Invented Girl Names
- Elphaba
Origin:
Literary invented nameDescription:
Elphaba was invented by Gregory Maguire for the protagonist of his novel Wicked, which became the long-running Broadway play. 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.
- Naveah
- Minea
Origin:
Finnish feminization of Minos, GreekMeaning:
"king"Description:
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.
- Tayla
Origin:
Spelling variation of TaylorDescription:
Tayla is a hybrid name, ala Sayla and Mikayla. Recipe for sudden -- if brief -- new name success: take two of the trendiest choices, Taylor and Kayla, stir, and voila...Tayla, which made it onto the hit parade in the mid-1990s.
- Amberly
Origin:
Modern variation of AmberDescription:
A rarely used play on Amber, making it more feminine and both more modern and old-fashioned at the same time.
- Kalayah
Origin:
Variation of Kalea or Alayah, Hawaiian, EnglishMeaning:
"joy, happiness; sublime"Description:
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.
- Kida
Description:
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.
- Menna
Origin:
Welsh, meaning unknownDescription:
Menna is used regularly in Wales in modern times. Its origins are uncertain: perhaps created by a poet, or possibly connected with the Menai Strait that separates the island of Anglesey from mainland Wales. Either way, it's pretty, straightforward, and honor Welsh heritage without screaming it.
- Kamora
Origin:
Variation of Kimora or Kamara, MalagasyMeaning:
"chameleon"Description:
Kamora may be a variation of Kamara, a Malagasy name from Madagascar with an unexpected animal meaning. Alternatively, it might be an invented name, inspired by the similar Kimora or Amora - in which case it could also mean "woods by the village" or "love".
- Hensley
Origin:
American invented nameDescription:
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.
- Cyder
Origin:
Invented nameDescription:
Somehow a "y" got stuck in a glass of apple juice.
- Zissou
Origin:
Invented nameDescription:
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.
- Brienne
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
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.
- Scarla
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
Scarla is one of a raft of modern names that have been spun from established names -- in this case, it's part Scarlett, part Carla -- to make something new and "different." Uniqueness is the value that drives parents to invent names like Scarla, Skyla, and Saylah, but we think you'd do better to seek out a genuine name that's more unusual and has less connection to current trends.
- Icelyn
Origin:
Variation of Icelynn, invented English nameDescription:
Icelyn and its more popular sister Icelynn have been among the fastest-rising girls' names in the US in recent years.
- Quiana
Origin:
Modern invented nameDescription:
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.
- Sy'rai
Origin:
Variation of SarahDescription:
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.
- Raylee
Origin:
Modern Invented Name, combination of Ray and LeeMeaning:
"beam of light + meadow"Description:
A trendy choice that takes a little from Riley and a little from Kayleigh, to create the rather appealing meaning, "beam of light in the meadow".
- Tiabeanie
Origin:
Invented nameDescription:
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.
- Audriana
Description:
Variation of Adriana, with a dash of Audrey thrown in.