Pretty Baby Names

Circe

Greek

"bird, hawk"

In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea (or Aiaia) who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to…

Silver

English word name

" a metallic chemical element with atomic number 47"

Among the first wave of word names used in the hippie era, it actually is a legitimate girl's name with a lot of luster.

Kieran

Irish

"little black-haired one"

Kieran is a boys' name that could cross over, as an update of outmoded Karen or a variation on trendy Kiera (or Keira or Kyra). Keren Ann is an Israeli-born singer. The proportion of babies named…

Teddy

Diminutive of Theodora, Greek

"gift of God"

Cute boyish short forms like Stevie, Scottie, Frankie and Billie are in some ways a relic of the past, when girls were given feminized versions of their father's names, but now, they're back in as…

Tory

English, diminutive of Victoria

"victory"

More modern nickname for Victoria than Vicky. Better known as Tori spelling.

Mckayla

Variation of Michaela

"who is like God"

Is this popular name really Michaela, or is it a combination of McKenna and Kayla. The real answer: it's a fusion of trends.

Harlie

Harlie is a contemporary feminine name that gained popularity as both a given name and nickname in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Originally a diminutive or variant of Harley, which derived…

Elsa

German diminutive of Elisabeth

"pledged to God"

Lost in limbo for decades and decades, Elsa now stands a good chance of following along in the progression from Emma to Ella to Etta, thanks to the ice queen heroine who "Let It Go" in the wildly…

Evangelynn

Evangelynn is a modern feminine name combining 'Evangel' (from Greek 'euangelion' meaning 'good news' or 'gospel') with the popular suffix '-lynn,' creating a name with religious undertones and…

Cosette

French literary nickname

"little thing"

Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables . In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some…

Demetria

Greek, alternate form of Demeter

Demetria is a dramatic ancient Greek earth goddess possibility with the star-studded nickname Demi. Young actor/singer/songwriter Demi Lovato was born Demetria, but contrary to common hearsay, Demi…

Jessamine

English from Persian

"jasmine"

Jessamine, a charming name occasionally heard in England, is just beginning to be appreciated in the U.S. as a possible successor to all the Jess names of the past. It's also spelled Jessamyn, as in…

Deanna

English variation of Diana, Latin, feminization of Dean

"divine; church official"

Though still being used, Deanna peaked many decades ago.

Pepper

English from Latin, Sanskrit, "the pepper plant; berry"

"the pepper plant; berry"

With its bubbly sounds and stylish feel, Pepper joins a small but distinctive group of names inspired by the spice rack: Saffron, Juniper, Cassia, Sage, Ginger, and Rosemary. Enough like Pippa, Piper…

Daenerys

Literary name

Daenerys is yet another girls' name invented by "Game of Thrones" author George R. R. Martin that is beginning to gain some traction in real life. Daenerys was used for 67 baby girls in 2013 while…

Zola

African, Congolese; also literary name

"piece of earth"

When the Eddie Murphys named their fourth daughter Zola, it affirmed the up-and-coming status of the name, which has African roots, but also literary links to Emile Zola. Zola may also be…