Variously spelled Annalise and Annaliese as well as several other forms, this is not a modern smoosh but a traditional German combo-name with a definite Heidi-esque feel. 
 
 Anna of course is familiar and Liese or Lise is a short form of Elizabeth, ala Lisa, But though it may be seen as old style in Germany, it's a recent success in this country: Annalise jumped onto the popularity list for the first time in 1997.
 
Americans prefer the simpler spelling: There are about ten baby girls named Annalise in the US for every Annaliese. Another 100 baby girls were named Analise and Analiese is also found.
 
TV fans know Annalise as the first name of the lead character in ABC's "How To Get Away With Murder," played by Viola Davis, who won an Emmy for the role.

Annalise

Annora is a noble name, a distinctive twist on its most essential form: Honor. Other variations to explore include Honora and Nora. 

Annora

Aria is a multi-cultural name with two extremely popular versions: this more word-like one along with Arya, the spelling used for the feisty young heroine of Game of Thrones. There were about 6400 baby girls named Aria in the US last year alog with 2400 named Arya, which counted together places the name in the Top 10.
 
The light and airy Aria entered the list in 2000 and now ranks among the Top 25 girl names in the US. In Italian, Aria's literal meaning is air, while in Hebrew it's a form of Ari meaning lion. An Aria is a musical term denoting a kind of song or melody, often in an opera.
Aria is a Top 100 name throughout the English-speaking world and also ranks highly in France and several European countries -- though notably not in Italy or Israel. In Persian, Aria is a male name, and in Indian it is considered unisex. 
Aria is also an improbably cool saint's name. Saint Aria (or Arria) of Rome was an early Christian martyr.

Aria

The goddess name Aurora has consistently been on the US popularity list since the nineteenth century, but has really taken off in the past 30 years. Aurora also enjoys remarkable international popularity, ranking in the Top 100 throughout the English-speaking world as well as in Italy, Spain, Norway, Switzerland, and several other European and Latin American countries.
 
Aurora is the name of the Roman goddess of sunrise, whose tears turned into the morning dew. She was said to renew herself by traveling from East to West across the sky, announcing the arrival of the sun each dawn. Aurora is also associated with the scientific term for the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis.
 The radiant Aurora, also the name of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, would be sure to make any little girl feel like a princess. Aurora Leigh is the name of an epic poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Aurora Greenway was the moving Shirley MacLaine character in Terms of Endearment.
 An Aurora nickname possibility with a totally different feel: Rory. Read more about Aurora and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Aurora

Bright, fresh, and sunny, Ayla is a fashionable choice for girls. Reminiscent of other trending names such as Layla, Isla, and Ava, Ayla has recently found its place in the Top 100. 
At first glance, Ayla appears to be short, sweet, and simple – a modern invention, perhaps – but don’t be deceived. Like many names, it has different pronunciations and various origins, making it an exciting and international choice. 
In Turkish, Ayla is pronounced “Eye-luh”, meaning “halo” or “moonlight,” whereas in Hebrew, it could be a modern take on the Biblical “Elah” meaning “terebinth tree,” from “Alon” meaning “oak tree”, or, from “Ayelet” or “Ayala” meaning “doe, deer, gazelle.” 
Alternatively, Ayla is a literary name, created by Jean. M. Auel, for her novel Clan of the Cave Bear.” Pronounced “Ay-luh,” the independent heroine inspired American parents to use the name, and following the release of the film adaptation in 1986, it leapt straight into the Top 600. 
Internationally popular, Ayla ranks highly in the UK, Sweden and Azerbaijan, and is on the rise in France and Belgium. 
 In the US, over 2500 girls are given the name each year, meaning it has more than doubled in usage over the last decade. 
Notable namesakes include the American singer, Ayla Brown and the Turkish politician and activist, Ayla Akat Ata. A popular choice among influencers too, “The Flo Fam”, “Sunkissed Mama,”, and “The Prince Family” all have daughters called Ayla. 
As lovely as the name is, in its own right and as an alternative to a Top 10 choice, it may be worth keeping in mind how similar Ayla’s sounds are to those high-ranking names. This couldlead to confusion between Ava/Isla/Ayla, or to Ayla feeling more popular than it actually is. 
If you do love Ayla but want to stand out from the crowd a little more, you could consider Mira, Eira, Liora, Alara, Miray, or Aviya for their similarity in sound or feel.

