Animal Names for Girls

An Early American name undoubtedly related to the Greek mythological name Electra, the version we prefer.

While Austin is a popular boys' name, this spelling, honoring novelist Jane, nudges the name toward gender-neutral, chosen last year for 67 baby boys and 57 girls.

Though it sounds like Karen, this spelling makes the name more distinctive.

A once very common Irish diminutive of Bridget that has unfortunately been associated since the 18th century with a pejorative slang term for an old or fussy woman.

Constantina is a pretty, feminissima, if lengthy, variation on the Constance theme. The fourth century Constantina, also known as Constantia and Constantiana, was the eldest daughter of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great and his second wife Fausta, daughter of Emperor Maximian. Constantina received the title of Augusta by her father, and is venerated as a saint; in English she is also known as Saint Constance.

Variation of Adriana, with a dash of Audrey thrown in.

Flower name that sounds a bit too much like a disease.

Somehow a "y" got stuck in a glass of apple juice.

Arke was the twin sister of the Greek rainbow goddess Iris. Arke is often associated with the seldom-seen, faded second rainbow. She had iridescent wings, which Zeus eventually took off her after she betrayed the Gods of Olympus. Arke can also be spelled Arce, but given the unfortunate mispronunciation that the 'c' spelling could lead to, we recommend you stick with this spelling.

A beautiful African name which can also lead to the always-wearable "Addy" nickname.

Better known as Tapioca, Cassava makes an innovative way to get to the nicknames Cass or Cassie.

Paul Cézanne was a French post-Impressionist painter whose intriguing surname is of uncertain origin, although it may be related to Suzanne (from the Hebrew Shoshana, "lily"). It has been used as a girls' name in South Africa, due to its familiar -anne ending.

Aglaea, sometimes spelled Aglaia, is one of the Three Graces or Charities. She represented beauty and splendor: ironic, given that the main barrier to her name making a comeback is that it sounds like ugly.