Animal Names for Girls

  1. Demetria
    • Origin:

      Greek, alternate form of Demeter
    • Description:

      Demetria is a dramatic ancient Greek earth goddess possibility with the star-studded nickname Demi. Young actor/singer/songwriter Demi Lovato was born Demetria, but contrary to common hearsay, Demi Moore was born Demi.

      An even more unusual cousin name is the Cornish Demelza, made somewhat familiar via the TV series Poldark.

  2. Alicent
    • Origin:

      Literature
    • Description:

      The name of a character in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, played by Olivia Cooke in the TV series House of the Dragon. Likely based on the medieval French and English name Elisant/Elysant or Helisent.
  3. Emiliana
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Emily
    • Meaning:

      "rival"
    • Description:

      The enormous popularity of Emily and Emma means that parents will be looking further afield for substitutes -- and this is one of the prettiest.

  4. Beckett
    • Origin:

      English, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "bee hive; bee cottage; little brook"
    • Description:

      A modern unisex update for Rebecca.
  5. Abra
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Abraham, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "father of multitudes"
    • Description:

      Abra is soft, sensitive feminine form of Abraham that was the name of a soft, sensitive character in the John Steinbeck book and movie, "East of Eden." In the bible, Abra was a favorite of King Solomon and it was a popular name in seventeenth century England. Abra is also a West African name used for girls born on Tuesday. The magical 'abracadabra' is thought to have originated in the Aramaic language.
  6. Bessie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Elizabeth
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      After a century of association with horses and cows, this name just could be ready for revival by a fearless baby namer -- after all, it did happen to Jessie and Becky.
  7. Dee
    • Origin:

      Nickname for any girl name that starts with D
    • Description:

      Dee is a slight midcentury nickname that might be short for Deanna or Denise, but might be too slight for today's strong, independent female.
  8. Behati
    • Origin:

      Afrikaans version of Beatrice
    • Meaning:

      "blessed; she who brings happiness"
    • Description:

      Namibian supermodel Behati Prinsloo, who has walked the runway for every designer from Prada to Versace to Vera Wang, has introduced us to this Afrikaans version of Beate or Beatrice, a rhythmic twist on an international favorite.
  9. Corinna
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "maiden"
    • Description:

      Delicate and gentle old-fashioned name, the kind found in early English poetry. While Corinna and the original Green Korinna are technically diminutives of the ancient Kore, now the popular Cora, this name will often be mistaken for other similar-sounding though unrelated names, such as Karenna. But it's pretty and is backed by more tradition than you'd guess.
  10. Bibi
    • Origin:

      French, Persian, or diminutive of Bibiana
    • Meaning:

      "toy; delight; lady of the house; life"
    • Description:

      A spunky nickname name for parents with showbiz aspirations for their daughter.
  11. Demeter
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "earth mother"
    • Description:

      Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain, agriculture, and the harvest, growth and nourishment, was Zeus's sister and Persephone's mother. Variation Demetria is the full name of actress Demi Moore. Though familiar, Demeter is not one of the Greek goddess namesthat's finding widespread modern favor.
  12. Bertha
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "bright, glorious"
    • Description:

      Ever since the enormous German cannon was dubbed by Allied soldiers "Big Bertha" in World War I, this name hasn't worked for a sweet little baby girl. But this was not always so. Hard as it might be to imagine now, Bertha was a Top 100 name until the 1930s, and in the 1880s was the seventh most popular name in the land--the equal of Joseph.
  13. Brandy
    • Origin:

      Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "burnt wine"
    • Description:

      The alcohol-laced member of the Randy-Candy-Mandy sorority of 1970s to 80s nickname names; now pretty much on the wagon.
  14. Avani
    • Origin:

      Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "the good earth"
    • Description:

      A name quite common in India, with a soft but spirited sound and an attractive meaning for lovers of nature.
  15. Amphitrite
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "the surrounding sea or the surrounding third"
    • Description:

      Amphitrite is a mysterious Greek mythological figure, most often cited as a sea goddess who was the wife of Poseidon. She was said to be the personification of the sea water itself and was said to be present at the birth of Apollo.
  16. Axel
    • Origin:

      Scandinavian variation of Absalom
    • Meaning:

      "father of peace"
    • Description:

      A Top 100 name among boys, but a rare option for a girl. The French female form is Axelle (emphasis on the "elle").
  17. Eirene
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "peace"
    • Description:

      Eirene, modernized to Irene, was the Greek goddess of peace. Eirene or Irene was also the name of an early empress and several saints.
  18. Deanna
    • Origin:

      English variation of Diana
    • Meaning:

      "divine"
    • Description:

      Though still being used, Deanna peaked many decades ago.
  19. Eleri
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "greatly bitter"
    • Description:

      Striking name of a legendary princess and a Welsh river that feels both moody and modern.
  20. Emilie
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Emily; German and Scandinavian feminine form of Aemilius
    • Description:

      Unlike most creative spellings, this one isn't overly trendy or overdone—in fact, it's quite delicate and pretty. However, it is clearly suffering from the plethora of similar names that are flowing around right now (Emelie, Emilia, Emily, Emilee, Amelie, Amelia) and has fallen more than 300 spots since 2013. It might be time for Emilie and her sisters to be left alone for a while.