Though perhaps not as currently stylish as Ruby, Jade, or Pearl, Amber has a colorful history (remember the notorious Forever Amber heroine?). Unfortunately, it does come with the "Amber Alert" connotation for modern parents (and their children).

Amber

Anneliese is a German and Dutch combination of Anna and Liese (a form of Elizabeth) with an Old World feel but modern appeal. The Anglicized Annalise spelling in in the US Top 500, but this authentic German version has only ever broken into the US Top 1000 once, back in 2005.

Anneliese

The given name Athena was derived from the city name Athens, which is of uncertain origins. In Greek mythology, Athena is the name of the daughter of Zeus who was the goddess of wisdom, warfare, handicrafts, mathematics, and courage, among others. She was the great patroness-goddess of the city of Athens. In the Odyssey, Homer describes her as 'sparkling-eyed Athena.'
 Athena is a distinctive name that could appeal to enlightened parents who particularly prize intelligence. It's one of the most widely used of the ancient <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/433/goddess-baby-names">goddess names</a> that are finding such favor in the contemporary Western world.
 Athene is another version, and Athena's Roman counterpart is Minerva.
 In the Disney movie The Little Mermaid, Athena is the mother of Ariel.
 Tina Fey turned to her Greek heritage for both of her second daughter's names: Penelope Athena—and this has spurred interest in Athena, even though it's in middle place.

Athena

Aneira

Bethany is a lyrical name that still strikes many parents as a fresher, more substantial substitute for the overused Brittany/Brittney or the more antiquated Beth. 
 In the New Testament, Bethany is the name of a village just outside Jerusalem where Jesus stayed during Holy Week. Mary of Bethany was the sister of Martha and Lazarus.
 A spelling variation was introduced by Real Housewife of New York Bethenny Frankel.

Bethany

Brenna is a feminine form of the Irish surname Brennan, or perhaps a variation of Brenda or Brendan—all of which have different meanings. Whatever its derivation or authenticity, it's a modern sounding name which has steadily decreased in popularity since 1995 when it peaked at Number 235 in the United States.
 Brenna O'Brien is a Canadian actress.

Brenna

This hyper-rhythmic name has two evocative references. In Greek mythology, she was an island nymph, a daughter of Atlas, who delayed Odysseus from returning home. It is also a genre of West Indian music, originating in Trinidad and Tobago and largely popularized in the States by Harry Belafonte. 
 Calypso was the name of Jacques-Yves Cousteau's research ship--and would make a highly dramatic, musical choice.

Calypso

Coraline may not be original to Neil Gaiman's wonderful book of the same name, but it might as well be. Gaiman's young heroine Coraline Jones is constantly called Caroline but as a name Coraline is more distinctive and has a more mysterious feel. The 2002 novel Coraline was made into a 2009 animated film voiced by Dakota Fanning and nominated for an Academy Award. The number of baby girls named Caroline increased by a factor of 100 between 2007 and 2017 -- going from 5 to over 500 in a decade.

Coraline

Derica

Esmeralda came into use as an applied use of the Spanish word for emerald, esmeralda. In the 1831 Victor Hugo novel Notre-Dame de Paris, also known as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, the heroine was born Agnes, but called La Esmeralda in reference to the jewel she wears around her neck. The name Esmeralda got increased visibility via the Disney version of the story.
 
This Portuguese and Spanish version of the jewel-like Emerald has long been popular with Hispanic parents. Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling named their first daughter Esmeralda, inspired by the Victor Hugo novel. Read more about Esmeralda and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Esmeralda

Evangeline is a romantic old name enjoying a major comeback, thanks to its religious overtones, Eva's popularity, and the star of the TV megahit Lost, Evangeline Lilly. Evangelia and Evangelina — two variants of Evangeline — are sure to tag along for the ride.

 Evangeline was introduced to the English-speaking world by Longfellow in his hugely popular eponymous narrative poem, and can also be found in Uncle Tom's Cabin (it was Little Eva's full name), as well as two novels by Evelyn Waugh. More recently, there were Evangelines in the films Nanny McPhee and Disney's The Princess and the Frog.

