Special Girl Name

Amoret

Literary name

This lovely name from Spenser's The Faerie Queene is borne by a character who represents married love. A related unusual-yet-usable choice: Amabel.

Bettina

Diminutive of Elizabeth

"God is my oath"

Bettina is a dainty ballerina version of Betty, that has not been heard much since its 1950s-60s heyday. Bettina appeared in the Danielle Steele novel Loving, and in real life as one of Grace Kelly's…

Deirdre

Irish

"sorrowful"

Sadly, this strong Celtic name often has "of the sorrows" attached to it because of the tragic character in Irish legend. Also a bit drab when compared with newer Irish imports.

Elinor

Spelling variation of Eleanor, English, French

A sleek, literary alternative to Eleanor, this stripped back form of Eleanor is a well-established spelling. It notably appears in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility , borne by Elinor Dashwood,…

Ena

Diminutive of several names

Baby names that started off as diminutives -- Ena, Ita, Etta -- seem too insubstantial for a modern female.

Liesel

German diminutive of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Sweet but sleek, and distinctive, Liesel is an old German nickname-name for Elisabeth. It might have once seemed inextricably tied to to its country of origin, but now, like Elsa, Enzo, Saoirse,…

Maire

Finnish, Irish variation of Mary

"sweet; drop of the sea, bitter"

Both Maire and Mare have begun making inroads with parents seeking novel yet authentic ways of honoring an ancestral Mary. The Finnish variation derives from the word mairea , meaning "sweet."

Ronja

Swedish literary name

Pippi Longstocking author Astrid Lindgren invented the name Ronja for her book Ronja, the Robber's Daughter . She was inspired by the lake Juronjaure, located in Norrbotten, Sweden. Lindgren's…

Sonnet

English from Italian

"little song"

Could there be a more poetic name than Sonnet? Actor Forest Whitaker was inspired to choose it for his daughter. The word sonnet derives from the Italian sonetto , meaning 'little song.' And although…

Tala

Persian, Arabic, Tagalog, Samoan, Scandinavian

"gold; turmeric; star; story; noble"

Tala is a super multicultural name with roots in many diverse languages and cultures. In Northern Europe, especially in Scandinavia, it is a diminutive derived from Adelheid "noble", long used as a…