Animal Names for Girls

Belinda, cousin of Linda and Melinda, enjoyed a brief return to the Top 1000 from 2005 through 2013, only to fall off again in 2014. A name that some may consider a modern spin on the midcentury popularity queen Linda is in fact a classic with deep and fascinating roots. In Babylonian mythology Belinda was the goddess of heaven and earth, and the name later was used for the heroine of Alexander Pope's satirical poem The Rape of the Lock.

Emerald is the intriguing color and jewel name of the deep green stone treasured as far back as ancient Egypt — it's supposed to open one's heart to wisdom and to love and be good for strengthening relationships — which could make for an interesting, unusual name, particularly with the popularity of so many Em-starting names.

Boys' favorite retains more of its poetic, windswept quality when used for a girl, as Robin Wright and Sean Penn did. Alyssa Milano gave her daughter Elizabella Dylan as a middle name.

Adalyn is one of a large group of Ad-beginning names for girls, which include Adeline and Adalynn and Adelaide and Addison — essentially, anything leading to the popular nickname Addie is in. Adalyn is a beautiful name, but be prepared to have to spell it out for people often. Adalyn entered the charts in 2007 and rose quickly, but has been fairly steady in the mid 100s for nearly 10 years now.

Alison has been long popular in Scotland and widely used here since the fifties. This more feminine medieval elaboration of Alice had long surpassed the original in popularity, but now sounds a tad dated in the U.S., with Alice having leapfrogged back over Alison, Allison, Alicia and other variations.

Corisande is a very unusual, haunting choice, with the aura of medieval romance--it is found in early Spanish romantic tales, arriving in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century.

Candace, an ancient title of a dynasty of Ethiopian queens mentioned in the New Testament, is associated both with actress Candice Bergen and Sex and the City writer Candace Bushnell.

Languid, romantic, and classy, this variation heats up Caroline and modernizes Carol, adding a southern accent.

Amaris sounds like "amorous," which is a loving name for a child, but doesn't really have a clear derivation or meaning of its own. The popular Amara is one of the most international names on the charts, with derivations and meanings in cultures that truly span the globe. And Amariah is an ancient Hebrew name. Still, Amaris is unusual and pretty, and that may be enough.

Connor is an ancient Irish mythological name in the US Top 100 for boys but also used in increasing numbers for baby girls.

Sadly, this strong Celtic name often has "of the sorrows" attached to it because of the tragic character in Irish legend. Also a bit drab when compared with newer Irish imports.

Anja is one of the most internatioanl of several versions of Ann/Anna now being imported, also including Anya and Annika.

Adira is one of those names that feels familiar without being overused. Simple but with subtle flair, Adira crosses different languages easily and could provide an alternative option tor the likes of Ava, Ariana, Adeline, and Anna.

The name of a courageous tribe, Cheyenne became quite popular in the 1990s, inspiring a wide range of spelling variations—Shyanne is one example that's still on the rise.

Callum is virtually unused for girls in the US, but we could easily see it fitting in with other boy names for girls such as Elliot, Asher, and August.

A name with plenty of celebrity glamor and contemporary flair, Anniston has a variety of origins. On one hand, it's a place name, deriving from a city in Alabama of the same name. Founded in the late 19th century by Samuel Noble and Daniel Tyler, it was named in honor of the latter's daughter-in-law, Annie Tyler.

Though the tragedies of the Greeks and Eugene O'Neill that used this name are filled with incest and murder, Electra is still a brilliant choice. Isabella Rossellini chose the gentler Italian verson, Elettra, for her now grown daughter.

A modern Welsh name that will be misunderstood as Irene.

Yes, there are baby girls named Benjamin — typically between 10-20 recorded in a given year. These numbers are likely inflated due to data entry error, but you still could encounter a female Benjamin out there.

Allie is one short form that's gotten so popular it's often used as a name on its own. Cute, friendly, yet we'd recommend using one of the proper names such as Alice to give your daughter an option. These days, Ellie might be more fashionable.