Animal Names for Girls

Elvi is one of those elusive names that fit in yet stand out. It's similar to currently trendy girl names such as Ellie and Evie but maintains distinction.

Dutch supermodel Doutzen (pronounced doubt-son) Kroes has introduced us to a name from the Netherlands that might have a hard time in an American classroom and is nowhere near as glamorous as its bearer.

A sweet and simple multicultural choice which has several different meanings and origins.

The famous home of Hamlet in Shakespeare's great play is based on an actual castle in northern Denmark, which guarded the narrow entryway to the Baltic Sea for centuries. (The Danish word for it is Helsingør.) Elsinore may claim a rightful place among the Danish names for girls, vaguely akin to Eleanor, with Elsie a natural nickname, though some may find it a little pretentious. But as a middle name for the lover of Shakespeare or Copenhagen? Golden.

A romantic take on Ariadne, who in Greek mythology was the daughter of King Minos of Crete. She saw over the labyrinth, where she later helped Theseus defeat the Minotaur.

May be the most modern, stylish Catherine nickname: more unusual than Kate or Cate, with an animal and word name edge. Cat Power is a trendy folksinger.

Has a nice fresh, early morning meaning, but not the most mellifluous of sounds. Also spelled Arpineh.

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.

This more succinct form of the elegant Arabella might appeal to those who are looking for a less popular spin on Annabel or those who like the sounds of Arabella but want something with fewer frills. Given to 120 girls in 2023, it is around ten times less popular than its longer counterpart.

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").

Takes the priss out of Priscilla.

With Adelyn, Adelaide, Adeline, Ada, Lainey, Delaney, and Elena all in the charts, Adelaine remains surprisingly underused. Given to just 35 girls in the US in 2023, it makes a distinctive but familiar alternative to the other Ad- names in the charts and comes with the built in nicknames Lainey, Laine, Della, Addie and Ada. Beauty influencer and vlogger Adelaine Morin might draw more people's attention to the name in coming years, or perhaps it will be dismissed as it might feel more popular than it actually is.

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.

With the recent arrival of fruit names like Apple and Plum, this more traditional example, symbolic of fertility, might rise in popularity. Photographer Berry Berenson was born Berinthia.

Despite the strong association with the University of California, Berkeley, the more common version of this name omits the second E, Berkley.

A lucky word name that started to rise out of obscurity in the 2010s. Like Dream and True, Charm could be just one celebrity baby away from becoming a big trend.

Although the single-named singer is male, this might be a girl's nickname name or a sleek nature name that's perfect in the middle.

Calpurnia is a name with a massive history. As the third and final wife of Julius Caesar, Calpurnia has been forever depicted in literature (Shakespeare) and film (Cleopatra; Rome) as a modest and sweet woman, utterly devoted to Caesar. She is said to have foretold his death and to have tried (and failed) to have warned him of the treachery of his trusted allies. Following Caesar's assassination, Calpurnia never remarried.

Cytherea, a place-name that is the home of Aphrodite, seems stuck in ancient Greece.

A Greek goddess of music and poetry, Danae has a novel yet familiar sound.