Princess Names (With Meanings and Popularity)

The smooth, attractive Ariana is on the rise along with the fame of pop princess Ariana Grande. Also famous is twin spelling Arianna, which is associated with Greek-born online presence Arianna Huffington. Both Ariana and Arianna are widely used names and are equally acceptable spellings.

Suri, a once obscure name, hit the headlines when it was chosen by Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise for their daughter in 2006. A truly multi-cultural choice, Suri is a unique name with a variety of different origins.

Sara, the streamlined form of Sarah, makes this ancient name feel more modern, but perhaps a bit lighter weight.

Confident and compact, Ana is a widely used variation of the Biblical Hannah. Favored in Spain, Slovenia, Bosnia, Portugal, and Croatia, this shorter spelling has the same substance and versatility of its longer counterparts.

A long-integrated French feminine form of Adrian, now overshadowed by the a-ending version, but still a valid option, with considerable substance and dignity—though these days more parents would probably choose Adriana.

Despite a return to such feminizations of male names as Josephine, Clementine, and Theodora, starchy Henrietta has not made it into that group. Still, if you look hard enough, you'll see that Henrietta has the same vintage charm.

When aspiring British writer Sadie Smith decided to change her name to the more distinctive and zippy Zadie at the age of fourteen, this attention-magnet name was born. But though it might sound like a modern initial-switch, Zadie was actually Number 539 in 1881, remaining in the Top 1000 for almost thirty years.

Sharp but sweet, ancient but with a contemporary sound, Sarai has been rising steadily up the US charts since the 90s and now sits comfortably in the Top 1000. In the Old Testament, God changed Sarai's name to Sara, so this would make a clever and legitimate honor name for an ancestral Sarah.

Zaria, the name of the Nigerian capital city, could be another Z name for parents to consider. It currently ranks lower than variations Zariah and Zariyah.

A lacy, lucky name very popular in the Hispanic community a decade ago, less so now.

Maud, lacy and mauve-tinted, was wildly popular a hundred years ago but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose Maud again, especially as a middle. Maude is another spelling, associated with actress Maude Apatow.

This diminutive, similar to Alex or Alexis, has been yo-yoing in popularity since the turn of the 21st century.

Another feminine form of the old saint's name Mael. Spelled Maëlys, it is a very popular name in France today.

This spelling of the classic name is found in France, Germany, Greece, and other cultures, and is worn by such notables as Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth Shue, Elisabeth Moss, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. The name's pronunciation is usually just like the Z version, but some parents choose this because they want to discourage the Liz or Lizzie short forms and so pronounce it as if it has Lisa in the middle.

Classic Mary has many international variations and the strong, pretty Maryam is the Arabic, Persian, and Urdu form. Popular in many countries across the world, from Azerbaijan to France, The Netherlands to Iran and from England to Russia, Maryam is the form of Mary that appears in the Quran.

Most religious form of this name, fading from use now.

A Top 200 choice in the US from the late 1880s to the early 1930s, Irma has nevertheless fallen out of favor with modern parents, and doesn't look set for the sort of comeback that some of her vintage sisters have enjoyed in recent years. The devastating hurricane which hit the Caribbean Islands and the south-east coast of the US in 2017 has no doubt dealt its chances of revival a further blow.

Talullah or Talulla, the old Irish name of two early saints, is almost identical to the Native-American Tallulah. A modern hipster favorite, however it's spelled.

Sera is a truly international variation heard in Hebrew-speaking, Spanish and Italian cultures. Sera can also spelled Serah. Sera might also be a short form of Seraphina.

In early, pre-Norman Ireland, this name was borne by both a sister and a niece of high king Brian Boru. Now, the English form Orla is more commonly used.