Animal Names for Girls

Carleigh, a fancier way of spelling Carly, reflects the trend toward trying to make an ordinary name more special by fiddling with the spelling. Yes, Leigh is a feminine way to spell Lee, so Carleigh is theoretically an acceptable way to spell Carly, but it doesn't really work that way. People will wonder: is it Car-lay? Car-lee-uh? And your child will forever have to spell her name. Stick with Carly....or better, Carla or Carlin, or better yet, Charlotte or Caroline.

Army plus meaner equals an unappealing name.

Best known in the US as the name of Chris Brown's son (they pronounce it like "echo"), but Aeko is a traditional Japanese name for baby girls.

Deren is a name that could easily cross borders — and who wouldn't love it, with that whimsical meaning?

If there's an ancestral Earl you want to honor, consider Early instead.

A mini variation of Elsie that is better relegated as a nickname than a full form.

Icelandic form of Athena, trending there since the early 2000s and currently in the Top 50 names for Icelandic baby girls.

Caridad is a theological Virgin name, representing Our Lady of Charity, and a popular saint's name in Cuba. Would make an interesting choice, in the manner of the more familiar Soledad, Our Lady of Solitude.

Cohen is a common last name among Jews and an important spiritual name in the Jewish religion, associated with the hereditary priests who claimed descent from the biblical Aaron. As a result of its religious significance, Cohen is considered by some to be inappropriate to use as a first name, particularly by people with no Jewish heritage.

A beautiful English and French flower name deriving from the Latin word for dove. Sadly, in America this name is now forever linked with a tragic terrorist attack on a Colorado high school.

An early African-American name, along with variation Eartha.

Adelma is likely a feminization of Adelmar, which means famous nobleman. The name was seen a bit during the nineteenth century, with a famous bearer being Adelma Vay, a medium and spiritualist, which may be enough to put this in the new class of spiritual names. Count Adelma among the unusual but intriguing German names for girls.

A pet name that's usually unrelated to a person's given name. Musician Bootsy Collins was born William Earl.