Six Letter Girl Names

Mattel is experiencing a revival in the Orthodox Jewish community, where it's becoming increasingly common as a first and middle name. It's the feminine version of Mottel, itself the Yiddish form of Mordecai. Mattel was commonly Anglicized as Matilda during emigration in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Variant of Lunet

With so many A-beginning names finding their way into style, Agacia is one unusual choice that could get more attention. It's part Agatha, part Acacia, and quite intriguing.

Pretty Welsh name with potential. In a folk tale from north-west Wales, Meinir and Rhys were lovers whose wedding day came to a tragic end.

Spelling this name with a y instead of the conventional way -- Bailey -- makes it a tad more feminine and also adds a touch of water. Baylee is another popular feminine alternative.

Faunia is more often rendered as Fauna, who was a Roman goddess of fertility, women and healing. Faunia was the downtrodden yet loving heroine of Philip Roth's Human Stain. Faunia and Fauna have more gravitas than the doe-like Fawn.

Zayley -- which may also be styled Zaylee or Zaylie or Zalie, among other spellings -- is a member of the squad of names that include Bailey, Hayley, and Kaylee and is always welcoming new members.

Also spelled Selqet, Serket and Serqet, Selket was the Ancient Egyptian goddess of the scorpions and of magic. She was a helpful goddess and protected souls on their journey to the afterlife. She is also associated with childbirth (potentially making her a great choice for the daughter of a midwife or obstetrician). Her connection to scorpions is a symbol of her power and makes her a good namesake for a child born under the zodiac sign of Scorpio.

The ie ending injects this late 20th century favorite with a bit of late 19th century charm. But not quite enough to make it a good 21st century choice.

Clelie or Clélie is the French form of the interesting and little-used Roman name Clelia.

The "mahlet" is a chant that priests in the Ethiopian Orthodox church perform during the night to praise and give thanks to God. Pronounced with three syllables, Mahlet is also used as a first name for girls.

Thayer sounds like a modern update '90s success-story Taylor — although it's much rarer and will likely never reach Taylor's heights. It is also reminiscent of currently trendy Thea, which could also be used as a nickname.

Zoelie, also spelled Zoélie, looks like a modern elaboration of Zoe but may have deeper roots. It is thought to be a form of Zoelle, a feminization of Zoel, the French version of the saintly name Zoellus. His name seems to be a form of Zoilos... which itself comes from the same root as Zoe, meaning "life"! Whether it's ancient or modern, Zoelie is a pretty name that might appeal as an unusual alternative to Sylvie and Coralie.

A favorite in Brazil, with the z adding extra zest.