I Would Name My Daughter...

  1. Opal
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit
    • Meaning:

      "gem"
    • Description:

      Opal is on the verge of a repolishing, following other jewel names like Ruby and Pearl. A Top 100 name during the first two decades of the twentieth century, the opalescent Opal has a good chance of coming back as another O-initial option.
  2. Ophelia
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "help"
    • Description:

      Floral, elegant, and bold, Ophelia re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after more than 50 years off the charts. It has risen more than 700 spots since then and shows no signs of slowing down. Now in the US Top 300, could Ophelia one day become the next Olivia or Amelia?
  3. Orla
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "golden princess"
    • Description:

      Orla is an Irish name closely associated with the high king Brian Boru, as it was the name of his sister, daughter and niece. It was very popular in the Middle Ages – the fourth most popular name in twelfth century Ireland – and has become popular again in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales today. In Irish, the name is commonly spelled Orlaith or Orlagh.
  4. Ottilie
    • Origin:

      German, French
    • Meaning:

      "prosperous in battle"
    • Description:

      Ottilie is trending in the UK, where the pronounced T helps the name sound pretty and delicate, rather like Amelie and Elodie. Ottilie is less popular in the US, where many Americans pronounce it as a near-homonym for "oddly".
  5. Pollie
    • Ramona
      • Origin:

        Spanish, feminine variation of Ramon
      • Meaning:

        "wise protector"
      • Description:

        Ramona is a sweet spot name – neither too trendy nor too eccentric. Kids will associate it with the clever Ramona Quimby character in the series of books by Beverly Cleary, also seen on TV. It was chosen by starcouple Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard for their little girl, who would be joined by sister Gloria.
    • Regina
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "queen"
      • Description:

        A classic name with regal elegance--Queen Victoria, like other queens, had Regina appended to her name. She was a Top 100 name in the 1960s.
    • Reina
      • Origin:

        Spanish, Yiddish or Japanese
      • Meaning:

        "queen; pure; wise"
      • Description:

        An appellation for the Virgin Mary, "Queen of the apostles." After three years off the US popularity charts, Reina rejoined the list in 2014, though it lags behind alternate spellings Raina, Rayna, and Reyna. It is also used in Yiddish and in Japanese.
    • Sally
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Sarah
      • Meaning:

        "princess"
      • Description:

        Sally is a cheerful, fresh-faced girl-next-door name that was originally a nickname for Sarah, but has long been used independently. Sally was popular in the eighteenth century and then again from the 1920s to the 1960s--it was just outside the Top 50 around 1940. Though it hasn't been heard as a baby name for decades, we can see Sally bouncing back, especially after her exposure as young Ms. Draper on Mad Men--the Nameberries rank it at Number 621, and it's a Top 100 name in Sweden.
    • Sarah
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "princess"
      • Description:

        Sarah was derived from the Hebrew word sarah, meaning "princess." Sarah is an Old Testament name—she was the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. According to the Book of Genesis, Sarah was originally called Sarai, but had her name changed by God to the more auspicious Sarah when she was ninety years old.
    • Seraphina
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "ardent; fiery"
      • Description:

        Seraphina is one of the most-searched name on Nameberry, destined for even greater popularity. The highest-ranking angels, the six-winged seraphim, inspired the lovely name Seraphina.
    • Seraphine
      • Origin:

        French from Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "burning ones"
      • Description:

        Seraphine is the Gallic version of the angelic name Seraphina. But while Seraphina has been rising rapidly since Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck chose it for their second daughter, Seraphine has been largely ignored, though we believe the French vowel-sound ending will soon be more stylish than the a-endings that have predominated in girls' names for years.
    • Sophie
      • Origin:

        French variation of Sophia
      • Meaning:

        "wisdom"
      • Description:

        Sophie is the French form of the Greek Sophia, for which it is also commonly used as a nickname. Given Sophia's long standing among the Top 10 girl names in the US, Sophie may feel more popular than it actually is.
    • Summer
      • Origin:

        Word name
      • Description:

        The temperature is definitely rising for this popular seasonal name, which began being used in the seventies, and has been heard consistently ever since.
    • Sunny
      • Origin:

        English nickname
      • Description:

        Upbeat nickname-name that can't help but make you smile. You might want to use it as a short form for a more "serious" name such as Sunniva, but Sunny is undeniably, well, sunny.
    • Sunshine
      • Origin:

        Word name
      • Description:

        Sunshine was seen as a quintessential hippie name of the 70s, reaching as high as Number 536 in 1975. Now such names are making a bit of a retro comeback, seen, for example, as a character on Glee.
    • Violet
      • Origin:

        English from Latin
      • Meaning:

        "purple"
      • Description:

        Violet is soft and sweet, yet with a vivacious edge.

    • Zella
      • Origin:

        African, Bobangi
      • Meaning:

        "lacking nothing, one who knows the way"
      • Description:

        This is an African name that would fit into any culture.