German Girl Names

Whether spelled Raffaela, Rafaela, Raffaella, or Raphaela, a euphonius name with a dark-eyed, long-flowing-haired image. Like Gabriella and Isabella, is beginning to be drawn into the American mainstream.

Seventies comic-book-heroine-style name.

Senta is a lovely name, but if you name your daughter Senta, will the kids call her Santa? Maybe, but this obscure yet simple German name for girls.may appeal to parents searching the untraveled name routes.

The ancient Roman name that gave us Cecilia, Cecily, and related names. This spelling looks authentic, but might raise more pronunciation problems than it solves.

Now that the range of names including the modern Emmeline and Amelia -- relatives of each other, but of neither Emily nor Emma -- has become so fashionable, the original root name Amelina is also due up for reconsideration. A lovely, delicate choice, its main disadvantage is that it sounds like a modern elaboration rather than the original name. And perhaps that it will be so often misspelled and mistaken for other forms of itself. But it is a lovely name with deep roots.

The memorable folk singer, an early single-name celeb, brought this into the spotlight. The French variation is Odette.

Diminutive of Maxine, Maxima or Maximiliane

Old and aristocratic European name that would be tough for an American kid to pull off.

A sophisticated girls' name for those attracted to Leona, Leonie and Leonore.

Common French and German alternative to Renata.

The German name for girls Wylda was introduced to the world by British filmmaker/artist, director of Fifty Shades of Gray Sam Taylor-Wood and her actor husband, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who named their daughter Wylda Rae. Is that Wylda, which rhymes with Hilda, and might be found inhabiting a sod hut on the Kansas prairie in 1901? Or Wylda, sister of Wilder, destined for a future as a hell-raising singer in a rock band?

Brings to mind phrases like "I vanda new bike" or "I vanda go home".

Old man's name just conceivable for a girl--makes a new spin on Wendy.

Writer James Baldwin could make this an inspirational choice for a child of either sex.

Cute tomboyish diminutive that's popular in Germany but has not spread far. An interesting choice for the parent who wants an elaborate feminine proper name with a modern short form.

Feminine spin on Arnold that received a brief flurry of use in the early 1990s.

Spelling variation of Amalia, rising in popularity throughout Europe.