Ayla

Calla is a lily name that is much more distinctive and delicate than Lily. Rarely heard today, it did appear in the popularity lists in the last decades of the nineteenth century.
 Calla is the eponymous heroine of the Rebecca Wells novel The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder, and there's an English rock band called Her Name is Calla.
 Actress Mare Winningham named her daughter Calla way back in 1987.
Sound-alike Cala is an Arabic name meaning fortress.

Calla

Celia, splendidly sleek and feminine, is a name that was scattered throughout Shakespeare and other Elizabethan literature, but still manages to feel totally modern. 
 Shakespeare has been credited with introducing Celia in As You Like It, and it was to Celia that the poet Ben Jonson penned the immortal line, "Drink to me only with thine eyes." Other literary Celias have appeared in works ranging from George Eliot's Middlemarch to T. S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party to Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin.
 Celia Cruz was a superstar of Latin music.
 Celia is not a short form of Cecilia, which has a completely different meaning, and developed independently. But some contemporary parents are naming their babies Cecelia, especially with that spelling, and calling them Celia—which gives you two beautiful names in one.

Celia

Clara is a strong, lovely girls' name that's always ranked among the US Top 1000 girl names but has been climbing since the turn of this century. It now ranks right around Number 100, making it a modern classic that's neither too popular nor unfamiliar.
 
Long relegated to an Olde World backwater, the European-flavored Clara was long less fashionable than sleeker sister Claire. Now, though the vintage chic Clara is still less popular, it's arguably the more stylish of the two names. 
 Clara was a Top 10 name in the 1880's, at one time associated with the silent screen 'It Girl,' Clara Bow, and before that with German musician and composer Clara Schumann and Red Cross founder Clara Barton, who was born Clarissa.
 Clara is beloved for her leading role in The Nutcracker ballet and as Heidi's invalid friend. Actor Ewan McGregor was an early celebrity adopter of the name for one of his daughters.
 Other Clara variations you might want to consider include Clarissa and Clarina, though Clarabelle seems still fit mainly for cows.

Clara

Cora is a lovely, old-fashioned girls' that has been recently rejuvenated by its contemporary-feeling simplicity. In fact, Cora seemed headed straight for the top of the popularity list when the coronavirus pandemic somewhat weakened its appeal.
 
Though she has never been completely out of favor, Cora has had her ups and downs. A Top 20 name in the 1880's, she had sunk to Number 876 in 1988 before reversing course yet again. A more recent inspiration is the appealing American-born Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham on Downton Abbey. 
 
In classical mythology, Cora—or Kore—was a euphemistic name of Persephone, goddess of fertility and the underworld. Kore was the name used when referencing her identity as the goddess of Spring, while Persephone referred to her role as queen of the Underworld. 
 
Cora gained popularity as a given name after James Fenimore Cooper used it as the name of his heroine, Cora Munro, in his 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans. 
 
While a complete name unto itself, some parents who love Cora may want to use it as a short form for such names as Cordelia or Coraline. Cora's fashionable sisters include Clara, Nora, Corinne, Corinna and Coralie.

Cora

Coralee

Coralene

Coralie is a French name not often heard here, though she's gaining some recognition via Neil Gaiman's similar sounding spooky and lovely children's book, Coraline. Other literary appearances: Coralie is the stage name of an actress in Balzac's Lost Illusions, and a French girl in an 1850 Thackeray novel.
Coralie is currently very popular in French-speaking Quebec, and there is a contemporary French singer named Coralie Clement.

