Animal Names for Girls

Feminine but strong name heard in Israel.

Chance feels like a mainstream pick for boys thanks to Chance the Rapper and several starbabies with the name. It hasn't caught on in the same way for girls, but it makes a strong alternative to the rather slight Lucky.

Sources say that Bina, which is close to the word for bee in Yiddish, was once used as a translation for the Hebrew Deborah, which means bee. On its own, it also means "understanding" in Hebrew. Simple and sweet in itself, it could also be short for (or a nod to) many names including Sabina, Robina, Columbina, and Jacobina.

Charlie in all its forms has been a popular gender neutral name since the early 2000s and is now given almost equally to girls and boys. While it did once lean more (statistically) masculine, it has been used on girls too since the before the 20th century.

A simple and beautiful Sanskrit name with a strong meaning, Aanya is made familiar by its similarity of Anya and Aine. It made a very brief appearance in the US Top 1000 in 2014 before declining in popularity slightly, and is now given to around 160 girls each year. A rare but straightforward choice, the name is featured in the popular animated series The Dragon Prince.

Cai, as distinguished from the boys' name Kai, is international, simple, unusual.

This version softens, feminizes, and glamorizes the long-time favorite. A fresh way to honor Grandma Betty. Elizabetta is a variation.

Alitzel is a variation of Itzel, the Mayan mythological name for the goddess also known as the Rainbow Lady.

Darling has history as an English surname, but it would most likely be read as a quirky and loving word name, a la Sweetheart or Honey.

A highly unusual name in the U.S., Assumpta refers to the Assumption of Mary, the ascent of the Virgin Mary into Heaven before her death in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox doctrine. An intriguing and pious choice for a devout Catholic family — though watch out for those first three letters.

Haitian writer Edwidge Danticat highlighted this sophisticated, chignon-wearing choice for literate parents.

Berkeley, with an extra E, is the more familiar variation of this name, associated with the California school. But it's the streamlined Berkley that has proven itself to be more popular as a baby name, at least in the US.

Beautiful meanings no matter which origin you want to go with. But either way, it rhymes with Paris.

Arda is a simple gender-neutral name with several possible origins and meanings. As a Turkish name, it's usually used for males and means scepter. There is also a river in Turkey called the Arda. The Hebrew name Arda means bronze. And Arda may also be a variation of the English Arden, the name of a magical Shakespearean forest.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Apple has opened the world of botanical names beyond flowers to trees, herbs, fruits, and — why not — nuts. Cayley and Brandon Jenner have a daughter named Joan Almond.

Elula, female derivation of Elul, the name of the sixth month on the Hebrew calendar, was used by Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen for their second daughter. The couple kept their unusual choice under wraps for several months, perhaps to get a head start on the hordes of fans who might adopt the fashionable-yet-unusual double-l name for their own. Reminiscent of (though not actually related to) Eulala, the stylish pick of Marcia Gay Harden for her daughter. Lula, Lulu, or Lu could be short forms.

An ancient Roman name that has never made it into the modern world.