Animal Names for Girls

Most names that start with Cam- are on the upswing, so why not this obscure term for Wales as well as for a prehistoric time period.

Amaranth is a beautiful herb with bright fuchsia flowers and a tasty seed that flavors many Eastern dishes. The name is filled with potential for the more adventurous namer, with nickname potential (Ammy, Mara) and a fresh sound that still fits in with all the Amelias and Ambers in the playground.

Long used as a masculine name, when you think about it there is no reason this word name can't be used on a daughter as well as a son. Only about 1 percent of the baby Christians born today are girls, but the name is not unknown for baby girls.

This is an energetic dance of an Irish surname, great for both genders. Could also be spelled Delancy.

A streamlined version of Anneliese, or perhaps a hybrid of Ann and Elise.

Swap two letters of Birdie and you get Bridie, a traditional diminutive of Bridget. Bridie fits perfectly with the trend for standalone vintage nicknames like Betty and Sadie, but is surprisingly rare.

This ancient Greek male name, well-used in Britain, also has an herbal quality that may explain its increasing use for girls. While as a name it rhymes with dazzle, the herb has a long a, making the pronunciation BAY-zel.

Miguel de Cervantes invented this elaborate-sounding name -- which roughly translates as "sweetness" -- for the beautiful maiden Don Quixote is obsessed with in his great novel. Even in the fictional world of the book, though, Dulcinea is not the woman's real name; Aldonza is. And because she never appears in person in the text, it's unclear whether she is as beautiful and saintly as the protagonist believes her to be. Probably not, given Don Quixote's track record.

Too sugary sweet and inconsequential for a modern girl.

Citrine is a type of quartz named after its citrus-colored hues. if Amethyst, Jasper, and Onyx (all other types of quartz) can be used, why not Citrine, which has a lovely French-sounding suffix. Citrine is one of the many rare and attractive girl names starting with C.

In Hinduism, the god Aruna is the charioteer who drives the sun god Surya across the sky. Aruna is both the traditional masculine form of the name (modernized as Arun) and its feminization.

A star system in Sagittarius, so one of the most appropriate names for December babies.

Audrina is a name that owes its fame to overnight reality TV sensation Audrina Partridge, one of the original cast of the MTV reality series The Hills.

Bettina is a dainty ballerina version of Betty, that has not been heard much since its 1950s-60s heyday. Bettina appeared in the Danielle Steele novel Loving, and in real life as one of Grace Kelly's bridesmaids.

Aerith Gainsborough is a lead character in the video game Final Fantasy. The name was invented by the developers as a translation for the character's original Japanese name Earisu.

There is some controversy over the origin and meaning of this name, though most reputable sources define it as a Hindi name meaning kindness or compassion. Also spelled, Daia, other sources say it may mean "joy" or be a Hebrew name with the meaning "bird of prey". It has recently been made familiar through the character of Daya Diaz on Orange is the New Black .

An attractive Scandinavian take on Helga, or a potential Helen nickname.

Similar to the floral name Aster, this spelling derives separately from Old Provençal astur "hawk") and from the Icelandic name elements as ("god") and þor ("thunder").

One of the new color names that is catching on, invoking a calm, blue-green-sea feeling.

Calm, composed, and chic.