Coralie

Coraline may not be original to Neil Gaiman's wonderful book of the same name, but it might as well be. Gaiman's young heroine Coraline Jones is constantly called Caroline but as a name Coraline is more distinctive and has a more mysterious feel. The 2002 novel Coraline was made into a 2009 animated film voiced by Dakota Fanning and nominated for an Academy Award. The number of baby girls named Caroline increased by a factor of 100 between 2007 and 2017 -- going from 5 to over 500 in a decade.

Coraline

Corinne is one of the names that, it might surprise you to learn, has never been off the US popularity charts. Its most popular year was 1926, when it ranked Number 249. Corinna is another pretty ancient form of the name, technically a diminutive.

Corinne

One of the flower names, used occasionally in Britain (where it's pronounced DAY-lee-a). It seems to have recovered from what was perceived as a slightly affected la-di-dah air. The flower was named in honor of the pioneering Swedish botanist Andreas Dahl, which means dale.
 In the Victorian language of flowers, Dahlia denotes elegance and dignity.
 In P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves stories, Dahlia is Bertie Wooster's more sympathetic aunt, described as being constructed along the lines of Mae West. Reporter Dahlia Lithwick covers legal matters for the online magazine Slate.

Dahlia

Similar in sound to the flower name Dahlia, this gentle but distinctive name, heard in many cultures, hits that Golden Mean between too popular and too unusual. In Lithuanian mythology, Dalia is a goddess of weaving and of fate.

Dalia

Dalora

Though Dara was an (extremely wise) male figure in the Bible, this name feels mostly feminine to modern Americans. The Irish Gaelic version, Darragh, is well-used in contemporary times for boys.
 While Dara dropped out of the Top 1000 a couple of decades ago, it's one of those magic names that feels neither fashionable nor unfashionable. This timeless quality can be an advantage for a child over time. And Dara has the cross-cultural thing going for it as well. It's also a Slavic name, meaning "gift".
 The cousin-name Daria was featured a few seasons ago as the smart and cynical star of her own eponymous animated MTV show.

Dara

Both a biblical and an Israeli place-name, this can be used as an offbeat substitute for Deborah. 

Devora

Makes a serious name frilly and feminine, which, depending on your viewpoint, might be a good or a bad thing.  In this case, we vote good.

Eleonora

Eleora

Eliana is a lilting, rhythmic choice, which has caught on in the US and other English-speaking countries. Currently popular in the UK, The Netherlands, Canada, and Brazil, it also makes the US Top 50. 
 
The name has two separate origins and when derived from Hebrew, it is made up from the elements el, meaning "God" and ana, meaning "answered." This could make Eliana a fitting choice for a prayed-for baby. 
 
Eliana also has its roots in Latin, as a variation of the name Aeliana, derived from the Roman family name Aelius. Aelius is related to the Greek word helios, which refers to the Sun, giving it a summery and secular meaning too. 
 A widely multicultural choice, Eliana is heard in Israel, Spain, Portugal, Russia and Italy. More recently, it has replaced the French variation Eliane as the more popular option in France itself - where Eliana now ranks at #338.
 
In the US, Eliana has doubled in popularity since 2013 and as of 2023, it is given to more than 5,300 girls each year. A stylish choice, many parents share a love the name in all its various spellings, According to <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/2023-playground-analysis">Playground Analysis for 2023</a>, when you combine all the Elianas, Eliannas, Ellianas, and Elyannas etc. together, it begins to feel more like a Top 20 choice, ranking similarly to Camila or Sofia. And, with Ellie, Ella and Eleanor all in the Top 50 too, it might feel even more popular than it is.
 
Love Eliana but want something a bit more unexpected? You could choose a <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/unusual-names-with-popular-nicknames">more unusual route to Ellie</a>, such as Elodia, Estelle, Ellery, or Elowen; you could consider another Hebrew name such as Eliora, Ilana, Avia, or Odelia; or, you could go for something with a similar sound like Aviana, Evelina, Linnea, or Juliana.

