Lovely names for baby girls

Cassia

Feminine form of Cassius or Greek

"cinnamon"

Cassia is related to the cassia tree, which has yellow flowers and produces a spice that can be a substitute for cinnamon. Keziah, the name of Job’s daughter in the Old Testament, derives from the…

Cassiopeia

Greek mythology name

"cassia juice"

Cassiopeia, the name of a mythological mother who became a stellar constellation, is challenging but intriguing, and has all those softening Cass nicknames available. And with all names Cass-related…

Cecily

Feminine variation of Cecil

"blind"

Cecily is as dainty as a lace handkerchief. Cecily has a wide assortment of namesakes. One Cecily was the mother of King Richard III, whose beauty gained her the title "the Rose of Raby," Cecily…

Celestia

Variation of Celeste, Latin

"heavenly"

Celestia is a heavenly name that sounds more ethereal than Celeste, Celestia might make a distinctive, feminine choice if your taste runs toward names like Angelina and Seraphina. Celestia was more…

Cerelia

Latin

"relating to springtime"

Cerelia is a melodic and unusual choice, perfect for a child born in April or May. Another version is Cerella.

Cressida

Greek

"gold"

Cressida is a golden, mythological, and Shakespearean name, much better known in Britain than it is in the US. Given to just 11 American girls in a recent year — though still the highest number on…

Elah

Spelling variation of Ella, English, Hebrew

"all, completely, fairy maiden; terebinth tree"

Ella may well be used as an unusual spelling variation of the familiar Ella, though it is also a Biblical name. Derived from the Hebrew word for the terebinth tree (and occasionally equated with the…

Electra

Greek

"amber, shining, bright"

Though the plays by Sophocles and Eugene O'Neill and via the "Electra Complex" proposed by psychoanalyst Carl Jung, this name has, unfortunately, become associated with incest and murder.…

Ellamae

English compound name, Ella + Mae

"fairy maiden + beloved"

Ellamae was given to over 60 baby girls in the US last year, although the data doesn't record punctuation, so we don't know how many of those will actually go by Ella Mae or Ella-Mae. The fourth most…

Elya

Slavic form of Helen

A Slavic variation of Helen that might make an unusual update of that classic name.

Elysia

Latin

"from Elysium"

While this might be used as an alternative spelling to Elisa, Alyssa, Alicia, and similar, this form stands out from the pack as Elysia relates to Elysian Fields, the home of the blessed dead in…

Elyssa

Elyssa is a feminine name with ancient roots, representing a variation of Elissa, the legendary founder and queen of Carthage (also known as Dido in Virgil's Aeneid). The name has Phoenician origins…

Evita

Spanish, diminutive of Eva

There's only one Evita.

Gaia

Greek and Latin

"earth mother; rejoicing"

Floral, bright, and subtly powerful, Gaia is a name with two separate origins. In Greek mythology, it is the name of the earth goddess and the universal mother, who takes her epithet from the Ancient…

Gilly

Literary name

Gilly is a name that's popped up from time to time in different contexts: As a nickname for Gillian, for instance, and as the name of a town in Switzerland. But it's increasingly associated with…

Indra

Sanskrit, Latvian

"possessing drops of rain; reed, water witch; estate ruler"

In Hindu tradition, Indra is the warrior god of sky and rain, whose name is often used as element of other names, such as Jaswinder or Rajendra. Its use as a feminine name may come from the Western…

Inessa

Russian variation of Ines; Spanish from Greek

"pure, chaste"

Inessa is a truly multi-cultural name, heard in Spain, Germany and Russia, and is related to the names Agnes and Ines/Inez. The singer who goes by the single name Inessa is German.

Iola

Greek or Welsh

"violet; beautiful lady"

Isla is hot, Iona is cool – maybe it's time Iola got a second look? Last heard from on Carol Burnett's Mama's Family show, Iola feels like just the sort of uncommon, vowel-rich, vintage name that…