User-created list
By Abeltrotter · Updated May 2023
Across 6 pages
of 6
English, Latin
"June"
Juna, a variation of the newly stylish month name June, goddess name Juno, or literary Djuna, is among the fresher-feeling girl names starting with J . While Juna has never been given to more than 50…
Feminine variation of Augustus, Latin
"great, magnificent"
Augusta is a dignified name reminiscent of wealthy great-aunts and stately homes, but with the fashion for both August and Gus for boys, and the renewed interest in clunky classics like Gwendolyn and…
Possibly a form or Claudia or Welsh
"land, nation"
Hard as it might be to believe, Gladys was the Harper of 1900, emerging almost out of nowhere to take the naming world by storm. It became a favorite among parents — and writers of romantic Edwardian…
Spanish
"white snow"
Has a pure, clean aura, but is also evocative.
Spelling variation of Fanny, diminutive of Frances
"from France; free man"
It's hard to believe, via a 21st-century sensibility, that Fannie was ever a Top 50 name. But Fannie was even more popular than Fanny in its late 19th-century heyday, and stuck around much longer,…
Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Hungarian
"young ceremonial attendant, gracious people"
Milla originated as a diminutive of names like Camilla and Ludmilla, but has since become well established as a name in its own right in several European countries. Milla Jovovich is a Ukrainian-born…
Galia is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Hebrew, it means 'wave of God' or 'God will redeem,' while in Russian and Slavic languages, it serves as a diminutive of Galina, meaning…
Hebrew
"God will judge"
Dinah is a charming, underused Old Testament name with a rich literary and musical resume. In the Old Testament, Dinah was the beautiful daughter of Jacob and Leah and while some conflate her with…
Diminutive of Wilhelmina, German
"resolute protection; love"
One of those pan-European nickname names much more familiar in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe than in the US, though related name Mina is making a comeback here. Light and bright, it could be an…
Greek
"bird, hawk"
In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea (or Aiaia) who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to…
German diminutive of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Sweet but sleek, and distinctive, Liesel is an old German nickname-name for Elisabeth. It might have once seemed inextricably tied to to its country of origin, but now, like Elsa, Enzo, Saoirse,…
Hindi
"religious service"
Unlike Pamela and Melanie, Mela feels fresh and unusual.
English slang
"aggressive energy, know-how"
Like Penn Jillette, you can have your own little brash babe.
German
"spear of strength"
Innocent, sincere, and bright-eyed, and as outdated as its mother name, Gertrude.
"water nymph"
If you love Dixie, Trixie and Pixie, this name of a mermaid-like sprite in German folklore may be for you. It might also make an update for Nicki.
Yiddish
"flower"
This floral name, related to bloom and Blossom, is common in the Jewish community, but not often heard outside it. Other Yiddish nature names are Ita (star), Masha (rising water), and Mayim (water).
"sun"
The feminine form of Helios or Helio is occasionally heard in Spain and Portugal. In Greek mythology, Helia is one of the Heliades, daughters of the sun god Helios by Clymene the Oceanid.
Polish diminutive of Mina, short form of Wilhelmina, German
"resolute protection"
In the contemporary US, Minka attracted notice via actress Minka Kelly, who played the gorgeous Lyla on Friday Night Lights . This cute and lively nickname name can (and does) certainly stand on its…
"pearl"
A jewel-encrusted choice, far more unusual than Pearl.
Germanic
"fatherland; wealth, fortune"
Though it has never charted in the United States, this frilly name has the elements some brave, modern namers might find attractive—namely, the initial O and the -ia suffix. St. Odile of Alsace, also…
