Names from L.M. Montgomery Books

  1. Muriel
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "of the bright sea"
    • Description:

      Once a poetic Celtic name, that of the angel who governs the month of June, Muriel became the mom or grandma on TV sitcoms. A Top 200 name from 1912 to 1933, Muriel may be due for a comeback according to our Hundred Year Rule. Only 50 baby girls were given the name in the US last year, and none were given Muriel's French variation, Murielle.
  2. Philippa
    • Origin:

      Greek, feminine variation of Philip
    • Meaning:

      "lover of horses"
    • Description:

      Philippa is a prime example of a boy's name adapted for girls that was common as crumpets in Cornwall, but rarely heard stateside. That was before the advent of royal sister-in-law Philippa Middleton, who goes by the lively nickname Pippa.
  3. Leslie
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "garden of holly"
    • Description:

      A Scottish place and surname that was once adrogynous but now leans about 20 to 1 toward the girls' side, Leslie has a pleasant, heathery feel that kept it in or near the Top 100 for several decades; the Lesly and Lesley spellings are also frequently used, especially in Britain. While Leslie may not be the freshest name in the bunch, it's become a modern classic and is one of the surprising names always to have ranked among the US Top 1000 for girls.
  4. Geraldine
    • Origin:

      German and French, feminine variation of Gerald
    • Meaning:

      "ruler with the spear"
    • Description:

      Though twin brother Gerald is still in baby name limbo, Geraldine is in line to follow the path of Josephine to imminent revival—even though Gerry is not as spunky a nickname as Josie.
  5. Christine
    • Origin:

      French variation of Christina
    • Meaning:

      "Christian"
    • Description:

      Christine was the dominant feminine variation of Christopher forty or fifty years ago, when French E-endings were preferred over As; it was a Top 20 name for several years, from 1966 to 1974. But though it still hangs in on the popularity list, today most any other version would be considered more stylish, from Kristen to Kirsten to Christina herself.
  6. Jerry
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Gerald or Jerome, German or Greek
    • Meaning:

      "ruler with the spear or sacred name"
    • Description:

      Jerry is one of those short forms that, like Mike and Debbie, rose to popularity on the coattails of their formal versions. The equivalents today are nickname names like Ellie and Theo.
  7. Marilla
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "shining sea"
    • Description:

      Marilla is a names that's familiar via its resemblance to Mary and variations, but also distinctive: It hasn't been on the Top 1000 since the 1800s and was given to only 27 baby girls last year.
  8. Jamesina
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of James
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      More grown up than Jamie, but never given to more than 13 baby girls in the US per year (and that back in 1968). Modern parents prefer Jamie, Jameson or even James itself, as Blake and Ryan Reynolds chose in 2014.
  9. Trix
    • Origin:

      English diminutive of Beatrix, Latin
    • Meaning:

      "she who brings happiness; blessed"
    • Description:

      Before Beatrice there was Beatrix, which leads naturally to the short form Trix. Trixie is a wise-cracking gum-snapping waitress but Trix is sleek and mischievous -- tricks, get it?
  10. Shirley
    • Beverley

      Introducing the Nameberry App

      Nameberry App
      Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
      • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
      • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
      • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
      • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
      • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
      Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.
      Nameberry App Logo