Favorite Girl Names

  1. Abbott
    • Origin:

      Aramaic, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "father"
    • Description:

      This traditionally male surname name could find new life for girls thanks to its similarity to the popular Abby and Abigail.
  2. Abitha
    • Origin:

      Variation of Tabitha
    • Meaning:

      "gazelle"
    • Description:

      If Abigail's too popular and Tabitha is too...."Bewitched."
  3. Adelaide
    • Origin:

      Variant of Adelheidis, German
    • Meaning:

      "noble, nobility"
    • Description:

      Adelaide is now heading straight uphill on the coattails of such newly popular sisters as Ava, Ada, and Audrey, and in the company of Adeline and Amelia. It was chosen by actress Katherine Heigl for the name of her second daughter.
  4. Ainsley
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "one's own meadow"
    • Description:

      While theoretically unisex, this surname name has been edging up the girls’ names list, perhaps originally as an Ashley substitute. One quality in Ainsley's favor: It's remained steadily popular -- but not TOO popular -- for more than 20 years now, ranking consistently around Number 400. That makes it stylish and familiar without showing up everywhere.
  5. Allegra
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "joyous"
    • Description:

      In music, the term allegro means "quickly, lively tempo," which makes this quintessential Bohemian ballet dancer's name all the more appealing. Allegra is one of the most distinctive yet accessible girl names starting with A.
  6. Alouette
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "lark"
    • Description:

      Alouette is a sweet Gallic twist in the stylish bird name genre made familiar via the charming French children's song, Alouette, gentile alouette.
  7. Amabel
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "lovable"
    • Description:

      Amabel is an older name than Annabel and a lot more distinctive. Amabel was a very common name in the twelfth and thirteen centuries, then was revived during the nineteenth century British fad for medieval names.
  8. Amandine
    • Origin:

      French, diminutive of Amanda
    • Meaning:

      "much-loved"
    • Description:

      This fragrant, almond-scented name has hardly been heard in this country, which is a pity--we've loved it since John Malkovich used it for his now grown daughter.
  9. Amoret
    • Origin:

      Literary name
    • Description:

      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.
  10. Amory
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "industrious"
    • Description:

      Amory is best known for the hero of Fitzgerald's 1920 This Side of Paradise, Princeton student Amory Blaine. Amory is in some danger of being borrowed by the girls, a la Avery. Alternate spellings Amori or Amorie also relate to the Latin word for love.
  11. Antigone
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "worthy of one's parents, in place of one's parents"
    • Description:

      In Greek mytholgy, Antigone was the noble and courageous daughter of Oedipus, who acts as his guide after he blinds himself. Antigone is also the eponymous heroine of a play by Jean Anouilh.
  12. Aoife
    • Origin:

      Irish Gaelic
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful, radiant"
    • Description:

      Aoife, pronounced EE-fa, is derived from the Irish word aoibh, meaning "beauty." Aoife was borne by several different heroines of ancient Irish legend. In one tale, she was the fiercest woman warrior in the world and enemy of her twin sister, Scathach.
  13. Aravis
    • Origin:

      Literary name and place-name
    • Description:

      Aravis was the name of a female character in C.S. Lewis's A Horse and His Boy, and is also the name of a mountain range in southern France. With the rise of Ava, Avery, and indeed seemingly all names that start with A, Aravis may finally reach a wider audience.
  14. Artemis
    • Origin:

      Greek mythology name
    • Meaning:

      "safe or butcher"
    • Description:

      Artemis, one of the key figures of the female Greek pantheon, is the ancient virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, childbirth, and a protector of young girls, later associated with the moon. Artemis is the equivalent to the Roman Diana, but a fresher and more distinctive, if offbeat, choice.
  15. Arwen
    • Origin:

      Literature, Sindarin, Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "noble maiden; fair, blessed"
    • Description:

      Best known as the princess of the Elves in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Arwen is a fantasy-inspired choice that feels perfectly down to earth. In 2022, it entered the UK Top 400, making it one of the fastest rising names, more than doubling in use from the previous year.
  16. Aspen
    • Origin:

      Nature and place-name
    • Meaning:

      "a poplar tree that quakes in the breeze"
    • Description:

      Aspen is part of two groups of stylish and unique baby names: nature names and place-names. The name of a graceful tree in the poplar family with heart-shaped leaves so delicate they quiver in the gentlest breeze, Aspen is also the name of a trendy Colorado ski resort. Aspen started as a unisex name possibility but now is much more frequently worn by girls.
  17. Aster
    • Origin:

      English; Amharic
    • Meaning:

      "star"
    • Description:

      This is a fresh new addition to the botanical list; comedian Gilbert Gottfried made it a real bouquet when he named his daughter Lily Aster. And the name of the little girl on television's Dexter sounds like Aster, but is actually spelled Astor, which brings it more high society name. Aster relates to the Greek word for star. In Ethiopia, Aster is pronounced "ah-STAIR", and is the Amharic variation of Biblical Esther.
  18. Astoria
    • Origin:

      Place name
    • Description:

      Long more associated with the New York Waldorf- hotel and the neighborhood in Queens than as a baby name, Astoria is finally beginning to emerge from their shadow and find favor with parents looking to move beyond Brooklyn. The name Astoria is drawn from the surname of titan of industry John Jacob Astor, theorized to mean "hawk."
  19. Astra
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "stars"
    • Description:

      A starry-eyed, intergalactic name, far rarer than Stella or Esther. It's attached both to a comic book character and to Princess Astra on "Doctor Who".
  20. Auden
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "old friend"
    • Description:

      A softly poetic surname name, associated with poet W.H., Auden is enjoying quiet but marked fashion status. It was chosen for his daughter by Noah Wyle and is definitely one to watch.