User-created list
By kiira · Updated November 2022
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English, diminutive of Theresa
"to harvest"
Cosy and warm but with plenty of substance and strength, Tess is a literary diminutive that works perfectly well as a stand-alone name. Stylish in the Netherlands, it currently sits outside the Top…
Greek
"protectress"
She was queen of the Greek gods, both sister and wife to Zeus, but the name of her Roman counterpart Juno has become much more fashionable these days. That said, we think Hera has possibilities today…
Russian, diminutive of Veronika; Slovenian; Croatian, feminine form of Nicholas
Enticing modern nickname name possibility.
Dutch variation of Ilsa
"pledged to God"
Pronounced with two syllables, as if spelled Ilsa, Ilse is popular in The Netherlands and may rise here with cousin Elsa.
Welsh
"love"
Light, pretty and distinctive in appearance, Carys is one of that sweet group of girl names with a loving meaning. A relatively modern name, it didn't come into use in its native Wales until the late…
Russian, Sanskrit
"victor; house"
Sharp and spiky with international potential, as a feminine name, Nikita has its roots in Hindi, Marathi, and ultimately Sanskrit. It comes from niketa , meaning "home, habitation", and may also be…
Short form of Eleanor
A sweet, breezy short form of Eleanor, that happens to coincide with the name of an ancient Italian town. It is a popular choice in Switzerland, Finland, and France, though the spellings Eléa and…
French variation of Viviana or Vivien
Viviane is one of a cluster of names that may or may not be related. They include the Latin Viviana, which means life, and its modern forms Vivian and the French form Vivienne. But Vivien, pronounced…
German variation of Elizabeth
Ilsa is remembered as the radiant but tragic heroine of "Casablanca," and it's having something of a European resurgence.
French
"cherry"
Infinitely preferable to the tease-inspiring English version of the word.
Italian variation of Vivian
"life"
Vivia, the fresh Italian version of newly popular name, streamlines and even vivifies the original.
"golden, yellow"
X marks the spot in names these days, usually at the middles or ends of names, but here is one that puts it squarely up front. This extravagant name, which, like many Greek names beginning with X, is…
Saara is a feminine name representing the Finnish and Estonian form of Sarah, which has Hebrew origins meaning "princess" or "noblewoman." This variation maintains the meaning of the original while…
"to admire"
A pretty name that may pose pronunciation problems for non-French speakers or those who've never encountered it, but it is worth the effort. Pronounced meer-AY (or closer to MEE-RAY in French), it…
"very fair, beautiful"
Anwen is one of the simplest and best of the classic Welsh girls' names, more unusual than Bronwen but with the same serene feel.
Russian variation of Jane
Makes Jane anything but plain.
"demi-god"
Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their…
German; Scandinavian; Finnish; Dutch; Slovene; Croatian, from Greek
"pure"
A sweet and international short form of Catherine, pronounced like Katya and used in various European languages.
Variation of Vienna, place-name
Vienne came to Western consciousness as the name of the French heroine of the popular 1990s book and then movie Chocolat . Vienne is a variation of Vienna, the name of the Austrian capital that has…
Irish
"fair or white"
Fionn is the Irish form of the name modernized as Finn, but popular in this form in Ireland, where it's in the boys' Top 20. A couple dozen baby boys in the US were named Fionn last year and no baby…
