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Joanna
Variation of Johanna
"God is gracious"
Joanna derives from the Greek name Ioanna, which in turn came from the Hebrew name Yohannah. It is featured in the New Testament as a woman who accompanied Jesus on his travels and eventually reached…
Francesca
Italian variation of Frances, Latin
"from France or free man"
Francesca is a lighter and much more feminine choice than the classic Frances, and one that is increasingly popular with upscale parents. Francesca made an appearance in Dante's Inferno and then,…
Dante
Latin diminutive of Durant
"enduring"
Though closely associated with the great medieval Florentine poet Dante Alighieri -- who's so famous most people skip the last name -- it's not as much of a one-man name as you might think. Heck,…
Harlow
English surname
"rock hill or army hill"
Jean Harlow (born Harlean Carpenter), the original platinum blonde bombshell, was a symbol of 1930s glamour, a factor that first Patricia Arquette and then Nicole Richie and Joel Madden probably had…
Morgan
Welsh
"sea-born, sea-song or sea-circle"
Morgan has long been a traditional Welsh male name, a variant of the Old Welsh name Morcant, from the Welsh elements mor , meaning "sea" and cant , "circle." The female Morgan is unrelated to the…
Brooke
English
"small stream"
Brooke has long projected an aura of sleek sophistication, and can also be seen as a stylish water name. It was Brooke Shields (born Christa) who took it from quietly fashionable to ultra trendy when…
Colette
French, short form of Nicole, feminine variation of Nicholas, Greek
"people of victory"
Like the French author with whom the name is most closely associated, Colette is a chic and charming name, sharp, stylish, and feminine but without the frills of Nicolette. After disappearing from…
Marley
English
"pleasant seaside meadow"
Reggae master Bob's surname was one of the biggest risers on the popularity charts for girls in 2008, with spellings Marlee and Marely also leaping in favor. Also used for boys, Marley is one of the…
Heidi
Diminutive of Adelheid; German
"noble, nobility"
Heidi became known — and popular — via the 1880 eponymous children's classic by Swiss writer Johanna Spyri and, despite decades of American Heidis of all sizes, shapes, and personalities, the name…
Colin
Diminutive of Nicholas or Irish and Scottish
"people of victory; pup"
Thanks to its dashing Anglo-Irish image — due partly to Colins Firth and Farrell — and its C-initialed two-syllable sound, Colin and its cousin Collin have enjoyed a long run of popularity, reaching…
Rebecca
Hebrew
"to tie, bind"
Rebecca is a name representing beauty in the Bible, an Old Testament classic that reached the heights of revived popularity in the seventies but is still a well-used choice. It derives from the…
Hope
Virtue name
Can a name as virtuous as Hope be cool and trendy? Strangely enough -- yes. But though this optimistic Puritan favorite is experiencing substantial popularity, Hope is too pure and elegant to be…
Ariel
Hebrew
"lion of God"
Ariel is a male Biblical name, seen there as the messenger of Ezra, and also used as a symbolic name for the city of Jerusalem, while Shakespeare used it for a (male) sprite in The Tempest . For…
Gwendolyn
Variation of Gwendolen, Welsh
"white ring"
One spelling variation that's more popular than the original, this somewhat old-fashioned name might be in honor of poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African-American to win a Pulitzer prize for…
Helena
Latinate form of Helen, Greek
"torch; shining light"
Helena is one of those classic names that just misses making the US Top 1000 girl names for its entire history, falling off for a single year in 1992. Since then it's been drifting lazily up the…
Vanessa
Literary invention; also a species of butterfly
Vanessa was invented by writer Jonathan Swift for a lover named Esther Vanhomrigh—he combined the first syllable of her last name with the initial syllable of her first. Swift used it in the poem…
Laura
English from Latin
"from Laurentum or bay laurel"
Laura is a hauntingly evocative perennial, never trendy, never dated, feminine without being fussy, with long-standing literary links. All this makes Laura a more solid choice than any of its more…
Nicole
French feminine variation of Nicholas, Greek
"people of victory"
Nicole was derived from Nicholas, the English variation of the Greek Nikolaos, composed of the compounds nike , meaning "victory," and laos , "people." The variation Nicole arose in the Middle Ages…
Florence
Latin
"flourishing, prosperous"
Florence is back, returning to the US Top 1000 girl names in 2017 after a nearly 40 year absence. Other English-speaking countries have been quicker to welcome Florence back into fashion. The name…
Raphael
Hebrew
"God has healed"
Raphael is a romantic archangel name that sounds both artistic and powerful. Raphael is also a great cross-cultural choice, with significance for people with both Latinate and Jewish roots, plus…