Evangeline

Giada is a fresh spin on Jade, which has been quietly and stylishly used in English-speaking countries for several years now. Popular cook Giada De Laurentiis made this a possibility, then semi-subtly self-referenced when she named her daughter Jade.
 Giada was on the U.S. pop list from 2007, five years after the debut of DeLaurentiis's Food Network show, to 2013, but has since dropped off.

Giada

A versatile classic, Lucy is both sweet and solid, a saint's name, and the heroine of several great novels. First fashionable in England and Wales, Lucy is now a popular choice in the US, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.
 
The English form of the Roman Lucia, Lucy derives from the Latin word lux, meaning “light.” Once given to girls born at dawn, Lucy is also associated with Saint Lucia, the patron saint of the blind.
 
Lucy has a wide range of namesakes, from the bossy friend in the Peanuts comic, to psychedelic "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," to the rash and zany heroine of I Love Lucy. 
 
It is a name with a rich literary history, chosen for the heroines of Charlotte Brontë’s novel Villette, E.M. Forster’s A Room With A View, Jamaica Kincaid’s Lucy, and C. S Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia - just to name a few. 
 
Beyond fiction, Lucy Stone was an important American activist, Lucy Worsley is a successful author and historian, and Lucy Lui is an actress who has imparted strength and style to the name.
 
Simple but sophisticated, playful but grounded, it is no wonder Lucy is a popular choice. Given to over 4000 girls in the US each year, it is a classic that doesn’t feel dusty.
 
If you love Lucy, but don’t love its popularity, you could consider one of its many variants. From vintage Lucille, to the musical Lucetta, to the fresh, unexpected Lux; from nickname-y Lou to sleek Luciana, there are plenty of possibilities.

Lucy

Morwenna is an ancient Cornish name now being revived in Wales, deriving from a Celtic word meaning "maiden", although the Mor- syllable means that it's often associated with the sea. It's been heard in the British series Doc Martin and Poldark. Morwenna Banks is a British actress.

Morwenna

Penelope is an unlikely 21st century baby name success story. Off the Top 1000 for 25 years, Penelope jumped back on in 2001 and has been heading uphill ever since, propelled by the trend for mythological names, Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, and some high-profile celebrity babies. 
 
In Greek mythology, Penelope was the wife of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey. It has two possible origin stories—Penelope was either derived from the Greek pēnē, meaning "thread of a bobbin", or from penelops, a type of duck. Mythological Penelope was cared for by a duck as an infant, and later was known for fending off would-be suitors by pretending to weave a garment.
 
Penelope's status as a Kardashian baby name -- Kourtney's daughter Penelope was born in 2012 -- brought the ancient name to widespread attention. The most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/p">girls' name starting with P</a>, Penelope was also picked for their girls by Tina Fey, by Anna Chlumsky, and by Natalie and Taylor Hanson, of the group Hanson. 
 Penelope has several British novelists as namesakes—Penelopes Fitzgerald, Mortimer, Gilliatt, and Lively. And yes, she's also a Harry Potter character: Penelope "Penny" is a student at Hogwarts.
 A perennial Nameberry favorite, Penelope can be shortened to the traditional Penny or -- Berry style -- the fresher Nell or Poppy.

Penelope

Phoenix is a New Age name symbolizing rebirth and immortality. It's also a place name, a color name, a mythological name, AND an animal name, combining several of today's hottest trends in one appealing package.

Phoenix is also a fairly evenly-balance gender neutral baby names, given last year to about 1000 baby girls and 1300 baby boys. Scary Spice chose Phoenix for her daughter, and Paris Hilton used it for her son.

Phoenix

Piper is a bright, musical name that entered the list in 1999, one year after the debut of the TV series Charmed, which featured a Piper, and it's been a consistent riser since. Piper Kerman is the memoirist whose prison experiences provided the basis for the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black.
 Piper has been chosen by several celebs for their daughters, including Gillian Anderson and Cuba Gooding, Jr., and is now one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/p">girls' names starting with P</a>.
 One of the first Pipers on the scene was Piper Laurie (born Rosetta), after whom actress Piper Perabo was named.

