My Favorite Girls Names

Indigo

Greek

"Indian dye"

Indigo is one of the most appealing and evocative of the new generation of color names. Color names have joined flower and jewel names -- in a big way -- and Indigo, a deep blue-purple dye from…

August

Latin

"majestic, venerable"

Though associated traditionally (and fashionably) with boys, it has been used occasionally for girls as well – by Garth Brooks, Nicolas Cage, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, for example. But…

Johannah

Johannah is a feminine name that serves as an elaborated form of Hannah, which comes from the Hebrew name Channah, meaning 'grace' or 'favor.' This elegant variation combines elements of Hannah with…

Jewel

Word name

Just like Flora is for botanicals, Jewel is the generic gemstone name, not used much since the early twentieth century, when it was seen as a symbol of how precious a daughter could be. The French…

Imogen

Celtic

"maiden"

Imogen has long been fashionable in England and is gaining favor in the US among stylish parents. Pronounced the British way — the initial i is short as in Kim, as is the final E as in Ken — Imogen…

Imogene

Imogene is a feminine name of Celtic origin, believed to be derived from the Gaelic word 'imogen,' meaning 'maiden' or 'daughter.' Some scholars suggest it may also have connections to the Latin…

Norma

English or Latin

"from the north; or, the pattern"

Invented for Bellini's opera, Norma had some star quality in the silent-screen and Marilyn Monroe days, but at this point it's a graying grandma in baby name limbo.

Leigh

English variation of Lee

"pasture, meadow"

This spelling adds a little more femininity to the neutral Lee. Leigh and sister Lee were quite popular in the 1960s and 1970s among the first cool wave of unisex names for girls, but now have…

Audie

Audie is a feminine name with diverse origins, functioning as both a diminutive of Audrey and a name in its own right. Derived from Anglo-Saxon roots, it carries meanings associated with 'noble…

Henrietta

Feminine variation of Henry, German

"estate ruler"

Despite a return to such feminizations of male names as Josephine, Clementine, and Theodora, starchy Henrietta has not made it into that group. Still, if you look hard enough, you'll see that…

Christa

Short form of Christina

Fading since the 1970s -- but still a lovely name.