Lovely names for baby girls

A seriously classic name meaning love, Adelpha is also the name for a genus of butterflies.

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 oak tree in some translations), Elah appears in the Bible as a masculine name, and a place name (where David battled Goliath), the latter fact helping it to appeal as a neutral option.

A pretty Kazakh name derived from Turkish ayla, meaning "moonlight". The Hawaiian name 'Ailana (with the 'okina mark) means "loving".

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 popular compound name for girls in the US, It's a modern smoosh name with a sweet, old-timey feel.

Ylva may look like it belongs with the Eva family of names, but it actually derives from Ulf, a name meaning "wolf." It's not a very intuitive name to English-speakers, and likely won't get picked up in the US anytime soon. At last count, it was only given to five American baby girls.

There's only one Evita.

Lilting African name that translates perfectly into other cultures.

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 and may be related to the Hebrew name Elizabeth, potentially sharing the meaning 'God is my oath' or 'God's promise'. Elyssa offers a more distinctive spelling of the classic Elissa while maintaining its mythological connections and elegant sound. The name gained modest popularity in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s as parents sought alternatives to common names like Alyssa or Melissa. With its ancient heritage and melodic quality, Elyssa provides a balance between familiarity and uniqueness, giving it timeless appeal.

More colorful than Blanche, but blanker than Bianca.

Kari and all her many sisters, from Carrie to Carey to Kerry and onward, originated for the most part as short forms of either Catherine Katherine or one of the Charles feminizations such as Carol or Caroline.

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 Hannah Murray's character Gilly in HBO's Game of Thrones, whom Sam Tarly rescued from Craster's Keep.

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

If you're torn between Marissa and Alyssa.