Daughter Names

Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain, agriculture, and the harvest, growth and nourishment, was Zeus's sister and Persephone's mother. Variation Demetria is the full name of actress Demi Moore. Though familiar, Demeter is not one of the Greek goddess namesthat's finding widespread modern favor.

Elizabeth is one of the most popular girls' names of all time, the female equivalent of James or William. Yet Elizabeth has so much going for it—rich history, broad appeal, and timeless style—that no matter how many little girls are named Lizzie, Eliza, and Beth, you can still make Elizabeth your own.

While Elliott and Elliot are well-established for boys, parents are now considering both these boy names for girls, too.

Ginnifer is a modern feminine name that emerged as a phonetic respelling of Jennifer, which derives from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, meaning "fair and smooth." This variant spelling gained visibility through American actress Ginnifer Goodwin, helping to distinguish it from the extremely popular Jennifer that dominated birth records in the 1970s and 80s. The spelling reflects the actual pronunciation many use for Jennifer, with the soft 'G' sound. While much rarer than its traditional counterpart, Ginnifer offers a fresh twist on a familiar name, allowing for the nickname Ginny. It appeals to parents who appreciate the classic appeal of Jennifer but desire something more distinctive that still maintains recognizable roots.

One spelling variation that's more popular than the original, this somewhat old-fashioned name might be in honor of poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African-American to win a Pulitzer prize for poetry, or may be a way to get to the modern short form Gwen.

Noël is a feminine name (though also used for males) of French origin meaning 'Christmas.' Derived from the Latin 'natalis' referring to birth, it traditionally was given to girls born during the Christmas season. The diaeresis (ë) indicates that the 'e' is pronounced separately from the 'o', resulting in no-EL rather than 'nole.' This name carries a festive, joyful connotation and exudes an elegant, slightly sophisticated European flair. While consistently recognized, Noël has never been extremely common in English-speaking countries, maintaining a certain distinctiveness. Its association with the holiday season gives it a warm, celebratory quality that many parents appreciate for daughters born in or near December.

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.

One of the few remaining unrestored vintage gems, with a choice of two winning nicknames--the girlish Winnie and the tomboyish Freddie. Winifred, the name of a legendary Welsh saint, was a Top 200 name into the mid-1920's.