planet in "Star Wars." Kiva is also…

Pearla

Pearla is a feminine name derived from 'pearl,' the precious gem formed within oysters. This variation adds a softened, more feminine ending to the direct gem name. While Pearl gained popularity…