Family Tree Names - Female

Freya

Norse

"a noble woman"

Freya has long been popular in the U.K. but has only taken off in the US in the last decade, along with the entire category of mythological names. Derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning…

Arlette

French

"noble, honor"

Arlette is a French form of the Germanic name Herleva, which was the name of the mother of William the Conqueror. It peaked in France in the mid-1930s, but you might be surprised to learn that in the…

Emina

Arabic and Slavic

"truth"

This name of an Albanian supermodel is a short form of many Slavic choices but is an intriguing alternative to Emma on its own.

Fiorella

Italian

"little flower"

Not only are individual flower names more popular (and out-there) than ever, but so too are the more generic names like Florence and Flora. While brother name Fiorello became known via long-term New…

Teina

Teina is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Māori culture, it means 'shine' or 'glow,' and can also refer to a younger sister or female cousin. In Tahitian, it similarly denotes a…

Persis

Greek

"Persian woman"

Parents seeking a distinctive New Testament name might consider this one. Adopted by some Puritans in the seventeenth century, Persis was used in the William Dean Howells novel The Rise of Silas…

Almeda

Almeda is a feminine name with Latin origins, derived from the word 'almus' meaning 'nourishing' or 'kind.' It may also be connected to the Spanish term 'alameda,' referring to a tree-lined avenue or…

Missouri

Native American

"dugout canoe"

Missouri, the name of a tribe, a state and a river, derives from the Illinois word mihsoori meaning "dugout canoe". It became a somewhat popular American girls' name in the mid-19th century. Missouri…

Alabama

Place-name; Choctaw

"vegetation gatherers"

Alabama is a hot southern place-name, picking up from Georgia and Savannah. This is not a geographical name come lately, though--there have been girls named Alabama dating back well over a century.…