The ette Girls Names
By Rose20714
Updated Thu May 25 2023
Share
Copy link
I've always loved long fancy girls names that ended in this sound (e.g. Scarlett, Charlotte, Juliet…) and found myself listing all the names I could think of. After doing so - especially for some of the more obscure sounding ones - I did some research so make sure that these are NOT just made up. And so, whether it be real or in literature, these names have been in usage somewhere (even if very rarely).
If I've left any out, my apologies.
- Alette
- Alouette
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"lark"Description:
Alouette is a sweet Gallic twist in the stylish bird name genre made familiar via the charming French children's song, Alouette, gentile alouette.
- Angelette
- Annette
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"grace"Description:
Annette is a French diminutive of Ann which was among the first wave of widely-used girls' names from France, now neglected for so long that it's almost starting to feel stylish again.
- Antoinette
Origin:
French feminine diminutive form of AntoineMeaning:
"priceless one"Description:
This feminization of Anthony, like other early French forms, such as Babette and Nanette, is not heard as often as it once was, but it could be time for a reappraisal of this delicate Gallic choice.
- Ayelet
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"deer, gazelle"Description:
Ayelet is an unusual -- and somewhat challenging -- Israeli name familiar thanks to sometimes controversial Jerusalem-born novelist-essayist Ayelet Waldman.
- Addaret
- Adriannette
- Amulet
- Amunet
- Ausette
- Babette
Origin:
French, diminutive of BarbaraDescription:
A less common relic of the Claudette-Paulette-Annette era.
- Barbette
- Bellette
- Bernadette
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"brave as a bear"Description:
Although feminizations ending in "ette" are not particularly popular now, Bernadette is a pleasant, feminine, but strong name that doesn't feel prohibitively dated. And though strongly associated with the saint who saw visions of the Virgin Mary—Saint Bernadette of Lourdes—it is now no longer strictly inhabiting the Catholic diocese.
- Bridget/Bridgette/ Brigitte
- Cachet
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"prestigious, desirable"Description:
Cachet is one of those word names -- Cliché is the most egregious example -- that sounds lovely but seems slightly ridiculous when taken literally.
- Charlotte
Origin:
French, feminine diminutive of CharlesMeaning:
"free man"Description:
Charlotte, the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is the latest classic name to join Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella at the top of the popularity list. It is now among the most popular girl names in many English-speaking and European countries.
- Clairette
- Claudette
Origin:
French, feminine variation of ClaudeMeaning:
"lame; enclosure"Description:
Once seen as a dated French Claudette-Colbert feminization, along with Annette and Paulette, we can see Claudette moving into a more plausible Colette-Cosette arena. While some may be put off by the common "lame" meaning, some etymologists theorize that the name may relate to the word for enclosure or clause, an alternate meaning that may appeal to a child with a form of this otherwise-appealing name.