Saki's Top Girls Names 2015

Elif

Turkish and Arabic

"first letter in the alphabet; slender"

Elif is the Turkish form of Alif, the name of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. Actor Natalie Portman gave another spelling to her son, Aleph. In Turkey, Elif is unisex but especially popular…

Hartley

English

"stag meadow"

Smart and preppy, but with plenty of heart, Hartley is a surname style name that could work as an alternative to the popular Harley, Harlowe, Harper, and Hadley. Quietly used for boys throughout the…

Hermione

Feminine version of Hermes, Greek

"messenger, earthly"

Hermione's costarring role in Harry Potter has made this previously ignored, once stodgy name suddenly viable. Hermione could really take off once today's children start having kids of their own. In…

Ileana

Romanian, from Greek

"torch; shining light"

A trendy and fashionable-sounding Romanian name with rich history. There was a mythical Romanian princess with the name, and it was also a name used by real-life Romanian royalty.

Kalea

Hawaiian

"joy, happiness"

Kalea is a Top 100 name for girls in Hawaii, that may also be spelled as Kale'a. Sources differ on the meaning of the name, but the most authoritative land on "joy or happiness", with other…

Nimue

Celtic Mythology (one of the names of the Lady of the Lake in Arthurian legends)

Nimue (Lady of the Lake) is the ruler of Avalon in the Arthurian legend. Nimue plays a pivotal role in many stories, including giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising…

Pallas

Greek

"youth, young woman"

An overlooked name from Greek mythology, Pallas is both an epithet for the goddess of wisdom and a name in its own right, borne by a daughter of the sea god Triton who was raised alongside the…

Reverie

Word name

"pleasant, dreamlike state"

With strong sounds but a whimsical feel, Reverie is a word name associated with being in a dreamy, ethereal state, of being lost in a daydream, or coming up with a pleasant fantasy for the future.…

Roanna

Variation of Rosanna or Latin

"sweet"

Most modern parents would probably prefer the cooler Rowan.

Sparrow

Nature name

"sparrow, a bird"

With related choices such as Lark and Phoenix gaining popularity, why not Sparrow? Though it's usually thought of as a female name, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden chose it for their son.