Aisling is currently a very popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/509/irish-names-for-girls">Irish name for girls</a>. Pronounced variously as ASH-ling, ASH-lin or ash-LEEN, it was part of the revival of authentic <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/168/irish-names">Irish names</a> in the twentieth century, and is now being sparingly used by U.S. parents in place of the dated Ashley--though often spelled phonetically as Ashlyn or Ashlynn.
 An aisling is a poetic genre that developed in late seventeenth century Ireland, a type of patriotic-romantic poetry in which Ireland is addressed as a beautiful woman.

Aisling

Alouette is a sweet Gallic twist in the stylish bird name genre made familiar via the charming French children's song, Alouette, gentile alouette.

Alouette

Though this is traditionally a male name, it can work for a girl in our culture.  Might also be considered a short form of the Italian Amadea.

Amadi

Strong, attractive, and stylish, Amara is a true multicultural choice enjoying some popularity in both the US and the UK. In the US Top 1000 since the turn of this century, Amara has been holding steady in the rankings between overly popular and obscure.
 
Amara is the Italian word for bitter, from the same root as Mary and Miriam. It has separate roots in West Africa as a name that means "grace" in the Igbo language. These two meanings are the best-known, but Amara is also a Sanskrit name meaning "immortal", an Arabic word meaning "tribe" and a Mongolian name meaning "peaceful".

Amara

If you love both <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/317/unique-baby-names">unique baby names</a> and flower names for girls, Amaryllis might be a perfect choice for you. 

A showier flower name than Lily, but in the same botanical family, Amaryllis is not as outre as it might at first sound. It was used in Greek poetry as the appellation of pure pastoral beauties; Amaryllis is the heroine of Virgil's epic poem Ecologues, after whom the flower was named. 

Other references are characters in the George Bernard Shaw play Back to Methuselah and The Music Man. James Bond-creator Ian Fleming had a half sister named Amaryllis Marie-Louise Fleming, who was a noted British cellist.

Amaryllis

One of the stellar unique baby names from mythology, Andromeda was the beautiful daughter of Cassiopeia who, like her mother, literally became a star--the constellation that bears her name.The Bohemian Andromeda makes a dramatic and adventurous choice in a time when four-syllable mythological names are gradually making their way into the mainstream.
 Andromeda Tonks (nee Black), is a Harry Potter character
 Cousin name Andromache belonged to the tragic wife of the Trojan Hector, appeared in Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida and was the subject of plays by Euripedes and Racine.

Andromeda

Angel is one of those names that has a very different trajectory for girls and boys. As a female name, it was most popular in the US from the 1970s until the turn of this century, almost breaking into the Top 100 at its peak in 2001 but then beginning a long slide down the list.
This may be partly because other forms of Angel -- Angela, Angie, Angelica, Angelina -- have dropped from favor too. Or it may be because of the crossover popularity of Angel for boys, partially inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
As a boys' name, Angel entered the Top 100 in 1997 and remains there today.
Spice Girl Melanie Brown named her daughter Angel Iris.

Angel

Anwen is one of the simplest and best of the classic Welsh girls' names, more unusual than Bronwen but with the same serene feel. 

Anwen

This name of the Cretan goddess of fertility is most popular now as the more melodic Ariana, but Ariadne has possibilities of its own. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. The renewed interest in the name falls in line with the revival of other mythological names like Apollo and Athena. The trendy nickname Ari doesn't hurt either.
 In Greek mythology, she was the daughter of Minus who gave Theseus the thread by which he escaped from the labyrinth. After being deserted by him, she married Dionysus, the god of fertility, wine and drama

Ariadne

This early Welsh saint's name is unusual and lovely, waiting to be discovered.  Saint Arianell was a member of the Welsh royal family who was possessed by a spirit which was exorcised by Saint Dyfrig, who became Arianell's spiritual teacher.

Arianell

A smooth, attractive choice, Arianna's on the rise with both single and double 'r's and 'n's. Single 'r' double 'n' Arianna — the second most popular version of the name — is these days associated with Greek-born blog queen Arianna Huffington.
 Arianna has been steadily climbing in popularity for twenty years; it's also a popular choice in Italy.
 There are no less than four Arianna-named operas, including Handel's Arianna in Creta.
 Cousins Ariana is most closely associated with pop star Ariana Grande while Ariane is represented by a young Dutch princess, sister of Amalia and Alexia.

