Girl Names
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- Adriana
Origin:
Latin, feminine variation of AdrianMeaning:
"man of Adria"Description:
This a-ending feminine form of Adrian, from the northern Italian city of Adria, is a soft and lovely Italian choice. It appears as a character in Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors.
- Adrianna
Origin:
Feminine variation of AdrianMeaning:
"man of Adria"Description:
A popular spelling variation of Adriana.
- Alison
Origin:
Norman French, diminutive of AliceMeaning:
"noble"Description:
Alison has been long popular in Scotland and widely used here since the fifties. This more feminine medieval elaboration of Alice had long surpassed the original in popularity, but now sounds a tad dated in the U.S., with Alice having leapfrogged back over Alison, Allison, Alicia and other variations.
- Allison
Origin:
Scottish, diminutive of AliceMeaning:
"noble"Description:
Widely used here since the fifties, Allison -- a derivative of Alice -- has now been once again surpassed by the original Alice as parents embrace vintage revivals. Despite this, Allison's popularity has slipped only slightly.
- Anabella
Origin:
Spanish variation of AnnabelMeaning:
"loving"Description:
We like all forms of this name—Annabel, Anabel, Annabelle, Anabela, and Annabella—so you decide how elaborate you want to get. Actress Sela Ward chose the Anabella spelling.
- Annabelle
Origin:
Combination of Anna and Belle or French form of AmabelMeaning:
"loving"Description:
This is a charming name that rose steeply along with other-belle names, such as Isabelle, until the horror film Annabelle and its sequels knocked it out of favor. Made famous by the Edgar Allen Poe poem Annabel Lee. Annabelle is saucy and stylish, a tad upscale, has a sense of humor, is melodious and lively, but is unfortunately off its peak.
- Arabella
Origin:
Latin, ScottishMeaning:
"yielding to prayer; lovable"Description:
Arabella, lovely and elegant, has long been well used in Britain and finally made it onto the American list in 2005. A Top 50 choice in the UK, in the US in remains in the Top 300, given to around 1300 babies each year.
- Arianna
Origin:
Italian form of Ariadne, GreekMeaning:
"most holy"Description:
A smooth, attractive choice, Arianna's on the rise with both single and double 'r's and 'n's. Single 'r' double 'n' Arianna — the second most popular version of the name — is these days associated with Greek-born blog queen Arianna Huffington.
- Aubrey
Origin:
English from French version of German AlbericMeaning:
"elf ruler"Description:
Almost like a fusion between vintage Audrey, bubbly Ruby, and unisex Avery, Aubrey has been a popular choice for girls since the mid 2000’s.
- Audrey
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"noble strength"Description:
Audrey is one of the girls' names that have been rising due to their connection to Old Hollywood glamour—in this case the eternally chic and radiant Audrey Hepburn. Audrey has another very different appeal as one of the elite group of girl names that mean strong, brave, or powerful.
- Breanna
Origin:
Spelling variation of BrianaDescription:
The further you move away from the original Briana, the feminine form of Brian first used by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queen, the more invented and less authentic you get. But many parents want the distance from Brian as Breanna -- or Breana or Breeanna or any of the other variations -- feels more like its own name.
- Brianna
Origin:
Feminine variation of BrianMeaning:
"strong, virtuous and honorable"Description:
Brianna's popularity in the US came later than father name Brian's, peaking in the 1990s, two decades after Brian's Top 10 reign of the 1970s.
- Catherine
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"pure"Description:
Catherine is one of the oldest and most consistently well-used girls’ names, with endless variations and nicknames. The Catherine form feels more gently old-fashioned and feminine than the more popular K versions. Most stylish nickname for Catherine right now: Kate...or Cate, a la Blanchett.
- Delilah
Origin:
Hebrew or ArabicMeaning:
"delicate"Description:
Melodic and lively, Delilah has cut itself (mostly) free from its treacherous past to become a contemporary favorite.
- Emily
Origin:
Feminine variation of Emil, LatinMeaning:
"rival"Description:
Emily may have dropped somewhat in the current standings, but it was the most popular girls' name for over a decade because it appeals on many levels: Emily is feminine, classic, simple, pretty, and strong. Emily is Number 1 among Gen Z names. It also has those nice literary namesakes, like Emily Dickinson and Emily Brontë.
- Jasmine
Origin:
Flower name, from PersianMeaning:
"gift from God"Description:
Jasmine was derived from the Persian word yasmin, referring to the jasmine flower. Scented oil was made from the plant, and it was used as a perfume throughout the Persian Empire. Variants include Jazmin, Yasmin, Yasmine, and Jessamine.
- Kaitlyn
Origin:
Spelling variation of CaitlinMeaning:
"pure"Description:
A huge name in the late 90's and most of the 00's, Kaitlyn's been on a downward trend in recent years. Kaitlyn and its soundalikes have been so well used in the US that they can no longer be seen as fresh, but it's still relatively popular in Canada.
- Katherine
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"pure"Description:
Katherine is one of the oldest, most diverse, and all-around best names: it's powerful, feminine, royal, saintly, classic, popular, and adaptable. Long one of the top girls' names starting with K, Katherine has now been unseated on the popularity list by upstarts Kennedy and Kinsley, but a dip in popularity only adds to its charm.
- Madelyn
Origin:
Variation of Madeline, EnglishMeaning:
"woman from Magdala or high tower"Description:
Capturing some of the playful elegance of Madeleine, while avoiding any confusion over end sound, Madelyn is now an established spelling variation of the French classic. Sweet but strong, Madelyn is a versatile choice that lends itself to the almost inevitable nickname Maddy.
- Madison
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"son of Matthew"Description:
Since we wrote a book called Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana, encouraging parents to move beyond overused names, it's no secret what we think of this trendy surname name, inspired by a mermaid named Madison in the 1980s movie Splash.