Eliana

While the etymology of the name is unclear, it's most likely a contraction of Eliora or Elnora. Despite the uncertain heritage, it's a winning construction, based on its El- prefix, the feminine three-syllable flow, and the a ending. It debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2015.
 Elora Danan was a character in the 1988 fantasy film Willow.

Elora

Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names we think is due for a comeback— alongside cousins Cora and Dora. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all.
 
Also the name of a saint, Flora has long been a favorite in Scotland where it was the name of the young heroine who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie make his way to the Isle of Skye. In Gaelic, her name was Fionnghal nic Dhòmhnaill, but the Anglicized Flora caught on with the Scots, who used it disproportionately compared to the rest of the UK until the 20th century.
 
Flora was a Top 100 name in the 1880s and 1890s but gradually descended until it finally fell off the list in 1972. It is still popular in some European countries, including Hungary and France.

There have been a number of memorable Floras in literature, including the angelic little girl in Henry James's Turn of the Screw, the exasperating but charming Flora Poste in Stella Gibson's Cold Comfort Farm, Flora MacIvor in Walter Scott's Waverly, and one of the three Good Fairies in Disney's Sleeping Beauty.
Flora is the name of the eighth child and fifth daughter of Ballerina Farm Instastar Hannah Neeleman. Neeleman is one of the main inspirations for our Natural Glamour group of names that makes up one of the prime <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/baby-name-trends-2024">baby name trends</a> of the year, a trend that includes Flora.

Flora

Gwennora

Gwenora teeters on the line between unique gem and modern invention. But it's not a smoosh name fashioned from Gwen and Nora but an old Cornish form of Guinevere, like its much more famous sister Jennifer.

Gwenora

Why is Isabella megapopular while Isadora goes virtually ignored? Too close a tie with tragic modern dancer Isadora Duncan (born Angela Isadora), who was done in by her long flowing scarf, perhaps, or with fusty male version Isidore. But we think Isadora is well worth reevaluating as an Isabella alternative. Quirky couple singer Bjork and artist Matthew Barney did just that and named their daughter Isadora. Isidora would be an alternative, just as proper but not quite as charming spelling--the one used as the spelling of a fourth century saint's name.
 Isadora Wing was the liberated central character of Erica Jong's 1973 bestseller Fear of Flying. There is also Isadora Quagmire in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events--who was named for Isadora Duncan.
 And she could share the nickname Izzy with cousin Isabella.

Isadora

Isla is a hit name throughout the English-speaking world but hasn't found the same popularity in other western countries, perhaps because its spelling and pronunciation don't make sense for those whose native language is not English. Think island without the final two letters.

Adding to the confusion, the name is a twin of the Spanish word for island, which is pronounced EES-la. Isla is part of a trend for simple, old-fashioned <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> that start and end with a vowel: Ava, Ada, Ella, Emma, Eva, Ida, Ivy. 
 
Red-haired actress Isla Fisher, married to Sacha Baron Cohen, propelled the name to stardom. Isla Black Hitchens is a Harry Potter character; Queen Elizabeth has a great-granddaughter named Isla Elizabeth Phillips. 
Some other similar names that are not as trendy as Isla: Islay and Ailsa.

Isla

Julia was an ancient Roman imperial name given to females in the house of a Julius, as in Caesar. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthfu"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".
 
An enduring classic, Julia has a lot going for it: ancient roots but a modern, fashionable feel, simplicity and sophistication, and connections to both saints and celebs, including actress Julia Roberts and Saint Julia of Corsica. The elegant Julia's one of the least problematic choices a parent could make. 
 
Julia is also Shakespearean, Dickensian, Orwellian, and Harry Potter-related. The ground-breaking 1960s TV show Julia was the first to feature a non-stereotypical African American woman. Celebrity chef Julia Child is a notable namesake.
 
