My Girly List

Aurora

Latin

"dawn"

The goddess name Aurora has consistently been on the US popularity list since the nineteenth century, but has really taken off in the past 30 years. Aurora also enjoys remarkable international…

Emersyn

Spelling variation of Emerson,

Parents of female Emersyns will say this Emerson variation's Y makes it more feminine -- and to some extent, it does. This, combined with the trendy Y, have flagged this name as on-the-rise. "Em"…

Dahlia

Flower name, from Swedish surname

"Dahl's flower"

One of the flower names, used occasionally in Britain (where it's pronounced DAY-lee-a). It seems to have recovered from what was perceived as a slightly affected la-di-dah air. The flower was named…

Norah

English, Arabic

"woman of honor, light"

The skyrocketing success of singer Norah Jones brought this spelling of the name onto the pop charts in 2003. As well as being a spelling variant of Nora in English, it's also an alternative…

Aurelia

Latin

"the golden one"

Aurelia is an ancient Roman name that's become a surprise hit in the contemporary world. A top favorite on Nameberry, it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 70-year absence and continues to…

Harley

English

"the long field"

Once a macho biker name, Harley is now showing its softer side. In the UK, Harley is predominantly masculine, but it's currently more popular for girls than boys in the US. Along with Harper and…

Calliope

Greek mythology

"beautiful voice"

Melodic and beautiful but with a touch of sass, Calliope is the name of the muse of epic poetry — and perhaps less glamorously, the musical instrument on the merry-go-round. Bold and creative, it…

Fiona

Scottish

"white, fair"

Fiona entered the American consciousness with the opening of the 1954 Broadway musical Brigadoon , but didn't come onto the U.S. popularity list until 1990. Fiona is the best known of a group of…

Callisto

Greek mythology

"most beautiful"

Best known as one of the moons of Jupiter, Callisto was a nymph coveted by Zeus who was turned into a bear by Hera, becoming the Great Bear (Ursa Major) constellation.

Dalilah

Variation of Delilah or Dalili

Names that sound and/or are spelled like Dalilah exist in several languages, from the Swahili Dalili to the Arabic Dalil to the Hebrew Delilah. While all these forms have pretty sounds, you'll…

Vivien

Latin

"life"

Vivien (Scarlett O'Hara) Leigh was born Vivian. Some sources give Vivien as a relative of the Irish goddess name Bebinn and a literary name invented by Tennyson. Others say it's related to the…

Nahla

Arabic

"a drink of water"

Nahla is a lovely name chosen by Halle Berry for her daughter. Not to be confused with the Disneyfied Nala.

Faline

Popular culture, Latin

"catlike"

For many, this is a Disneyfied name: Faline was the sweet doe Bambi fell in love with. The name is possibly based on Feline, a Latin name meaning "cat-like", however other sources suggest it comes…

Kallisto

Kallisto is a feminine name derived from ancient Greek mythology. It originates from the Greek word "kallistos," meaning "most beautiful." In mythology, Kallisto was a nymph who was transformed into…

Avalon

Celtic

"island of apples"

Avalon, an island paradise of Celtic myth and Arthurian legend--it was where King Arthur was taken to recover from his wounds-- and also the colorful capital of the California island of Catalina--…

Novalie

Elaboration of Nova, Latin

"new"

Novalie combines the uber stylish and starry Nova with the trendy -lie ending, making it even more modern sounding than it was before. Novalee appeared on the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2016,…