Names That Mean Feminine

Faustine has a positive meaning, although the association with the character who sold his soul to the devil may be off-putting. This name is among the Top 100 girls' names in France, but was given to fewer than five baby girls in the US last year.

More modern options: Shaw, Shay, or even Sean.

This name of an admired Puerto Rican pop singer has been picked up by hundreds of Hispanic parents.

Putting the emphasis on the "elle" softens a name that seems at once futuristic and medieval.

Much fresher and more energetic than Dominique.

This lovely name is all but unknown outside Italy but fits perfectly in with the fashions for vowel-starting names that are elaborately feminine. Might make a distinctive alternative to Angelina or Arianna. Downside: People will inevitably mistake it for Adriana.

More stylish than either Paula or Pauline, it was given a glamour gloss by model Paulina Porizkova in the nineties.

A unique relative of Zoe via the Ancient Greek name Zoilos, borne by a 4th century BC cynic philosopher.

Malika is an attractive multi-cultural name--it is also a pet form of Amalia in Hungary.

While Sixtine is a name with ancient roots that's popular in modern-day France, it's hard to imagine it gaining hold in English-speaking lands, given its similarity to the number sixteen and its even-more-problematic similarity to the word "sexting." You wouldn't do that to your daughter.

Not only stern and serious, but a little too severe.

Cai, as distinguished from the boys' name Kai, is international, simple, unusual.

With a meaning like "elf power," Alfreda could find some appeal among fantasy enthusiasts. "Freda" makes for a pleasant nickname.

Bente, pronounced ben-tah, is a popular girls' name in both The Netherlands and Denmark though largely unknown in the English-speaking world. It suffers by being a near-homonym of the English word bent, not the best dictionary equivalent for a first name. Still, if you're looking for a girls' name that equates to Ben or Benjamin or Benedict, this may be one of your best bets.

Petronilla is an ancient saint's name that relates to the Roman family name Petronius, thought to mean yokel or woodpecker, though some connect it with Petra or Peter, meaning stone. With the resurgence of so many ancient Roman names, the elaborate and pretty Petronilla or its French form Petronille seem more usable these days than they have in centuries.

Fine in France, but here it means vegetables sliced into thin strips.

Tavora is an attractive option, based on the name of a mountain in northern Israel. But the meaning of Tavora and brother name Tavor is less than optimal.

Spelled Alastríona in its native language, this Irish cousin of Alexandra is little-known but fairly intuitive.

Stylish and dramatic, a la Donatella Versace.

The fashion for elaborate girly-girl names, especially those that end with -ella or -ana, has put this distinctive Latin favorite into play.