User-created list
Favorite girls names
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Reina
Spanish, Yiddish or Japanese
"queen; pure; wise"
An appellation for the Virgin Mary, "Queen of the apostles." After three years off the US popularity charts, Reina rejoined the list in 2014, though it lags behind alternate spellings Raina, Rayna,…
Nia
Swahili; Welsh form of the Irish Niamh
"resolve; brilliance"
Short but energetic and substantial, Nia has special meaning for African-American parents, as it's one of the days of Kwanza. Nia also benefits by its similarity to (yet differentness from) the…
Soraya
Persian
"Pleiades constellation"
Soraya is a Persian name made famous in the Western world by the one-time empress of Iran, who settled in Europe, primarily in France. Soraya is derived from Thurayya, the Arabic name of the…
Cordelia
Latin; Celtic
"heart; daughter of the sea"
Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both…
Xia
Chinese dynastic name
This name of the first recorded dynasty of ancient China is short and simple enough to make a possible Asian-American alternative to Mia and Tia. British-Filipino child star Xia Vigor has invigorated…
Serra
Italian, Portuguese and Catalan
"ridge"
This topographical name, more suited to a girl than a boy--though it would inevitably be confused with SARAH--has some distinguished bearers: famous Spanish missionary to Mexico Father Junipero…
Senna
Botanical name; Arabic
"brightness"
Senna is a flowering bush common in the tropics, with bright yellow flowers. In herbal medicine, Senna has gained some notice as the active ingredient in so-called "dieter's teas," which works mainly…
Aurex
Invented literary name
Lady Aurex is a character in L. Frank Baum's Glinda of Oz , a sequel to The Wizard of Oz .
Severina
Latin, feminine variation of Severino
"stern, serious"
Not only stern and serious, but a little too severe.
Lissa
African, Arabic mythological name; diminutive of Melissa, Greek
"honeybee"
Lissa might be an abbreviation of Melissa, but it's more substantial in its own right: Lissa is the name of a supreme mother goddess in African mythology and an Arabic symbol of rebirth.
Selenia
Elaboration of Selene, Greek
"moon"
This elaboration is sometimes used in Italy.
Katarina
Slovak; Swedish; Serbian; Croatian; Slovenian, variation of Katherine
"pure"
The Russian version of Katherine is usually Ekaterina, but this form is used throughout Eastern Europe and may be more friendly to the American ear.
Rori
Rori is a feminine name with Gaelic origins, though it can occasionally be used for boys as well. Traditionally, it's a feminine variation of Rory, which means 'red king' in Gaelic. The name has a…
Lumière
French
"light"
Innovative French word name, suggesting illumination and clarity.
Cylia
Variation of Priscilla
Young French actress and singer Cylia Malki put this international short form of Priscilla into the mix.
Evanna
Feminine variation of Evan, Welsh
"God is gracious"
Evanna is the name of a Harry Potter actress who pronounces it ee-vah-na. This might be considered another international feminine form of the many variations of John; Ivana, Giovanna, and even Joan…
Althea
Greek
"with healing power"
Althea is a poetic, almost ethereal name found in Greek myth and pastoral poetry, associated in modern times with the great tennis player Althea Gibson, the first African-American to win at…
Ruri
Japanese
"lapis lazuli"
Naming babies after precious gems as a protection against evil spirits is an ancient Japanese tradition.
Ciel
French
"sky"
This simple yet evocative French word name was chosen for her daughter by model Niki Taylor. While Ciel may be pronounced in French with two syllables, many will pronounce it as "seal" and there may…
Vivianne
Variant of Vivian, Latin
"life"
Vivian is the classic spelling, now in the Top 100, while Vivien is the most common alternative. This one foregrounds the "Anne," and so could serve as a nod to a relative or friend by that name.