Arianna

Spelling variant of Arianwen. Note that in Welsh, the -wyn suffix is usually masculine.

Arianwyn

Asha is an Indian name that comes from the Sanskrit word for hope or desire, but it is also a Swahili name derived from Aisha, meaning life. Since the ascendance of Ashley through the 1980s and 90s, all baby names Ash-related have been used in the U.S. for both girls and boys, from Ashlyn to Ashby, Ashton to Asher. Despite its separate roots, Asha is part of this group.
 
Asha is finding new life through its Game of Thrones connections. Disney has announced an upcoming film titled Wish, which will feature a heroine named Asha who may likely be the next Disney Princess.
 
Read more about Asha and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Asha

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

Aviator is equally appropriate for a girl, of course, but lovers of Beatrix and Bellatrix might appreciate the spiky sound of this unique occupational name.

Aviatrix

A handful of baby girls are named Awesome each year, and they better be.

Awesome

The traditional Irish girl's name Bevin – an Anglicization of Bébhinn – is rarely heard outside the Emerald Isle, but could make an fresh and fashionable namesake for an Aunt Beverly.

Bevin

In the Noongar language of Western Australia, Bindi means butterfly. Bindi is usually seen as a girls' name, as seen in Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve Irwin.

Bindi

BloodRayne is a series of action-adventure video games, but the heroine's name is actually Rayne, a much more usable appellation for a non-vampire, non-animated child.

We hope no-one uses this for their child.

Bloodrayne

A newly hatched cousin of Bree and Brea. 

Brae

A short, breezy name with a sophisticated yet upbeat image, that doesn't betray its Irish roots.
Bree first came to notice here in 1971 via the complex prostitute character in the movie Klute, which earned Jane Fonda an Oscar. More recently, it was tied to the character of Bree Van de Kamp on Desperate Housewives.
 Other recent references include Stephenie Meyer's novella The Short Second Life of Bree Turner in the Twilight series. And in the popular Fancy Nancy children's book series, Bree is Nancy's bff.
 The Bree spelling is much preferable to the cheese-related Brie.

Bree

Most will see this as a refreshing middle name possibility, but Bristol Palin baby daddy Levi Johnston used it as a first name for his new daughter, Breeze Beretta. 

Breeze

We give Briar Rose its own page thanks to the down-to-earth name of Princess Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty. Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen named their newborn daughter Briar Rose, but we like Briar and Rose better when used separately. Read more about Briar Rose and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Briar rose

Brigid is the simpler Irish version of the name of the goddess of fire, which may also be spelled Brighid. Other variations include Bridget, the most usual spelling in the U.S., and the French Brigitte.
 The most famous female saint of Ireland is the fifth century Brigid, who was abbess of Kildare and is the patron saint of scholars. Because of her sanctity, her name did not come into common use in Ireland until the eighteenth century, after which it became wildly popular, eventually used as a generic name for an Irishwoman.
 According to Irish myth, there were three sister goddesses named Brigid: the goddess of poetry, the goddess of healing, and the goddess of agriculture.
 The ancient Brigid may not be exactly stylish but it's beautiful and strong, a true Irish classic.
 Nicknames include Bridie, Bidelia, Biddy, and Breda.
 In literature (and film), Brigid is the devious character in The Maltese Falcon.

Brigid

Though most Buttercups are of the bovine persuasian, this humble flower name was given to the lovely princess in "The Princess Bride."  If Buttercup still feels too lowly for you, you might consider Clover, Daffodil, or Daisy.

Buttercup

Caia Caecilia was the Roman Goddess of fire and women.  The name Caia would make a truly fresh alternative to the flagging Maya, with which it rhymes.

Caia

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

In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea, who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to Odysseus's crew in Homer's Odyssey, transforming them into swine. All was forgiven, however, as Circe and Odysseus later had a child together&mdash;Telegonus.

The name and legend have appeared in countless forms, from a section of James Joyce's Ulysses to short stories by Julio Cortazar to Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon to films to DC comics to a dance by Martha Graham.

