User-created list
By eliarose · Updated August 2021
Across 14 pages
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Welsh, Turkish
"star or sail mast"
Seren is a top girls' name in Wales – and a lovely choice almost unknown elsewhere. Seren, in the Sirona form, was an ancient goddess of the hot springs. Seren only recently fell out of the girls'…
Spanish
"pillar"
The fact that this Spanish classic, which honors the Virgin Mary, does not end in the conventional letter 'a' gives it a special sense of strength, elegance, and style, making it a worthy choice. The…
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…
Literary surname and shortened form of Augustine, Latin
"great, magnificent"
While Austin is a popular boys' name, this spelling, honoring novelist Jane, nudges the name toward gender-neutral, chosen last year for 67 baby boys and 57 girls.
English place-name
This spelling of Devon, as opposed to Devin or Devan, makes it a pretty and popular British place-name, evoking the beautiful county of farmlands and dramatic seascapes and moors in southwest…
Adelin is a feminine name with Germanic roots, though it can occasionally be used for boys in some cultures. It derives from the Germanic element 'adal' meaning 'noble' or 'nobility.' Adelin can be…
Variation of Evelyn, English from French and German,"desired; or water, island"
"desired; or water, island"
Evelyn is becoming so popular that many variations are sure to become more widely used too. But in this case, the third E doesn't add anything and only confuses pronunciation: Is it Eveline?
Variant of Sophia, Greek
"wisdom"
This unusual and alluring choice was used by David Mamet for his daughter, who is now grown and an actress on the hit show Girls .
Mbama, Sanskrit, Latin, and Spanish
"love; lamp; heavenly; day"
A sweet and simple multicultural choice which has several different meanings and origins. Widely used in Africa, it means "love" in Lembaama. It's a variant spelling of Diya, an Arabic, Hindi and…
Elira is a feminine name with multiple potential origins. In Albanian culture, it derives from the word for 'free' or 'freedom,' making it a name with powerful symbolic significance. Alternatively,…
English
"red-haired"
The Reid spelling is surprisingly more popular than the naturey Reed for both boys and girls, though more than 95% of little Reids are male.
Welsh
"love"
Light, pretty and distinctive in appearance, Carys is one of that sweet group of girl names with a loving meaning. A relatively modern name, it didn't come into use in its native Wales until the late…
French and English from Latin
"bright, clear"
This simplified spelling of Claire does not improve on the more popular version.
Variation of Eliana, Hebrew, or Latin from Greek
"my God has answered; sun"
Eliane is a melodic name with the very fashionable El- beginning. Lovely and lilting as it is, be aware that there are many El- variations around these days, and little girls called Ellie as a result.
Short form of Eleanor
A sweet, breezy short form of Eleanor, that happens to coincide with the name of an ancient Italian town. It is a popular choice in Switzerland, Finland, and France, though the spellings Eléa and…
Adia is a feminine name with origins spanning several cultures. In Swahili, it means 'gift,' while similar variations appear in Hebrew and Arabic traditions with meanings relating to 'adornment' or…
Scottish, spelling variation of Greer
"alert, watchful"
The spelling variation Greer may be much more popular, but this one might appeal to fans of Bryer and Brier. Given to 18 girls (and 8 boys) in the US in a recent year, Greer is used about five times…
Latin variation of Katherine, Greek
"pure"
Variation of Katherine.
"old, wise friend"
This is one surname-name that may swing decidedly to the male side, thanks to highly-visible young actor Alden Ehrenreich.
Variation of Elliot, English diminutive of Elias
"Yahweh is God"
Eliot is the sleekest spelling of the original, very occasionally used for girls, perhaps to honor novelist George Eliot.
