My Girl Names

Hazel

English

"the hazelnut tree"

Hazel has a pleasantly hazy, brownish-green-eyed, old-fashioned image that more and more parents are choosing to share. Former Old Lady name Hazel reentered the popularity lists in 1998 and now is…

Cataleya

Flower name, from English surname

"Cattley's flower"

Cataleya is the name of a genus of orchids that gained visibility as a baby name after it was used for the character played by Zoe Saldana in Colombiana. Part Caitlin, part Aaliyah, and part Leah,…

Briella

Short form of Gabriella

"God is my strength"

If you feel, as many parents do, that Gabby or Gabi is too harsh a short form for the mellifluous name Gabriella, try Brie, Brielle, or Briella.

Cashmere

Word name, English from Hindi

"fine, downy wool"

Cashmere is soft, luxurious — and way out of the ordinary. One of the unique names found in The Hunger Games series, you might be surprised to learn that this fabric name has been appearing in the US…

Chrysanthemum

Greek

"gold flower"

One of the rarest of the flower names, that of the blossom celebrated in Japan as a symbol of the sun and a possible object of meditation. One of the rare flower names counted among names for autumn…

Clementina

Spanish feminine form of Clement, Latin

"mild, merciful"

The Spanish version, with its -eena ending, takes the name out of the Oh My Darlin' realm, which for many American parents may be just the thing.

Elizabella

English combination of Eliza + Bella

"pledged to God + beautiful"

Elizabella is a much more obscure smoosh than sisters Isabella and Annabelle, but the megapopularity of Isabella may give this unusual combo name a boost.

Foxy

Word and animal name

Your teenager will either love you or hate you for choosing this name. Better: Fox.

Goddess

Word name

Talk about pressure! Too much name for any little girl to bear.

Leire

Basque place name

Also spelled Leyre and taken from the name of a monastery fortress, the popular and lilting choice in Spain will pose pronunciation problems elsewhere. Among the Top 100 girls' names in Spain, Leire…