Clunky and Eccentric Feminizations

Nigella

Feminine variation of Nigel; botanical name from Latin

"black"

A name that sounded unthinkably priggish until it became attached to Domestic Goddess British TV chef Nigella Lawson (named for her father), who gave it a big dollop of glamour.

Pascala

Pascala is a feminine name derived from Pascal, which comes from the Latin 'paschalis' meaning 'relating to Easter' or 'born at Passover.' This name traditionally has strong Christian associations,…

Petronella

Greek

"rock, stone"

Petronella, and its shorter sister Petra, are both feminizations of Peter. While Petronella is a name with deep history, it's extremely rare. It was given to no baby girls on record in the US last…

Philippa

Greek, feminine variation of Philip

"lover of horses"

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…

Philippine

French, feminine variation of Philippe

"lover of horses"

Philippine might be taken as an ethnic identification rather than a name in the U.S. Philippa would be more easily understood, though if you don't mind eternally correcting people, Philippine can…

Ricarda

Ricarda is the feminine form of Richard, originating from Germanic roots combining 'ric' (power, rule) and 'hard' (brave, hardy). Dating back to medieval times, this name has been most popular in…

Roberta

Feminine variation of Robert, English from German

"bright fame"

Roberta has been one of the most successful feminization names, up at #64 in 1936. It's a name that's found all over children's lit, often nicknamed Bobbie or Robbie, though Bertie is another…