Arden, the name of the magical forest in Shakespeare's As You Like It, is a stylish A name with a strong, straightforward image. Another reason to love Arden: its similarity to "ardent." Arden is solidly unisex, with the current gender distribution running about 60 percent girls and 40 percent boys.

 A locational surname name deriving from several places in England, there are multiple legitimate derivations for this name. One is from Old English earn "eagle" + denu "valley", while another is from the Celtic ard meaning "high".

 As a girls' name, Arden has been flirting with the bottom of the Top 1000 in recent years, hopping on and off the US list. A solid Nameberry favorite, this name should begin climbing more steadily.

 Arden is more familiar as a surname, as in cosmetics entrepreneur Elizabeth and actress Eve, and the narrative poem by Tennyson, Enoch Arden. Shakespeare's mother was Mary Arden.

Arden

The name of a character in the once scandalous novel Valley of the Dolls now sounds a little more dated than the similar Arden.

Ardis

Astrid has been a Scandinavian royal name since the tenth century, and many people associated it with the Swedish author of the Pippi Longstocking stories, Astrid Lindgren. Astrid is derived from the name Ástríðr, which is made up of the Old Norse elements that mean "god" and "beautiful." 
Related names include Asta, a diminutive used throughout Scandinavia, and Astride, the French form. Despite their similarities, Astrid is unrelated to Astra, a Latin name meaning "of the stars."
 
Astrid has never really assimilated into our culture the way Ingrid did, but with the renewed interest in international names, Astrid might be worth consideration by parents with Norse roots. 
 
Astrid is the name of the teenage heroine of Janet Finch's 1999 novel White Oleander and has appeared as a character in How to Train Your Dragon and the TV shows Fringe and Once upon a Time.

Astrid

One of the rare English surname names originally derived from a female given name: Eoforhild (Everild), meaning "boar battle". Also spelled Averill, it's an extremely rare choice today, but shares sounds with fashionable Ava and Avery.

Averill

Avery is a hugely popular name in the US, especially for girls. But while nearly four times as many girls as boys are named Avery today Avery's popularity is starting to soften for girls while it continues to strengthen for boys.

Unlike many gender-neutral surname-y names popular today, Avery began life as a first name and later became a patronymic last name. It originated in the Middle Ages as a Norman-French pronunciation variation of the Anglo-Saxon name Alfred and the Ancient Germanic name Alberich. The elements aelf, meaning "elf" and ric, meaning "ruler" give Avery its meaning. 
 
Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn may have started it all when they chose it for their daughter in 2005, just as they did with daughters Finley and Emery. Amy Locane used the name in 2009 and now Dr. Phil has a granddaughter named Avery.
 
On 30 Rock, Elizabeth Banks had an extended cameo playing Alec Baldwin's glamorous fiancée, Avery Jessup.

Avery

Beatrix has a solid history of its own apart from Beatrice, with that final x adding a playful, animated note to the name's imposing history and stately vibe.
 
In the earliest sources it is recorded as Viatrix, meaning "voyager". Possibly the spelling was deliberately changed to resemble the Latin word beatus, "blessed" and now both meanings are part of Beatrix's rich history.
 
It has been largely associated with Beatrix (born Helen) Potter, creator of Peter Rabbit, and with Beatrix who was Queen of The Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013.
 Actress Jodie Sweetin has a daughter called Beatrix, and designer Kate Spade chose it for her daughter Frances's middle name. The main character in Quentin Tarantino's movie Kill Bill was Beatrix Kiddo, played by Uma Thurman. 
 
With cute nicknames Bea and Trixie, Beatrix is most popular in the UK, where it ranks in the Top 200. On the rise since 2001, its accelerated popularity in the 2010s could have been influenced by the character Beatrix 'Trixie' Franklin from the popular period drama, Call the Midwife.
 
Across the pond in the US, it appeared briefly in the Top 1000 in 2019, but it has been trending downwards since then. Given to around 160 girls each year, it could be an unexpected but familiar choice in the States.

Beatrix

Bellamy is emerging as an up-and-coming <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' name</a>, an Irish surname-y riff on the super-popular Bella series of names. While the Bella connection makes Bellamy sound a little trendier and more popular than it really is, we see the name possibly rising through the ranks for both genders in the coming years.

