Bad Girl Names

  1. Moxie
    • Origin:

      English slang
    • Meaning:

      "aggressive energy, know-how"
    • Description:

      Like Penn Jillette, you can have your own little brash babe.
  2. Dominique
    • Origin:

      French, feminine variation of Dominic
    • Meaning:

      "belonging to a lord"
    • Description:

      Had a surge of popularity in the Dynasty days, now has subsided in the wake of fresher French choices like Destry and Delphine, though it retains its sense of sophistication. It's one of the most truly gender-neutral baby names right now.
  3. Ripley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "strip of clearing in the woods"
    • Description:

      The name Ripley reflects the powerful character played by Sigourney Weaver in the Alien films; it was chosen by actress Thandiwe Newton for her daughter.
  4. Mamie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Mary or Margaret
    • Description:

      Mamie is back. Having finally shorn her Mamie Eisenhower bangs, this insouciant and adorable nickname name is perfect if you want a zestier way to honor a beloved aunt Mary. Meryl Streep's actress daughter, properly named Mary Willa, is called Mamie Gummer. You might think of Mamie as a sister of the stylish Maisie.
  5. Xena
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "guest"
    • Description:

      Still projects the potent allure of television's warrior princess.
  6. Blaze
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "fire"
    • Description:

      A hot name, though perhaps not in the sense you want for your baby. About 20 times as many boys as girls were named Blaze in one recent year, perhaps because it can be seen as a spelling variation of the classic male saint's name Blaise.
  7. Lolita
    • Origin:

      Spanish, diminutive of Lola and Dolores, Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "lady of sorrows"
    • Description:

      In Nabokov's notorious novel, Lolita is the pet name given by the pedophilic narrator, Humbert Humbert, to his victim: a young girl called Dolores and nicknamed Lola or Lo by her mother. Still, it seems that a few parents are prepared to look past this problematic association, seeing this as a offbeat option for those who defy convention. We would recommend thinking seriously about the background of this name before bestowing it on your daughter.
  8. Yolanda
    • Origin:

      Spanish from Greek
    • Meaning:

      "violet flower"
    • Description:

      Yolanda conjures up visions of midcentury films like "Yolanda and the Thief," complete with gauzy veils, harem pants, and invisible navels. Iolanthe, with the first syllable pronounced the same as in Yolanda, is a softer version, but most modern parents would opt for the English Violet.
  9. Yasmine
    • Origin:

      Arabic variation of Jasmine
    • Meaning:

      "jasmine flower"
    • Description:

      Any of the Y forms, which also include Yasmeen, Yasmin, and Yasmina, make this name more unusual and distinctive.
  10. Fifi
    • Origin:

      French, diminutive of Josephine
    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"
    • Description:

      Fifi is a perfect name -- for a French poodle. But Fifi may seem more child-friendly as names like Coco and Lulu rise. Fifi in its fluffiness also balances the seriousness of such full names as Josephine or Federica.
  11. Karma
    • Origin:

      Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "destiny, spiritual force"
    • Description:

      Some parents, including rapper Ludacris, are literally bestowing good karma on their children; it could just join the new spiritual name congregation.
  12. Rebel
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Meaning:

      "rebel"
    • Description:

      Asking for trouble. Rebel Wilson is a hilarious Australian actress who puts a female spin on this contemporary badass baby name. Still, we think this name is truly gender neutral – though hardly neutral in any other way. Rebel is undoubtedly one of the edgiest girls' names starting with the letter R.
  13. Storm
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      The name of one of the most powerful Marvel superheroes — and the first major black female comic book heroine — is certainly a big one to live up to! Portrayed in the live-action X-Men movies first by Halle Berry and then by Alexandra Shipp, Storm is a mutant descended from a long line of African witch-priestesses, who can bend the weather and atmosphere to her will.
  14. Peaches
    • Origin:

      English fruit name
    • Description:

      Unlike the other fruit names that are just coming onto the baby name menu, Peaches is an old-timey nickname previously reserved for spangled showgirls, and now would be considered an outrageous -- verging on hip -- choice.
  15. Beretta
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      A Beretta is a gun, so named because of the Italian firearms manufacturer that makes it. And now Beretta is also a badass baby name, used in the middle for daughter Breeze by Bristol Palin baby daddy Levi Johnston. What a Tripp.
  16. Asia
    • Origin:

      Place-name
    • Description:

      This still attractive place name was one of the first to gain popularity, though it now probably owes some of its favor to the similar Aisha. Asia ranked as high as Number 195 on the US baby names popularity list in 1997.
  17. Bathsheba
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "daughter of an oath"
    • Description:

      Popular with the Puritans, this name of the shrewd and beautiful wife of King David and mother of King Solomon could be a bit of a load for a modern girl to carry.
  18. Fanny
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Frances
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      As this word is less often used to mean derriere, it becomes more possible to view Fanny as the kind of appealingly quaint nickname name, like Josie and Nellie, that many parents are favoring now.
  19. Queenie
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "queen"
    • Description:

      Wisecracking waitress name stuck in the luncheonette. Started as nickname for girls named Regina -- queen in Latin -- now mostly a canine choice.
  20. Sativa
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      If you live in a state where marijuana is legal (or maybe even if you don't), you might know that Sativa is one of the major strains of weed.