My favorite girl names

Luna

Latin

"moon"

The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is derived straight from the Latin word for moon, luna. Luna may be the name most likely to surprise someone from an older generation by its Top 10…

Vera

Russian

"faith"

Vera was the height of fashion in 1910, then was for a long time difficult to picture embroidered on a baby blanket. Now, though, it has come back into style along with other old-fashioned simple…

Joanna

Variation of Johanna

"God is gracious"

Joanna derives from the Greek name Ioanna, which in turn came from the Hebrew name Yohannah. It is featured in the New Testament as a woman who accompanied Jesus on his travels and eventually reached…

Ela

Turkish

"terebinth tree"

A sweet, simple mini-name that fits into many cultures. The only drawback is the potential for confusion with Ella, Ayla, and other similar names.

Marce

Marce is a feminine name with Latin origins, derived from the name Marcus, which means 'dedicated to Mars,' the Roman god of war. It can be considered a shortened form of Marceline, Marcella, or…

Essie

English diminutive of Esther, Persian, or Estelle, French

"star"

Cute short form of Esther, now associated with the iconic nail polish brand.

Ginny

Diminutive of Virginia, Ginevra, Genevieve, or Imogen

"virgin, pure; white wave; maiden"

A nickname to Latin Virginia, French Genevieve, Italian Ginevra, English Imogen, and any other name with the 'gin' sound in there, Ginny ranked in the latter end of the US charts in the mid 20th…

Bellatrix

Latin

"female warrior"

J.K. Rowling is a modern master of naming who brought a whole constellation of ancient and celestial names to modern parents. Bellatrix, of one of the stars of Orion, combines fashionable names Bella…