Piper

Rose is derived from the Latin rosa, which referred to the flower. There is also evidence to suggest it was a Norman variation of the Germanic name Hrodohaidis, meaning "famous type," and also Hros, "horse". In Old English it was translated as Roese and Rohese.
 
Rose, one of the old-time sweet-smelling flower names, has had a remarkable revival—first of all as a middle name—with parents (e.g., Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck, Jon Stewart, Eric Clapton, Ewan McGregor) finding Rose to be the perfect connective, with more color and charm than old standbys like Sue and Ann. At this point in time, though, some parents are finding there are too many roses in the middle spot of the garden.
 As a first name, Rose reached its highest point from 1896 to 1921, the early heyday of flower names, when it was in the Top 20, though it had been in use for centuries before. Rosy/Rosie is an irresistibly cheery nickname, very popular on its own in the UK. There are any number of Rose offshoots, including Rosa, Rosetta, Roseanne, Rosanna, Rosemary, Rosamund, Rosalind, Rosalie, and Rosina.
 Rose and Rosie have long been celebrated in song, and notable Roses range from Rose Kennedy to Rose Byrne, and on-screen Roses have featured in a range of films and TV shows, from Titanic to Harry Potter to Golden Girls.

Rose

Cool meets Born Again meets Brad and Angelina, who made Shiloh an instant star when they chose it for their daughter. While Shiloh has risen from obscurity thanks to its celebrity baby use, it hasn't become a star the way brother names Maddox and Pax have. It entered the Top 1000 in 2007, one year after the birth of Ms. Jolie-Pitt.
 The town of Shiloh is mentioned several times in the Old Testament--it was where Joshua and the Israelites assembled to cast lots for the seven tribes and for many years it was where the Ark of the Covenant resided, becoming a place of pilgrimage. Shiloh is also the site in Tennessee of a major, bloody, Civil War battle.
 Trivia tidbit: Shiloh is the name Angelina Jolie's parents had picked for their first child before her mother miscarried.

Shiloh

Sienna has been a Top 100 choice in England & Wales since 2005, the year after Sienna Miller's acting breakthrough in the hit movies Alfie and Layer Cake. In the US, it also got a big boost in the early noughties, before dropping slightly then rebounding to reach an all-time high in 2022.

 Now the name Sienna has gotten maybe its biggest boost of all when it was announced as the name of the daughter of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The royal baby, born in 2021, is named Sienna Elizabeth. Cable newsperson Campbell Brown also chose Sienna for her daughter, as did Kevin James. 
 
The historic Tuscan city is spelled Siena, but the Sienna spelling is the one used recently by Princess Beatrice for her daughter. Sienna, also the spelling used by American-born English actress Miller, is more popular than Siena in the English-speaking world. 


 The city of Siena is said to have been founded by Senius and Aschius, two sons of Remus. The name of the city may derive from Senius, although other possibilities include Roman or Etruscan family names, a Gaulish tribe name, or a Latin root meaning "old". 

 The English color word "sienna" ultimately comes from the name of the iron-rich clay in the Italian city, brownish yellow when raw and reddish brown when burnt, making this a vibrant color name as well as a romantic place name.

Sienna

The e-addition takes the name from slightly hippie-ish nature name to the place name of a picturesque island off the coast of Scotland, and for baby namers it's by far the more popular spelling. 
 Skye entered the girls' list in 1987, a year after the introduction of Skye Chandler, a popular character for decades on no fewer than three soaps—All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital.
 As a first name, Skye is a sleek gender-neutral choice, used for ten times as many girls as boys. It makes a lovely middle-name choice.

Skye

Skadi

Wanderlust_Wolf's list "Favorite Names/Guilty Pleasures (Girls)" of 22 great name ideas: Amber - Skadi!

Favorite Names/Guilty Pleasures (Girls)

Just a random list of female names I love.