So is Circe's seductive legend too powerful for a modern little girl to carry? Your call.

Circe

This kind of plainspoken nature name (think River and Sunshine) may still carry a whiff of the hippie, but this one has a nice, airy feel.

Cloud

Coco came to prominence as the nickname of the legendary French designer Chanel (born Gabrielle) and has lately become a starbaby favorite, initially chosen by Courteney Cox for her daughter Coco Riley in 2004. At first it was the kind of name that the press loves to ridicule, but we predict Coco's heading for more broad acceptance and even popularity.

Coco

Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both style and substance along with its Shakespearean pedigree.
 <br/
Cordelia is a Nameberry favorite—Number 106 on the site—and it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 60+ year absence. By 2016 it sank below that line again, must to the relief of many Cordelia fans who feared the name would get too popular.
 
If you're torn between Cordelia and the equally lovely Cora, you can always choose Cordelia for long and then call her Cora for short—or Delia, Lia, Del, or even the extremely different Cordie.
 Cordelia also appeared in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye, as detective Cordelia Gray in P.D. James's mystery novels, and was promoted by a character on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.
 And then there's that quote from the heroine of Anne of Green Gables: "I would love to be called Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant name."

Cordelia

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

In the New Testament, Damaris was an Athenian woman converted to Christianity by St. Paul. Known for her charitable work, her name was a favorite among the Puritans. Having slid off the bottom of the Top 1000 in 2012, Damaris might be deserving of more attention by parents in search of a New Testament name that is unusual but accessible, especially since girls' names ending in 's' are coming back into fashion. 
 Damaris is a supermodel name via Damaris Lewis; it's currently a Top 100 name in Chile.

Damaris

This sprightly Irish mythology name would make an attention-grabbing choice. 

Danu

Demi appeared in the US as a baby name thanks to a single celebrity, actress Demi Moore, who put it on the Top 1000 throughout the 1990s. As her star faded, so did the visibility of the name, though now it is rising again on its own steam. It's popular in Europe, too, especially in The Netherlands. Demi may be that unusual name that's launched by a celebrity and then maintains its visibility all by itself.

Demi

A whimsical and serene feeling word name, bestowed to reflect the joy and perfection parents might find in their children and the ambitions they have for them. Once a fantastical and celebrity-only feeling option, Dream came into popular usage after Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna chose it for their daughter in 2016.
 
Ten times more popular than it was a decade ago, Dream was given to 920 girls — and 50 boys — in 2023, placing it in the US Top 500, where it ranks alongside Journey and Miracle. In the Top 1000 since 2017, it has since been joined by spelling variation Jream, given to surprising 350 babies each year.
 
If you love the idea of Dream but want something a little more grounded, the Irish name Aisling (or Aislinn, Ashlyn, or Ashling) also means "dream" or "vision", while Nadia and Nadine meaning "hope". If you like the dreaminess but not the popularity, there's Winsome, Whimsy, and Moon.

Dream

Dune is a haunting and evocative sandy-beach name, which also has sci-fi connections. Dune is a science fiction franchise that was launched by Frank Herbert's 1965 novel. Some interesting Dune character names include Alia, Leto, Siona, Bellonda,and Tamalane.
 An alternate spelling is Doon, created by photographer Diane Arbus for her daughter; it came to her as she walked along the beach.

Dune

Boys' favorite retains more of its poetic, windswept quality when used for a girl, as Robin Wright and Sean Penn did. Alyssa Milano gave her daughter Elizabella Dylan as a middle name. 

Dylan

Eilonwy is a rare and poetic Welsh name first recorded in the late 19th century and used by Lloyd Alexander for his novel series The Chronicles of Prydain. The character appeared in Disney's adaptation of the series. In both the books and on the screen, Eilonwy is a feisty yet kind character. Read more about Eilonwy and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Eilonwy

Unlike Amber, which is in decline, this name still has a bit of a glow left -- though confusions between the two will inevitably arise.

Ember entered the Top 1000 in 2009 and has risen steadily in the years since. The Em beginning can make it an original route to the nickname Emmy.