Julia has been in the US Top 150 since Social Security records have been kept and is currently the only <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/j">girls' name starting with J</a> in the US Top 100. She's even more popular internationally, and is highly popular in the Netherlands in Spain, and in Germany, Belgium, France, Norway, and Sweden.
 
If you think Julia is too simple, you might want to move to Juliet, Juliette, or Juliana, or even the Italian Giulia. Sixties short form Julie has segued from cute to middle-aged. Jules is much more current.

Julia

One of the most romantic names, the lovely and stylish Juliet seems finally to have shaken off her limiting link to Romeo. In Shakespeare's play, it was Juliet who said "What's in a name?" 
 

 Juliet originated in the Middle Ages as a diminutive form of Julian, then a predominantly female name. It ultimately derives from Julius, a Roman family name. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthfu"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".
 
French version Juliette, pronounced the same by most English speakers though the French emphasize the last syllable, was more popular than Juliet for the first time in 2015. Both names have taken over for Jennifer and Jessica as fashionable <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/j">girls' names starting with J</a>.
 Juliet Burke was a character on Lost and Juliet Sharp on Gossip Girl. Juliet Low was the founder of the American Girl Scouts.
 Other ideas to consider: the original Julia, still lovely; Juliana; or even Jules.

Juliet

A lovely (and uncommon) longer form for Nora, one of the most fashionable international nickname names around. Lenora fell off the US charts in the 70s, but just re-entered in 2022 as parents' love for short forms Leni and Nora is growing.

Lenora

A "modernization" of Leonora that has suddenly come back on the radar along with the many other Leo names--both male and female. With literary cred via a famous eponymous poem by Edgar Allan Poe (and also in his even more famous The Raven,) Lenore was steadily in the top half of the popularity list until the mid-fifties, falling off in 1973. Cameron Diaz played a Lenore in The Green Hornet.

Lenore

Leo is a strong-yet-friendly name that was common among the Romans, used for thirteen popes, and is now at its highest point ever in the US thanks in part to Leonardo "Leo" DiCaprio.

Derived from the Latin meaning "lion", Leo is one of those names, like Luke and Finn, that many people assume must be short for something but that is authentically a complete name in its own right. That said, Leo can but short for any number of names, from Leonardo in Latinate languages to Leon and Leopold in Germanic languages. We've even heard of little girl Leonoras and Leonies called Leo: How cute is that?

Leo's simplicity makes it an international star, ranking in the Top 100 in countries as diverse as Ireland and Israel, Spain and Sweden, Austria and Australia. Leo is a truly diverse name, a perfect choice for any family crossing countries or blending cultures.
 
Leo's only real downside is its universal popularity and familiarity. If you call your child Leo, you and they will almost certainly encounter many other Leos over the years of all types and ages. Plus or minus? Or both?
 
Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem called their son Leo, as did actress Kim Raver, NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and Kristin Olson. 
 Famous Leos of the past include Pope Leo the Great, a number of early saints, and Leo Tolstoy, as well as Dead End Kid Gorcey, colorful baseball manager Durocher, influential gallerist Castelli and the leonine MGM icon. There have been Leos seen on everything from The West Wing to Charmed to Grey's Anatomy to Seinfeld's Uncle Leo.

Its mellifluous sound makes Leonora--which has a rich history and a tie to the popular Leo names-- a keen possibility for revival. Though it's been hiding below the Top 1000 since the 1940s, Leonora is being rediscovered by stylish parents in the US and Europe.
Leonora has the distinction of being three major opera characters, including the heroines of Beethoven's Fidelio and Verdi's Il Trovatore. It was also the name of two characters played by Elizabeth Taylor--in Secret Ceremony and Reflections in a Golden Eye.
Leonora Carrington was a notorious British-born surrealist artist and writer who lived most of her life in Mexico.
Related names include Leonore, Lenora and Lenore, subject of a famous Edgar Allan Poe poem.

