Fancy Girl Names
- Samaria
Origin:
Place-name, ancient Palestinian city in present-day JordanDescription:
Similar to but distinct from Samara, this pretty name was chosen for his daughter by rapper LL Cool J.
- Abyssinia
Origin:
African place-nameDescription:
Abyssinia is the ancient name of the Ethiopian Empire, no longer found on any map but with a possible future as a melodic girls' name in the ever-expanding place-name category. Among African names for girls, this one is undiscovered.
- Heliotrope
Origin:
botanical nameDescription:
Despite the beauty of this flower's appearance and fragrance, this is one of the clumsier flower names.
- Berengaria
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"bear spear"Description:
Berengaria was one of the medieval queens of England - married to Richard I (also known as Richard the Lionheart). She was originally from Navarre (in modern northern Spain) and despite being the Queen of England, she only lived in England after her husband had died. Despite its royal roots, Berengaria is one of the less attractive medieval names, although it gets points for having an unusually strong meaning for a feminine name.
- Corymbia
Origin:
botanical nameDescription:
Corymbia is the botanical name of many species of beautiful flowering gum trees. It is a rare, but attested, girls name in Australia.
- Sheherazade
Origin:
PersianMeaning:
"noble lineage"Description:
The tale-spinning heroine of The Thousand and One Nights, Sheherazade is an extravagantly elaborate name for a little girl. Too extravagantly elaborate? It's lovely and beguiling, and with the rise of such evocative monikers as Persephone and Ophelia, Sheherazade may have a chance in the modern baby name world. Another accepted spelling is Scheherazade. While the origin of this name is Persian, there are also modern Arabic forms of the name.
- Lysistrata
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"she who disbands armies"Description:
In the Aristophenes comedy, Lysistrata is the Athenian woman who organizes her fellow wives to end war in their country by denying their husbands sex until a peace treaty is signed. Interesting thought, but rather unwieldy as a baby name.
- Tamarind
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"tree and spice name"Description:
A hardwood tree native to Africa, India and other tropical regions, which bears sweet pod-shaped fruits which are used as a flavoring in many world cuisines, including Indian and Filipino. A rare and intriguing nature name which could honor an ancestral Tammy or Tamar.
- Swanhilde
Origin:
GermanicMeaning:
"swan battle"Description:
Form of Swanhild
- Mignonette
Origin:
Form of Mignon, FrenchMeaning:
"delicate, dainty"Description:
Mignonette is kind of a diminutive of a diminutive. Mignon is the French word for cute, so Mignonette is more or less cutie.
- Leontyne
Origin:
English female form of Leontios, GreekMeaning:
"lion"Description:
Almost exclusively associated with opera diva Leontyne Price. If you want to use the suddenly-stylish Leontyne, we'd recommend the French Leontine spelling.
- Scirocco
Origin:
Italian, from ArabicMeaning:
"warm wind"Description:
A cool and breezy nature name with a stylish sound, used by Volkswagen for one of its cars.
- Tanaquil
Origin:
EtruscanMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
This intriguing name of an ancient Etruscan queen renowned for her prophetic powers was long associated with the prima ballerina Tanaquil LeClerq.
- Fidelity
Origin:
Word nameDescription:
Fidelity is an admirable virtue, yes, but as a name it tends to sound like a financial institution. Faith, Honor, or Patience would be easier to live with than Fidelity.
- Elocadia
- Arcangela
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"high-ranking angel"Description:
Arcangela is a heavenly possibility if Angel or Angela isn't elevated enough for you.
- Polyxena
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"very hospitable"Description:
Polyxena was a minor figure in Greek mythology - a daughter of King Priam and a love interest of the famed warrior Achilles. The name is a bit clunky but could be pulled off by the right woman.
- Petronia
- Illuminata
- Preciosa
Origin:
SpanishMeaning:
"precious, valuable"Description:
See PRECIOUS.