Ember

This Celtic goddess and Arthurian name may sound terminally old-ladyish to many ears--but so did names like Ella and Etta not so long ago. So Enid is yet another forgotten four-letter E-possibility: she's has been M.I.A since 1954. 
 You might not know it to look at her, but Enid is Welsh, from the word meaning 'life' or 'soul.' Back in the Age of Chivalry, to call a woman 'a second Enid' was the greatest of compliments, as she was a legendary romantic figure, revived in Tennyson's Idyll of the Kings. In more modern times, Enid is the title of a Bare Naked Ladies song and a quirky character in the quirky film Ghost World.

Enid

First-wave Irish name and place name—the poetic name for Ireland—now supplanted by newer alternatives such as Maeve and Delaney. 

Erin

Fairy's reputation as a slur directed at gay men takes it off the table as a baby name option. Go with Pixie or Faye instead.

Fairy

Not only are individual flower names more popular (and out-there) than ever, but so too are the more generic names like Florence and Flora. While brother name Fiorello became known via long-term New York Mayor LaGuardia, the lovely Fiorella has never crossed cultures. She could join Arabella as a post-Isabella ella choice. 
 And speaking of Isabella, Fiorella is the first of the three <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle names</a> of Isabella Rossellini.

Fiorella

Beware: Flame is the kind of name used by women named Fran when engaging in endeavors they'd just as soon their parents weren't aware of. 

Flame

Freya has long been popular in the U.K. but has only taken off in the US in the last decade, along with the entire category of mythological names. Derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning "Lady, noble woman", Freya is the name of the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. 
 Freya has been one of the fastest-rising names of the past few years and is even more popular in England and Wales. We predict that along with the original Nordic spelling Freyja, Freya will continue its meteoric rise in the coming years.
 Freya can be considered a feminization of Frey or Freyr, the name of the goddess’s brother.
 .There is a Joseph Conrad novel titled Freya of the Seven Isles. A noted bearer was the explorer and writer Freya Stark.

Freya

Frikka

Like Mitzi, the bubbly Fritzi shows signs of rising again. Has a bit of a comic-strip feel.

Fritzi

Glimmer is shimmery but a little too showy, as is Glitter, a character on a TV sitcom-- while Glimmer appears in The Hunger Games.

Glimmer

Gwenno originated as a diminutive of Gwenllian, Gwynhwyfar or Gwendolen, but it is increasingly being bestowed as a full name, with between 10 and 20 births a year in England &amp; Wales.
Musician Gwenno (full name Gwenno Mererid Saunders) is a famous bearer. 
 
Gwenno is also the medieval Welsh name for the planet Venus — literally "the little white/bright one".

Gwenno

An unusual Gwyn name with a lovely meaning, this compound name pairs Gwyn with the name Eira, meaning "snow". A relatively modern creation, it remains very rare.

Gwyneira

Haze

Hazel has a pleasantly hazy, brownish-green-eyed, old-fashioned image that more and more parents are choosing to share. Former Old Lady name Hazel reentered the popularity lists in 1998 and now is near the top of the charts.
 
Hazel is a name that comes from the English word hazel, referring to the hazelnut tree. The word was derived from the Old English hæsel of the same meaning. Historically, a wand of hazel symbolized protection and authority.
 
When Julia Roberts named one of her twins Hazel in 2004, there was a great public outcry against "another one of those nutty celebrity names", though we saw it as the deserved revival of a lovely vintage name with roots in nature. Hazel was one of the botanicals that were all the rage at the turn of the twentieth century, when it was in the Top 25, then fell out of favor, off the list completely from 1976 to 1998.
 
Other celebrities with daughters named Hazel include Emily Blunt & John Krasinski, and Taylor Neisen & Liev Schreiber.
 
Hazel Motes is the protagonist of Flannery O'Connor's 1952 novel Wise Blood, and In The Hunger Games, one of the characters is the variant Hazelle. But the most influential Hazel of recent years is the heartrending heroine of Fault in Our Stars.

Hazel

A short form of the modern coinage Icelyn that feels cool as a short form, but too frosty for a full name.

A distinctive, rhythmic, and lovely Spanish name that suggests enlightenment. 

