Latin Word Names for Girls

Gloria is beginning to move beyond its de-glamorized Grandma image, most recently thanks to glamorous young Hollywood parents Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, who chose it for their second daughter. Gyllenhaal was quoted as saying they had been inspired by Patti Smith's rendition of the Van Morrison song "Gloria" at a concert and thought " 'We'll name our daughter that one day'."

Could be the next Nova, now that celestial baby names are in the ascendent.

Palma is an appealing Latin name that's both geographical and botanical, referring to the sunny and culturally rich capital of Majorca and to the foliage of a palm tree. As the word for "palm" in Spanish, Italian, and Croatian, it is occasionally given to girls born on Palm Sunday, and with its similarity to the likes of Alma, Thelma, Velma, and Wilma, it appeared in the US Top 1000 in the early 20th century.