Leonora

Somewhat dated Hebrew name that appears more modern when spelled Liora. 

Leora

Liana is a pretty and graceful name — it's a flowering tropical vine — making a quiet comeback. Its connection to nature is one plus, and many parents like this kind of nonspecifically international name.

While French in origin, Liana could just as easily be Italian, Spanish, Hebrew, Russian, Swedish, or completely invented.

Liana

Somewhat flat-footed form; go for the original. 

Lora

The lovely Lorelei, a name from old German legend, was a beautiful Rhine River seductress whose haunting voice led sailors to hazardous rocks that would cause them to be shipwrecked. And this siren image clung to the name for ages.
 Lorelei was the name of the gold digger portrayed by Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1953, then went underground for half a century before it was popularized by TV's The Gilmore Girls in 2004.
 The name itself had a starring role in the show, used for the mother, daughter, and even the grandmother. Spelled Lorelai, the characters used three different nicknames: Rory for the daughter, Lori for the mom, and the seemingly unrelated Trix for grandma.
 Beyond the influence of the show, Lorelei is benefiting from the popularity of <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/l">girls' names starting with L</a> -- and two Ls are even better than one.

Lorelei

Naomi was once a primarily Jewish name from the Old Testament that referenced the mother-in-law of Ruth. Because of this, it is a symbolic name given to girls on Shavuot when the story of Ruth is read in the synagogue. 
The French version is Noemie, in Italian Noemi. Naomi also has separate Japanese origins as a unisex name meaning "straight and beautiful."
 
This long-quiet Old Testament name seems to finally be finding favor with parents seeking a biblical name with a soft, melodic sound and a positive meaning, suddenly sounding fresher than the widely used Sarah, Rachel, and Rebecca. It's now more popular than ever after breaking the Top 100 for the first time in 2010. 
 
Beautiful black model Naomi Campbell and blond actress Naomi Watts have helped the modernization. Other namesakes are singer Naomi Judd and feminist writer Naomi Wolf.

Naomi

The skyrocketing success of singer Norah Jones brought this spelling of the name onto the pop charts in 2003. As well as being a spelling variant of Nora in English, it's also an alternative transcription of the Arabic name Nura, from Nur/Noor "light".

Norah

Norie

Talia is derived from the Hebrew elements tal, meaning "dew," and yah, in reference to God. In the mythology of one ancient sect, Talia was one of ten angels who attended the sun on its daily course. The occasionally homophonous name Thalia has unrelated Greek origins.
 
In tandem with the longer-form Natalia, this pretty Russian-flavored girls’ name has been rising in the popularity charts in the US.
 
A prominent bearer is Talia Shire, doomed to go down in cinema history as Rocky's mousy girlfriend Adrienne, along with actress Talia Balsam, aka the former Mrs. George Clooney. Most recently, Talia was attributed to YouTube star Talia Joy Castellano, a young girl battling cancer who passed away at age 13.
 
Talia is also an Australian Aboriginal name meaning "near water".

Talia

Thalia was one of the Three Graces in Greek mythology, and also the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry, making this a Hellenic choice worthy of consideration. 
 In the Rick Riordan series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Thalia Grace is the demigod daughter of Zeus. Thalia was also a character on Everwood.
 The single-named Mexican singer Thalia was born Ariadne Thalia Sodi Miranda.
 Thalia had a one-off appearance on the list in 1932 and then reentered the US Top 1000 in 1992, reaching its height of Number 363 in 1993.

Thalia

Thea is a diminutive of names ending in -thea, including Dorothea, Althea, and Anthea. It is also the Anglicized spelling of Theia, the Titan of sight, goddess of light, and mother of the moon. She was the consort of Hyperion, and mother of Helios, Selene, and Eos. 
 
Whether pronounced THEE-a or THAY-a or TAY-a, Thea presents an appealing artistic image, sensitive and serene.

Thea

Deni's list "If you like Nora, you might like..." of 44 great name ideas: Annalise - Thea!