Animal Names for Girls

Lilting and pretty, but with plenty of substance, Amila is a name that works easily in different cultures. Similar in sound to international favorites, Amelia and Mila, it feels familiar but with a twist.

Cana is well-known to readers of the Bible as the city where Jesus performed his first miracle. If other place names, both modern and ancient, real and mythical, can be baby names, why not Cana? Rhyming with Dana, it can work for either gender.

Cruz might be a sister for Concepcion and Corazon, although its masculine side was emphasized when the high profile David Beckhams chose it for their son.

Carita may feel like an endearing nickname but it's a name in its own right, used throughout Scandinavia in this form and as Karita, Caritas, and Karitas as a variation on Charity.

Analise is the second most popular form in the US of this distinctly German combination name, with about 100 baby girls named Analise in one recent year versus about 750 named Annalise.

A formidable name borne by Edelgard von Hresvelg, heiress to the Adrestian Empire in the video game Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

A Roman name that's unused by English speakers today, but might appeal as a shorter, lighter alternative to Aurelia. The Latin vocabulary word aula also meant "hall".

Dodo is one of the few names of the cute repeating-sounds genre that is not alas so cute, being a slang word for someone brainless as well as the name of the infamous extinct bird. Dot, Dottie, Dory, or Thea are all preferable.

Caridad is a theological Virgin name, representing Our Lady of Charity, and a popular saint's name in Cuba. Would make an interesting choice, in the manner of the more familiar Soledad, Our Lady of Solitude.

Bridger follows one of the recent trendy name formulas: a brisk first syllable + -er ending + history as a surname. It recently broke through the top 1000 on the boys side, but Bridger remains a rarity for girls. The similarity to familiar feminine name Bridget makes it viable for a daughter.

Bridger could work as a name for a baby whose heritage bridges multiple cultures.

Spicy.

Modernized spelling not enough to revive Karen.

This alluring Spanish word name has the quirky meaning "hazelnut". Avellana has a beautiful sound, although it may be misheard as the trending Avianna.

The invented Daleyza was the fastest-rising girls' name in the US in 2013, thanks to the adorable young daughter of Larry Hernandez, star of Larrymania. If you've been out of the world of baby names for a while, you may be surprised to learn that Daleyza is now one of the most popular girl names starting with D.

A contracted form of Emerentia, which belonged to an obscure Scottish saint.

It's a place. It's a wine. It's a color. -- no wonder trend-heavy Burgundy's been discovered as a name.

An alternative to the highly popular Aubrey.