Girl Names I Love

Claudia

Feminine variation of Claude

"lame; enclosure"

Claudia is a classic name with ancient Roman roots. Never truly in or truly out, Claudia feels like a strong, modern choice that hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.. Claudia was…

Bayou

Native American nature name

A slow and sultry southern choice that's definitely cool for babies of either gender. While the word feels French and has its roots in 18th century French Louisiana, it derives from the Choctaw word…

Corisande

Greek

"chorus-singer"

Corisande is a very unusual, haunting choice, with the aura of medieval romance--it is found in early Spanish romantic tales, arriving in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. 'La…

Blodwen

Welsh

"white flower"

An unusual floral -wen name which was the name of an 1878 opera by Welsh composer Joseph Parry.

Anouk

Dutch and French variation of Anna

"grace"

Anouk, made famous by French actress Anouk Aimée, is a singular name with a lovely sound and a Bohemian feel. Anouk Aimée was born as Francoise, but adopted the first name of the character she played…

Anoush

Armenian

"sweet"

A dramatic and adorable name with a lot of sweep and swoosh. Also spelled Anush.

Aravis

Literary name and place-name

Aravis was the name of a female character in C.S. Lewis's A Horse and His Boy , and is also the name of a mountain range in southern France. With the rise of Ava, Avery, and indeed seemingly all…

Brighid

Irish

"strength or exalted one"

Brighid is the original Gaelic form of the name of the mythological goddess of fire, poetry, and wisdom. More commonly found these days in any number of different guises: Bridget, Brigid, Brigitte et…

Domenica

Italian feminine form of Dominic

"belonging to the Lord"

Much fresher and more energetic than Dominique.

Ayelet

Hebrew

"deer, gazelle"

Ayelet is an unusual -- and somewhat challenging -- Israeli name familiar thanks to sometimes controversial Jerusalem-born novelist-essayist Ayelet Waldman. Well used in Israel, the name was taken…

Carmel

Hebrew

"garden"

Carmel is a biblical place-name that is often used by Catholic parents around the world. It is given in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and is the name of a mountain ridge on the Mediterranean near…

Erela

Hebrew

"angel"

This feminine form of the Hebrew unisex name Erel, possibly a form of Ariel, is used in modern Israel. Also found as Erella and Erelah.

Emmanuelle

French, feminine variation of Emanuel

"God is with us"

The female version of Emanuel could become more prominent, though for some it still carries a steamy image dating back to a then sensationally erotic French film. Singer and Shameless star Emmy…

Eowyn

Literary name

"horse lover"

A literary name created by J. R. R. Tolkien for a Lord of the Rings noblewoman of Rohan. Properly spelled with an accent over the first E – Éowyn – it would make an interesting choice for literature…

Baize

French

"dark brown"

This fabric word name would be a one-of-a-kind.

Thessaly

Greek, place name, meaning unknown

The name of an area in northern Greece, known in the era of Homer's Odyssey as Aeolia, Thessaly makes a spirited and pretty place name. Reminiscent of Tessa, Rosalie, and Thea, the name likely…

Dolores

Spanish

"lady of sorrows"

Though it's related to the Virgin Mary, this name was once perceived as the height of sensuality, a role since taken over by nicknames Lola and Lolita. Dolores is one of the many titles given to the…

Chase

French

"to hunt"

Chase is starting to be seen on a handful of girls each year, and has been heard as a nickname to Chelsea. Reminiscent of Casey and Charlie, around 40 girls were given the name in a recent count.

Mattea

Italian, from Hebrew

"gift of God"

This pretty, international feminization of Matthew was chosen by Mira Sorvino for her daughter, Mattea Angel. As the Spanish Mateo and the Italian Matteo become more popular for baby boys throughout…