Names for Girls

Violet

English from Latin

"purple"

Violet is soft and sweet, yet with a vivacious edge. Today, Violet is the top flower name for girls, outranking Lily and Iris in the Top 100, and the most popular color name for girls, pulling ahead…

Melanie

Greek

"black, dark"

Gone with the Wind inspired a generation of girls named Melanie, though it looks as though Scarlett will triumph in the end. Melanie was the name of two Roman saints of the fifth century, a…

Beatrice

Latin

"she who brings happiness; blessed"

Beatrice is back. Stored in the attic for almost a century, the lovely Beatrice with its long literary (Shakespeare, Dante) and royal history is being looked at with fresh eyes by parents seeking a…

Erin

Irish

"from the island to the west"

First-wave Irish name and place name—the poetic name for Ireland—now supplanted by newer alternatives such as Maeve and Delaney.

Annah

Annah is a feminine name that serves as a variant spelling of Anna or Ana. It has Hebrew origins from the name Hannah, meaning "grace" or "favor." The additional 'h' at the end gives the traditional…

Carolyn

English variation of Caroline, French

"free man"

The phonetic Carolyn spelling, which was very popular from the 1920s to the '60s, has been steadily on the wane while Caroline herself has stayed strong. Carolyn Keene was the pseudonymous author of…

Liliane

French variation of Lilian

"lily, a flower"

Now that Lily has become hugely popular, parents in love with this flower name are looking further afield for substitutes such as Liliane and Liliana.

Shannon

Irish

"old and wise"

Irish place-name -- it's a river, a town, and an airport -- once popular but now supplanted by such newer immigrants as Saoirse and Seanan.

Sharon

Hebrew

"a plain"

This Old Testament place name was in the Top 10 fifty years ago, but now Sharon, along with sound-alike Karen, have fallen out of favor.

Suzannah

Suzannah is a feminine name that represents an elegant variation of Susanna, which has Hebrew origins meaning 'lily' or 'rose.' This spelling adds a touch of sophistication to the traditional form.…

Zadie

English variation of Sadie, from Sarah, Hebrew

"princess"

When aspiring British writer Sadie Smith decided to change her name to the more distinctive and zippy Zadie at the age of fourteen, this attention-magnet name was born. But though it might sound like…

Zuzu

Czech diminutive of Susan

"lily"

This sizzling nickname Zuzu is heard every Christmas as the name of Jimmy Stewart's little girl in "It's a Wonderful Life," but we love it all year round as a lively alternative to double names like…