American Girl Names
- Otima
Origin:
Choctaw, Native AmericanMeaning:
"goes and goes"Description:
In Choctaw culture, people could have multiple names over a lifetime. New names would be bestowed upon tribe members after major life events.
- Sasa
Origin:
CherokeeMeaning:
"goose"
- Louisiana
Origin:
French place-nameDescription:
Louisiana is a geographic spin on the Louise theme. Pretty, if a bit of a syllable overload. Short form Lou or Lulu lightens it.
- Kierra
Origin:
American, invented nameDescription:
Adding an extra 'R' to Kiera makes it rhyme with the fashionable Sierra. Kierra is a more distinctive choice than Kiera, Keira, or Kyra, all similarly pronounced, but there may be some pronunciation confusion.
- Lakota
Origin:
Native American, SiouxMeaning:
"friend to us"Description:
The name of one of the branches of the Great Sioux Nation has a very namelike sound, but is not used as a name by the Lakota people themselves, and could be seen as appropriative.
- Sooni
Origin:
Choctaw, Native American, meaning unknownDescription:
A pretty and wearable option with traditional Choctaw roots.
- Shimmi
Origin:
Choctaw, Native AmericanMeaning:
"to split"Description:
A feminine name in Choctaw culture.
- Brooklynn
Origin:
Spelling variation of Brooklyn, place name from DutchMeaning:
"marshland"Description:
This extra-N variation matches up with the current preferred spellings of Oaklynn, Raelynn, and Adalynn, however it has always been outranked by popular Brooklyn. Though both spellings have trended downwards since their peak in 2011, Brooklyn maintains its place in the US Top 100, while Brooklynn lags behind in the #300s.
- Shawnee
Origin:
Native American tribe nameDescription:
The Shawnee were an Eastern tribe that migrated westward; Shawnee makes an unusual name, if a little dated a la Shawn and Tawnee.
- Bayou
Origin:
Native American nature nameDescription:
A slow and sultry southern choice that's definitely cool for babies of either gender. While the word feels French and has its roots in 18th century French Louisiana, it derives from the Choctaw word bayuk, which means "small stream."
- Tennessee
Origin:
Native American, Cherokee, place-nameMeaning:
"bend in the river or meeting place"Description:
Young rocker Tennessee Thomas has brought this former one-person name over to the girls' side -- though the census roles of North Carolina in 1850 included a female named Tennessee and called Tincy.
- Tsula
Origin:
CherokeeMeaning:
"fox"Description:
In Cherokee, TS is pronounced like a J, which may lead to some pronunciation confusion. Nevertheless, Tsula is an appealing choice.
- Euna
Origin:
CherokeeMeaning:
"waterfall"
- Cimarron
Origin:
Spanish, EnglishMeaning:
"wild, untamed"Description:
Cimarron is a Great Plains city and river name used by Edna Ferber as the title of a popular novel. The Cimarron people of Panama were previously enslaved Africans who had escaped from their Spanish masters and lived together in defiance of colonial rule. In the 1570s, they allied with Francis Drake of England to defeat the Spanish conquest.
- Aquinnah
Origin:
Native American place-nameDescription:
The Native American name for Martha's Vineyard and for a town at the far end of that lovely island, this was used by Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan for one of their twin daughters.
- Cailin
Origin:
American variation of Caitlin or KaylinDescription:
While the Cailin spelling doesn't appear on popularity charts, other forms such as Kaylin and Kaylen do, along with several similar names, from Caitlin to Jalen to Kayla. The result: a name that feels more common than it actually is.
- Satima
Origin:
Choctaw, Native American, meaning unknownDescription:
A traditional female name in the Choctaw tradition.
- Sojourner
Origin:
French, EnglishMeaning:
"to stay a while"Description:
African-American and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth was born as Isabelle into enslavement. She adopted her new name when she began traveling and preaching abolition in 1843. Sojourner is a heroine name that may, with the rise of spiritual word names such as Journey and Genesis, finally be ready for prime time.
- Naach
Origin:
Choctaw, Native American, meaning unknownDescription:
A rare name from Choctaw culture that is no longer in use.
- Atlanta
Origin:
Place nameMeaning:
"Atlantic Ocean"Description:
The capital of Georgia is far from the ocean, but got its name from the Western and Atlantic Railroad which ran through the city. Best known as a hub of industry and transport, and for its roles in the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement, it has never been popular as a baby name despite sounding like one. Its peak popularity was in 1995, the year before Atlanta hosted the Olympic Games.