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Girl Names I Adore
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The names
Maeve
Irish
"she who intoxicates"
Maeve is a short and sweet name that has become one of the most stylish Irish names for girls in the modern US. It joined the Top 100 for the first time in 2023 and now ranks at Number 75. Maeve…
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…
Evie
Diminutive of Eve or Eva, English or Latin
"life"
Evie was derived from the English Eve or the Latin Eva, which in turn come from Chawwah, a Hebrew name related to the concept of life. Evie can be used as a nickname for any name that starts with…
Thea
Greek
"goddess, godly"
Thea is a diminutive of names ending in -thea, including Dorothea, Althea, and Anthea. It is also the Anglicized spelling of Theia, the Titan of sight, goddess of light, and mother of the moon. She…
Rhiannon
Welsh
"divine queen"
Most of us had never heard this lovely Welsh name with links to the moon until we heard the 1976 smash hit Fleetwood Mac song of that name, with lyrics by Stevie Nicks. That same year it popped onto…
Odessa
Russian form of Odesa, Ukrainian place-name
"voyage"
Odessa, (transcribed as Odesa in Ukrainian) is a Ukrainian port city and was given its name by Catherine the Great, who was inspired by Homer's Odyssey . It would make an original and intriguing…
Neva
Spanish
"white snow"
Has a pure, clean aura, but is also evocative.
Calla
Greek
"beautiful"
Calla is a botanical name that is much more distinctive than popular Lily or similar Callie. Rarely heard today, it did appear in the popularity lists in the last decades of the nineteenth century.…
Cyra
Persian or Greek
"sun or throne, or lord"
Cyra is an unusual name that can be pronounced either SEER-a or SI-ra, rhyming with Keira or Tyra. This name may be a feminine variation of Cyrus but is also a Persian name that stands on its own.…
Xanthe
Greek
"golden, yellow"
X marks the spot in names these days, usually at the middles or ends of names, but here is one that puts it squarely up front. This extravagant name, which, like many Greek names beginning with X, is…
Pippa
English, diminutive of Philippa
"lover of horses"
Pippa, a peppy condensation of Philippa that turns it from serious to sprightly, has come into the public eye in a big way via the former Kate Middleton's sister. Pippa can and is given as a name in…
Fenna
Dutch and Frisian
"peace"
The vintage Fenna, an old lady name making a comeback in the Netherlands, originates in Friesland in the northern part of the country, where the Fries language is spoken. Rhyming with Jenna, it's…
Viveca
Swedish, Nordic
"alive, life; place of refuge"
This is one of the most vibrant and feminine of the names meaning life , and it's sure to gain more attention as the whole sisterhood of Viv- names rise. Celebrated Swedish actress Viveca Lindfors,…
Penna
Latin
"feather"
Occasionally heard in England, rarely here.
Tesla
Slavic
"from Thessaly"
Tesla, the surname of Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla that has more recently been used as the brand name for an electric car, is gaining some use as a first name for girls . Exactly 100 girls were…
Leela
Sanskrit
"play"
While Leela may be a spelling variation of Lila or Leila, it's also an Indian name in its own right with a playful meaning. And unlike it's more popular Western sisters, Leela does not create…
Keeva
Irish, phonetic spelling of Caoimhe
"gentle, beautiful, precious"
Keeva, the name chosen by "How I Met Your Mother" star Alyson Hannigan for her daughter, has recently been a Top 20 name in Ireland, using the authentic spelling Caoimhe. The male version is…
Indira
Sanskrit
"beauty"
A striking and feminine possibility associated with a modern hero — long-time Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi. It is also a significant choice within Hinduism, as it is used as an alternative…
Hermione
Feminine version of Hermes, Greek
"messenger, earthly"
Hermione's costarring role in Harry Potter has made this previously ignored, once stodgy name suddenly viable. Hermione could really take off once today's children start having kids of their own. In…
Zinnia
Flower name, from German surname
"Zinn's flower"
Zinnia is an unusual floral choice with a bit more edge and energy than most and beginning to find its way onto namers' wish lists of botanical possibilities. Named after the 18th-century German…