Bellamy

J.K. Rowling is a modern master of naming who brought a whole constellation of ancient and celestial names to modern parents. Bellatrix, of one of the stars of Orion, combines fashionable names Bella and Beatrix to make a convivial and original name. The down side: the Harry Potter character Bellatrix, played by Helena Bonham Carter, is a character so evil she's called a Death Eater, killing one beloved character and being murdered by another. And the name Bellatrix is so closely associated with that character that it might be challenging to sidestep the association.

Bellatrix

The unisex Blake, which indeed has two conflicting meanings, has a briskly efficient image when used for a girl. 
 Though in the eighties it was seen very much as a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a>, epitomized by the character of Blake Carrington, the silver-haired, powerful patriarch of the TV soap Dynasty, these days it's more apt to be associated with Blake Lively, the attractive lead of the Gossip Girl series and the film Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Blake

Fairy-tale memories of Sleeping Beauty inspire some parents—such as Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen—to call their daughters Briar Rose. But Briar plus a different middle name might work even better. It's one of the newly popular nature-word names, charting in the US for the first time in 2015 for both genders.
 While there are about four girls named Briar to every three boys, the name is on the rise for both genders. It could make for an interesting choice to honor a Brian.

Briar

Bexley

Calix is once-obscure name that is starting to see some use in the US, where 47 baby boys were named Calix in 2023. An indirect influence is the actress Calista Flockhart, who introduced Americans to the female version of this attractive Greek name to prominence.
 
Calix derives from the Latin word for chalice, calyx, which in turn came from the Ancient Greek word kálux, meaning "husk" or "pod." It is also considered a diminutive of Calixtus, a variation of the Late Roman name Callistus meaning "most beautiful." Calyx can also be spelled Calyx, as in the funnel or chalice-shaped part of a flower.

Calix

Chaviva

Darien

Once a macho biker name, Harley is now showing its softer side. In the UK, Harley is predominantly masculine, but it's currently more popular for girls than boys in the US.
 Along with Harper and Hadley, we think it will climb even further. In England, it's associated with Harley Street, home to some of London's most prominent medical specialists.
 A famous fictional namesake is Batman's Harley Quinn, "born" Harleen Quinzel. DC Comics movie Suicide Squad from 2016 was probably part of the reason for the increase in the number of girls named Harley. Harley Cooper was a character who was introduced on the soap The Guiding Light in 1987—that Harley was named after her father's favorite motorcycle.

Harley

You might think of Harper as the hottest name of the last decade, jumping from obscurity to the Top 10, where it remained until last year.
 
Victoria and David Beckham's choice of Harper for their youngest child and only daughter in 2011 did much to catapult the name to stardom. Some reports say Harper was named after a character on Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place, her brother's favorite show, while other say she was named after Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird, her mom's favorite book.
 
Those two influences definitely helped propel Harper up the popularity list in general. Plus Harper is a member of the trendy group of occupational surnames turned first names for both genders, including Taylor, Parker, Mason, and Skylar.
 
Harper has been a shooting star in the celebrisphere, chosen first by Ali Wentworth and George Stephanopoulis, followed by Lisa Marie Presley, David Spade, Dave Grohl, Martie Maguire, Tiffani Thiessen, Bill Hader and Neil Patrick Harris. Singer Paul Simon used it for his son more than 50 years ago.
 
While Harper was used near-exclusively for boys in the 1800s and remains technically unisex, in reality it's used today overwhelmingly for girls. More than 8000 baby girls were named Harper in the US last year, versus only 138 baby boys.

Harper

Huxley is definitely rising as a surname name, with its X that makes almost any name cooler. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015. The modern nicknames Hux and Huck certainly don't hurt.
Last year, about 500 babies were named Huxley in the US, 90 percent of them male. Huxley honors writer Aldous, author of Brave New World, and other members of his distinguished family.

Huxley

Katniss Everdeen is the heroine of the popular Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, whose name comes from the (very real) edible aquatic plant of the genus Sagittaria. Katniss's father tells her that if she "finds herself," she'll never go hungry. 

