My Girls Names Master List

Elke

Dutch, German, and Frisian diminutive of Adelheid

"noble"

Though she has long stood on her own, Elke has many longer cross-cultural connections, to the Dutch/German/Scandinavian Adelheid and Alice and the English Adelaide, as a feminine version of Elkanah…

Maddalena

Maddalena is the Italian form of Magdalene, a name with biblical significance referring to Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus's most devoted followers. The name derives from Magdala, a village on the Sea…

Cerelia

Latin

"relating to springtime"

Cerelia is a melodic and unusual choice, perfect for a child born in April or May. Another version is Cerella.

Zenovia

Russian form of Zenobia, Greek

"force of Zeus"

Zenovia makes Zenobia even more unusual. This mythology-adjacent name is worth a look.

Amidala

Italian

"beautiful flower"

An attractive enough name, but for die-hard Star Wars fans only.

Phyllis

Greek

"green bough"

Phyllis has been used by classical poets for the idealized pastoral maiden. A Greek mythological name of a woman who was turned into an almond tree, Phyllis was in the Top 100 from 1916 to 1958,…

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.

Zarina

Persian

"a golden vessel"

Derived from Persian zarin "golden", Zarina is a strong and sparkling name used in multiple languages, including Kazakh, Urdu and Malay. It was the name of an ancient Scythian queen, and also sounds…