Supermodel Names

Pronounced a la Bette (Betty) Davis or Bette (Bet) Midler, a twentieth-century relic. Though if the equally vintage Betty comes back, Bette may be close behind.

New name in the pool of international names, added by lovely supermodel Alyona Osmanova.

Commonly associated with Chinese supermodel Liu Wen.

Supermodel Shalom Harlow glamorized this name, which is heard as a greeting every day in Israel.

Most Africas today would be named for the continent, but the name actually existed in Scotland in medieval times, where there was a Celtic queen named Affrica. Africa has also been a Spanish name for girls since 1421. The church of the Virgin "Nuestra Senora de Africa" is in Ceuta, the Spanish city she is Patron of, in North Africa.

The addition of the h makes it more Old World, which is not the direction you want to push Matilda in.

This first name of a Norwegian supermodel has no known meaning of its own and is most closely related to Isleen, which is a variation of the Celtic Aislin or Ashling.

Makes the intriguing Olga even more so.

A more feminine version of Devin.

This Spanish nickname name — originally short for Dolores — has potential as a full form now that four letter names ending in I have taken off.

A playful and whimsical choice for a child that works as a given name or a nickname (perhaps for Beatrix).

Though many might find it too syrupy, hundreds of parents each year choose this name for their daughters to make them feel special. Precious Ramotswe is the engaging African sleuth in the popular No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

About as pared-down as Sophia can be.

A simple and appealing unisex Korean name with many possible meanings, depending on the hanja characters used. Coincides with the English word "sun", which is a nice bonus.

Frederique, the soigne name of Dutch-born model Frederique Van der Wal, is a lot more sophisticated than the dated MONIQUE. Still, as feminine forms of the Fred names go, we prefer the Italian Federica or the distant Spanish cousin Fernanda.

This English surname turned girls' first name owes its rise to supermodel Christie Brinkley, who first rose to fame in the late 70s and early 80s. Brinkley appeared on the charts for the first time in 1985, peaking at 90 births in 2012 and 2013. It probably derives from the Old English masculine name Brynca + "ley" (woodland clearing).

One of the few Korean names to migrate to Western culture, via supermodel Hye Park.

A Hungarian name rarely heard outside its native culture.

This name of Polish supermodel Malgosia Bela doesn't sound so bella here--has a bit of an evil witch quality.