Unnamed List

Eila

Hebrew, Norwegian variation of Elina

"oak tree; bright, shining light"

Eila is a Hebrew name heard in Israel. The name also has roots in Finland and Norway, where it's derived from Elina, a variation of Helen, or from Aila, a form of Helga. Eila could gain attention as…

Ilana

Hebrew

"oak tree"

Ilana is a name with seemingly endless variations, well used in Israel, sometimes chosen for little girls born on the holiday of TuB'Shevat, the New Year of the Trees. While some sources say Ilana is…

Shay

Irish, Hebrew

"stately, gift"

A variant spelling of either Irish Shea or Hebrew Shai, Shay feels at once vintage and modern.

Shoshana

Hebrew

"lily"

This is a rare and lovely form of Susannah commonly heard in Israel. Shoshana Shapiro — nicknamed Shosh — is the character played by Zosia Mamet on the hit HBO series Girls — a fact that could give…

Blanche

French

"white"

Blanche, which originated as a nickname for a pale blonde and then became associated with the notion of purity, was in style a century ago, ranking in the double digits until 1920. She then had to…

Eira

Welsh

"snow"

This Welsh nature name that can be pronounced exactly like the male Ira. Or, to avoid confusion, you could just name her Snow.

Aidan

Irish

"little and fiery"

Aidan is an ancient Irish saint's name with a fire meaning that's mega popular for boys, most often spelled as Aiden. The name is occasionally used for girls, sometimes as Aidyn or Ayden, as well.…

Vida

Spanish, Slovene, Lithuanian, Persian, Swedish, Serbian,"life, visible, willow, to see"

"life, visible, willow, to see"

Vida is a multicultural gem, familiar in a number of languages by not overly popular. It featured in the US Top 1000 in the first half of the 20th century, and in recent years, it has seen renewed…

Pilar

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…

Tova

Hebrew, Swedish

"good, pleasing; beautiful, beloved"

A lively feeling choice with multicultural origins, Tova is both a Hebrew name with a positive meaning and a Swedish variant of Tove, a modern Old Norse name meaning "beautiful, beloved". In Hebrew,…

Evelyne

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?

Elisha

Variant of Alicia or Hebrew

"God is my salvation"

Elisha (ee-LYE-sha) is an Old Testament male name, sometimes borrowed for girls. Pronouced eh-LEE-sha, it is also used as a spelling variant of Alicia or Elysia.

Bay

English word, Old English

"an inlet of the sea where the land curves inward; berry"

One of the most usable of the pleasant, newly adopted nature/water names (like Lake and Ocean), especially in middle position. It's gentle, slightly whimsical, but grounded by its similarity to May…

Baye

Baye is a feminine name with diverse origins. It has roots in Old French, possibly derived from 'baie' meaning 'berry' or as a place name referring to 'bay.' In some West African cultures,…

Clair

French and English from Latin

"bright, clear"

This simplified spelling of Claire does not improve on the more popular version.

Dia

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…

Isobel

Scottish variation of Isabel

"pledged to God"

The Scottish spelling of Isabel has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength but also an element of confusion. How do you pronounce that? Answer: Exactly like…

Elisheva

Hebrew

"pledged to God"

Elisheva was the original name of Aaron's wife in the Book of Exodus; Elisheva gains strength and distinction via the v sound.

Eliot

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.