8 Letter Girl Names

The African tradition of day naming—giving a child a name inspired by the day, time, or season in which they were born—has become attractive to Western parents as word names increase in use. Midnight is a relatively new addition to the pool—it was used as a middle name by Nicole Richie and Joel Madden for their son in 2009.

Cyril has several attractive femaie forms, including the French Cyrielle as well as Cyrilla. The one downside of this unique name is that many English speakers will pronounce it like cereal, so you'll constantly be explaining, "No, it's siri-ELLE."

Variant of Kathleen

Erendira was the name of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez heroine and also a mythological princess. The name is best known in Mexico.

Isabetta is a charming spin on both the Elizabeth and Isabella families and a new way to go if you love the originals but want something more, well, original. Isabetta Rose is the name chosen by Amber and Rob Mariano for their daughter. If you're searching for Italian names for girls that make an easy transition to the English-speaking world, this should be high on your list.

We'd prefer to stick with the more-familiar Cadence and avoid the overly trendy Kay- prefix.

One of many modern spellings of Jocelyn, this one used by actress Samantha Harris for her daughter.

Made familiar by poet William Blake. According to Blake, after her death, Conwenna "shines ... over the north with pearly beams gorgeous and terrible". Make of that what you will.

The daintiest and most accessible of the many Q names for a fifth child, now used for girls situated anywhere in the birth order.

Alternative name for the mother of Andromeda in Greek mythology, Cassiopeia, which sounds like a stylish blend of Calliope and Cassia. There is also a place called Kassiopi on the Greek island of Corfu.

A fast-rising variation of Abigail that was shooting up the popularity charts a few years ago, but whose star is now falling now that Abigail is not quite as hot as she once was.

Mythological Hersilia was the wife of Romulus, founder of Rome. She was later deified as Hora.

Perhaps the best known of the La names that peaked in the 1980s, it stems from the biblical Keziah, plus the gallic La prefix that rose to prominence centuries ago among the Creole people and Free Blacks of New Orleans.

A lyrical, and very rare, hidden flower name.

This name comes from a very rare species of butterfly, making it a nice choice for those seeking a name that suggests nature, rarity and fragility.

Shevonne is proof that a name can be pretty and tacky at the same time.

Sky has been a trending sound in recent years, from Skylar to Skye to Skyla. Skylette is a new one in recent years, combining the celestial first syllable with the fashionable "-ette" ending.

One of the coolest girls in the class of '73, still cute but not quite as youthful.

A strong name equally appropriate for girls and boys. For more, see Sequoia, which is the more feminine-feeling spelling.