Invented Girl Names

A modern combo name created from Zoe + Ella – or, in the case of influential British Youtuber Zoella, from Zoë + Elizabeth.

Jaycee is a modern invented name, likely inspired by the similar sounding Casey and Macy.

Elphaba was invented by Gregory Maguire for the protagonist of his novel Wicked, which became the long-running Broadway play and then a movie. Elphaba is the name of the Wicked Witch of the West, unnamed in the Oz books, and is drawn from the initials of Oz creator L. Frank Baum.

The Finnish writer Mika Waltari invented the name Minea from the Greek Minos for a character in his 1945 novel The Egyptian. It's become a popular Finnish name in the 21st century.

Sayori was invented for a character in the popular anime series Doki Doki Literature Club. Creator Dan Salvato said that Sayori is an "unholy fusion between 'Sayuri' and 'Saori.'"

While Kayla has been a mainstay in the US Top 1000 list since the 1960s, alternate version Keyla is relatively new, first entering the charts in 2002. While this spelling also has the possibility of being pronounced KEE-lah, it's most likely to cause confusing and frustration in the shadow of the much more popular spelling.

A newly hatched cousin of Bree and Brea, with a touch of Bailey and Brynn there too, Brae feels like a name that could catch on. However, a 'bray' is also the sound a donkey makes.

In Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Kida is a warrior princess from the lost city of Atlantis. Her full name in the film is Kidagakash, which was created for the film. Read more about Kida and other Disney Princess Names in our featured blog.

Minta is an eighteenth century short form of a literary beauty still used in England today, but yet to be discovered by American baby namers. It has a fresh and dainty feel.

This spelling of the Old Testament girls' name feels more energetic and modern than the more traditional Zilla or Zillah -- which is probably why it's been a fast-growing name for years.

With Henley and Kinsley two of the most popular new ley-ending baby names for girls, why not Hensley? We can think of several reasons, but if you like this style of name, Hensley is as attractive as any.

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

The -ayah suffix is ultra hot at the moment, with names like Alayah and Avayah attracting hundreds of parents each year. Kalayah may be building off of those, but it could also be used as a variation of the classic Hawaiian name Kalea.

Quiana might be thought of as the first synthetic name. Quiana was popular in the 1970s and 80s, along with the same-named form of polyester.

This unusual name, created by the singer Brandy for her daughter, uses punctuation in an inventive way -- a trend that takes creative spelling to a new but sometimes confusing level.

Icelyn and its more popular sister Icelynn have been among the fastest-rising girls' names in the US in recent years.

Superfans of auteur Wes Anderson may now consider Zissou as a baby name option, ever since Kieran Culkin and Jazz Charton used it for their daughter (birth name Kinsey Sioux). It's a clear homage to Anderson's film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, chronicling the journey of a Jacques Cousteau-like oceanographer avenging his partner's death-by-jaguar-shark.

Tiabeanie Mariabeanie de la Rochambeau Grunkwitz is better known as Princess Bean on the Netflix animated series Disenchantment. Six sets of parents were inspired to use her name for their daughter in 2022, when Tiabeanie debuted on the American charts.

There aren't many characters in the notoriously amoral world of Game of Thrones with a spotless record of moral righteousness -- but Brienne of Tarth comes close. She's one of the most accomplished, ferocious fighters in the entire series -- she was one of the few people ever to best The Hound in one and one combat. And yet she always tries to use her power for good.