Other unusual botanical names in the series include Primrose, Posy, Rue, and Clove, all for girls. Several of the boys' names come from ancient Rome: Cato, Seneca, Flavius, Caesar.

Katniss the name has less appeal than Katniss the heroine, though it's definitely more attractive than Renesmee.

Katniss

Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's finding new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, seen in the movie The Golden Compass. Simple yet unique, Lyra hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.
 
Lyra is a constellation name taken from the lyre of Orpheus. It contains the star Vega and thus could make a melodic choice for a parent interested in music, astronomy, or mythology. It has more depth and history than Lyric, is more unusual than Lila (which it rhymes with). It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015.
 Lyra was chosen for their daughter by Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn, as well as Sophie Dahl and Jamie Cullum. And then there's Lyra Belacqua, the heroine of His Dark Materials and The Golden Compass.

Lyra

Lynx

Indie actress Parker Posey put a female imprint on this sophisticated surname that's still about three times as common for boys but rising for both sexes. Parker has the advantage of its nature connection, relating it to such occupational names as Gardener and Forester.

Parker

The sassy, steel magnolia appeal of Oscar-winning Reese (born Laura Jeanne—Reese is her mother's maiden name) Witherspoon has single-handedly propelled this formerly <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a> into girls' popularity.
 Reese was recently in the Top 10 Unisex names looked at on Nameberry.

Reese

Sam as a name standing on its own was given to only 18 girls in 2021, versus over 400 boys. But as a short form it's appealing and down-to-earth for both sexes, and heard far more often: There were over 2500 baby girls named Samantha in the US in one recent year and more than 8500 boys named Samuel, so you will hear the name Sam a lot more often than you might guess judging by the numbers for this short form. 

Like the wildly popular Charlie, Sam is a nickname that works equally well as a <a href="https://nameberry.com/girl-names">girls' name</a> as a boys'. All forms considered, Sam is still one of the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/baby-names-starting-with/s">names that start with S</a>.

Sawyer is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">top unisex names</a>, used for their daughters by such parents as Sara Gilbert, co-host of The Talk and former actress on Roseanne, currently on The Conners. 

Sawyer is is one of those newly-stylish occupational names that can work for either gender. If you want something with less brawn and more brains than Sawyer, try Sayer.

Sawyer

Germans spell Stephanie with an f though the i ending is not traditional.  Lady Gaga dropped the Stefani and No Doubt's Gwen sports is as a surname.  Despite the celebrity connections, we say if you want to name your daughter Stephanie, name her Stephanie.

Stefani

A sassy, spunky name for the bold parent who doesn't remember Mrs. Ed Norton on The Honeymooners or who's into the nicknames-as-given-names trend sweeping the UK and returning to the US.
 Trixie is a standard nickname for Beatrix - another rising choice - and has been used by TV Presenter Emma Willis and Busted member Matt Willis for their daughter. 
Other namesakes include Trixie Mattel, the stage name of a popular drag queen and Trixie Belden, the thirteen-year-old heroine of an eponymous series in which she is a girl detective. Several children's shows have also featured Trixies, including Lazytown and My Little Pony. 
 
Trixie entered the UK Top 1000 in 2022, when 36 girls were given the name - with parents possibly drawing inspiration from Trixie Franklin, from the successful and well-loved TV drama Call the Midwife.

Trixie

Another astral name, this one relating to one of the largest and brightest stars in the heavens, is popular in Scandinavia and Spain, where it ranks among the Top 50 <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a>. Although still very rare in the US, we think it has serious potential to follow the likes of Luna and Lyra up the charts.

 In Spanish, the name means "meadow" and is taken from a title for the Virgin Mary (La Virgen de la Vega, The Virgin of the Meadow).

Vega

Wisc

Wiscia

hellomello's list "My Favorite Tomboy Names" of 29 great name ideas: Arden - Wiscia!

My Favorite Tomboy Names

This is simply a list of hellomello's favorite tomboy names. Most of them are also unusual and more uncommon than others. I will have the meaning in the comments/description of each name listed. The meanings are kind of random and weird, but I think the way the names sound is really nice and cool. 