Favorite girl names

A literary name created by J. R. R. Tolkien for a Lord of the Rings noblewoman of Rohan. Properly spelled with an accent over the first E – Éowyn – it would make an interesting choice for literature lovers or fans of names like Elowen and Evelyn.

Irish Aileen and Scottish Eileen may be pronounced the same way or Aileen can be pronounced with a long a at the beginning. While neither is particularly stylish, Aileen is slightly more popular and has reversed its downward slide to inch upward in the past few years, perhaps thanks to its stylish A beginning. Nicknames for Aileen include Isla, Ayla, Lee and Lena.

Best known as the beautiful heroine to whom Cyrano de Bergerac says, "Your name is like a golden bell".

Lumina is a radiant feminine name derived from the Latin word 'lumen,' meaning 'light.' This elegant name carries connotations of brightness, illumination, and enlightenment across various cultures.

Serafina is a name so lovely it's worthy of an angel. But the more stylish spelling today is Seraphina.

This is a more spunky and Nordic looking variant of Erica, but the k also makes the connection to the beautiful flower less apparent.

Aurelie is the delicate French variation of Aurelia, one of the most improbable popular names of recent years. Both versions of the name are lovely, but it might be difficult to insist that Americans pronounce Aurelie the attractive French way rather than like plain old orally.

Anora is a phonetic respelling of Honora, a longer form of the virtue name Honor. It also might qualify as a trendy Fast Fashion name, a composition of euphonious syllables without any specific provenance.

This early Welsh saint's name is unusual and lovely, waiting to be discovered. Saint Arianell was a member of the Welsh royal family who was possessed by a spirit which was exorcised by Saint Dyfrig, who became Arianell's spiritual teacher.

Unusual yet accessible Hawaiian choice. The Noel beginning makes it a possible name for baby girls born at Christmas.

Evokes 1960s brotherly close harmony. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis named his son Everly Bear, and it is also an explosively popular choice for girls. We predict that all the "Ever" names will be one of the defining trends of the 2010s-20s.

This feminine name — simply "angel" imported into Māori phonology — is fresher than Angela and less Hollywood than Angelina.

Veronica seems poised to rise again, along with many other V names, and with it may follow this more romantic French version.

While this has a distinguished male namesake -- astronomer Edmund Halley and his comet -- it still strays too close to the superpopular feminine Hailey family to work for some parents for a boy. Fewer than five baby boys were given the name last year, but that could change as formerly-female names become more acceptable for boys.