Celebrity-esque Girls Names

Arbor

Nature name

Arbor is an original unisex tree-related choice we're sure to hear more of. Highly unusual now, Arbor takes its place alongside other new arborial names ranging from the mighty Oak (or Oakley) to the…

Aster

English; Amharic

"star"

This is a fresh new addition to the botanical list; comedian Gilbert Gottfried made it a real bouquet when he named his daughter Lily Aster. And the name of the little girl on television's Dexter…

Blaise

Latin

"one who stutters"

Despite its modern sound, Blaise has plenty of history as a given name (for boys), from a Christian martyr to Arthurian legends. Today Blaise feels like the cool and edgy Blaze with a French accent.

Bryony

Greek

"to sprout, to swell"

Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan…

Beverly

English

"dweller near the beaver stream"

The remarkable success of the girls' name Everly makes a revival of the name Beverly seem possible. More commonly a masculine name in the 19th century, it began to be used for girls in the early…

Bronwen

Welsh

"white breast"

Bronwen is widespread in Wales, but still rare enough here to sound somewhat international — we think Bronwen is a real winner. (Note: the Bronwyn spelling is an Anglicization, since the -wyn ending…

Clancy

Irish

"red-haired warrior"

Irish surnames are hot, and this one can successfully cross the line to work for girls, replacing the outdated Casey. And only a dozen girls were named Clancy in the US in one recent year (along with…

Channing

English or Irish

"people of Cana or wolf cub"

While the most famous Channing is the very male Channing Tatum, the name is now given about a third of the time for girls. Television executive Channing Dungey is a well-know example of a female…

East

English word name

"east"

North and West are easier on the ear, but this works fine if it has some significance for your family. Could be lengthened to Easton.

Enna

Enna is a feminine name with multiple possible origins, including as a variation of Anna (Hebrew for 'grace'), a shortened form of names like Ennaline or Marienna, or derived from the ancient city of…

Ebony

English

An attractive and now underused nature name belonging to a tree whose wood is prized for its dark color and dense texture, which shines when polished. Ebony joined the most popular girl names list in…

Fayette

Fayette is a feminine name with French origins, derived from the word 'fay' meaning 'fairy' or 'faith.' It gained recognition in America through the influence of the Marquis de Lafayette, a French…