Princess Names (With Meanings and Popularity)

  1. Leonore
    • Origin:

      German short form of Eleanor
    • Description:

      Leonore is a melodic variation of the wide range of names related to Eleanor and, via a different root, Leonie that are so stylish throughout Europe right now and bound for greater visibility in the U.S. The name of one of the little princesses of Sweden, Leonore carries the gravity of Eleanor with more quirky charm.

      The only downside: Spelling and pronunciation confusion given so many similar variations, from Lenora to Leonie to Eleanora and onward.

  2. Sura
    • Origin:

      Thai, Yiddish, Romanian, Arabic "brave, princess, grey, to travel by night"
    • Meaning:

      "brave, princess, grey, to travel by night"
    • Description:

      This pretty multicultural name makes a pleasant update to Sarah.
  3. Laetitia
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "gladness, happiness"
    • Description:

      Laetitia adds a layer of ancient patina to the more prosaic LETITIA.
  4. Zali
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Hungarian
    • Meaning:

      "princess"
    • Description:

      Derived from Sarah, meaning "princess". A notable bearer is Zali Steggall, bronze medalist at the 1998 Winter Olympics and Australian politician.
  5. Laurence
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "from Laurentum"
    • Description:

      A feminine form in France, this boyish choice could make a fresh alternative to Lauren or Laura -- or be an inventive way to honor Grandpa Larry.
  6. Gormlaith
    • Origin:

      Gaelic
    • Meaning:

      "blue princess or illustrious lady"
    • Description:

      Gormlaith was the wife of the 11th century ruler of Ireland Brian Boru. The name is also used in Scotland. Despite its beautiful meaning, many will find the hard "gorm" sound too much to get past.
  7. Maella
    • Origin:

      English, French and Breton
    • Meaning:

      "prince"
    • Description:

      An elaboration on the Breton name Maël or Maëlle, or an English combination of Mae and Ella.
  8. Kala
    • Origin:

      Tamil; Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "Virtue; princess"
  9. Eleonore
    • Ninette
      • Origin:

        French diminutive of Ann
      • Meaning:

        "grace"
      • Description:

        Not quite Nanette and not quite Ninon, this is one of the more unusual 'ette' options. There was an eponymous Spanish film, starring Elsa Pataky, based on a novel.
    • Saina
      • Origin:

        Hindi
      • Meaning:

        "princess"
      • Description:

        Saina is related to many other international princess-related names, such as the Arabic Sana and the Hebrew Sarah. It was introduced to the wider world by the Indian Olympic badminton player Saina Nehwal.
    • Saar
      • Origin:

        Dutch variation of Sarah, Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "princess"
      • Description:

        Saar is a very popular girls' name in The Netherlands, where it's an abbreviated form of Sarah. The Dutch feminine Saar, pronounced sahr, is distinct from the Hebrew place-name Saar used for boys in Israel.
    • Zarouhi
      • Origin:

        Armenian variation of Sarah
      • Meaning:

        "princess"
      • Description:

        An entrancing, beguiling name that goes far to freshen up Sarah.
    • Shari
      • Origin:

        Anglicized variation of Hungarian Sari, variation of Sarah
      • Meaning:

        "princess"
      • Description:

        This once-cool nickname-y name now belongs to the grandma generation.
    • Fabiola
      • Origin:

        French, Italian, and German variation of Fabia
      • Description:

        Fabiola was the romantically elaborate name of a saint who organized the first hospice.
    • Maxima
      • Origin:

        Latin, feminine variation of Maximus
      • Description:

        Max names were one of the hottest trends for boys in the mid-2010s, and are still very popular. The girl versions haven't seen so much love, unfortunately. (Or fortunately, if you love them and want them to stay rare!) Maxima got some attention in 2015 when Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan used it for their daughter, but few parents have copied them.

    • Marcela
      • Khadija
        • Origin:

          Arabic
        • Meaning:

          "premature child"
        • Description:

          The Prophet Muhammad's first wife and the first convert to Islam, and a very popular name in the Muslim community. It ranks in the Top 200 girls' names in France, Italy and England & Wales (alongside variant Khadijah just below the Top 200).
      • Sharai
        • Origin:

          Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "princess"
        • Description:

          See SARAI.
      • Sarika
        • Origin:

          Sanskrit and Hindi bird name or Hungarian variation of Sarah, Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "princess"
        • Description:

          Sarika is a pretty Sanskrit nature name, referring to a type of myna bird. Spelled Sárika, it's the Hungarian version of Sarah.