Iluminada

With Isabel getting so popular, parents are searching for new varieties of the name, and Isabeau is one that makes a lovely French twist. 
 Isabeau of Bavaria was the wife of King Charles VI of France--and it was possibly a nickname for Elisabeth. It is also the name of an opera by Pietro Mascagni, a retelling of the medieval English legend of Lady Godiva, and in the 1985 film Ladyhawke, Michelle Pfeiffer plays the heroine, Lady Isabeau d'Arjou, who assumes the form of a hawk during the day.

Isabeau

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

Now that Tristan has been rediscovered, maybe it's time for his fabled lover in the Arthurian romances and Wagnerian opera, a beautiful Irish princess, to be brought back into the light as well. 
 This would make an artistic and romantic choice, as the medieval heroine is seen as a symbol of undying love. 
 In Marilyn French's novel The Women's Room, the character Isolde is nicknamed Iso. Isolde is currently a Top 500 name in the Netherlands. Variations include Iseult, Isolt, Isoud, Isolda and Yseult.

Isolde

Probably due to its nursery rhyme association, Jill has the perpetual air of a rosy-cheeked tot -- even though it is one of the oldest names on the roster, a medieval variation on the Roman Julia. The pairing of Jack and Jill to connote a generic boy and girl goes back at least to the fifteenth century. But can knowing Jill's history keep it from sounding like a cute mid-twentieth century invention? There may be some possibility of Jill making it back up the hill. 
 Jill entered the Top 100 in 1957 and held that position until 1983, dropping off the list completely in the year 2000. A notable present bearer is Jill Biden.

Jill

Jinx, a James Bond heroine name has an ominous meaning but kinetic energy. In the film "Die Another Day," the actual first name of the character played by Halle Berry is Giacinta.

Jinx

The new Maia, the next Kayla, Kaia has been on the charts since the year 2000. You might see it as a female form of the also-rising Kai, which means sea in Hawaiian and is sometimes used for girls as well, or as a Kardashianization of the ancient goddess name Caia.
 Kaia's star has been floating upwards for the past few decades, along with Kai's. And it still has some distance to go, though we don't anticipate it making the Top 10.
 
Kaia Gerber, daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford, is now a supermodel in her own right.

Kaia

Kali is a number of different things: a playful, contemporary twist on the name Callie; the Hindu goddess of destruction; an alternative spelling for Kaylee; a short form of the Arablic Kalila, the Greek Kalista, or the African American Kaliyah; a masculine name in India; and a trendy form of Kali(fornia). 
 
It is also in the US Top 1000 and while it has seen a slight decline in recent years, it is still given to nearly 1100 babies every year. Ranking behind Callie but ahead of Kallie and Cali, it's short, punchy spelling might appeal to lovers of Nova, Maya, Zuri, and Heidi.

Kali

Kari and all her many sisters, from Carrie to Carey to Kerry and onward, originated for the most part as short forms of either CatherineKatherine or one of the Charles feminizations such as Carol or Caroline.

The Kari spelling may feel particularly contemporary and flexible in terms of its derivation.

Kari

Kassiani, also spelled Kasiani or Cassiane, is an ancient Greek name best known as the name of a saint famous as a hymnographer. The Hymn of Kassiani, traditionally sung on Tuesday of Easter Week in the Greek Orthodox Church, is associated with fallen women. The 9th century saint Kassiani was supposed to be in love with the Emperor Theophilos, who rejected her when she proved to be more intelligent than he.
 
Virtually unknown in the U.S., Kassiani may well become more prominent along with the raft of similar names gaining new style currency, from the boys' names Cassian and Cassius to Cassia, Kasia and Keziah.

Kassiani

Keira is an attractive <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> that's gotten a huge boost from the meteoric rise of Keira Knightley. Original spelling Kiera, which relates more directly to the male Kieran, was the more popular form until the rise of Keira Knightley reversed the order. Both are Anglicized versions of the Irish Ciara.

Keira

Khali

Kit is a crisp, old-time nickname with plenty of spirit and style. In the UK it's a rising star for boys, while in the US, it is trending upwards for girls too. Originally used as a diminutive of Katherine and Christopher, Kit could make a cool alternative to Katie, or an unexpected honor name for the aforementioned classics. 
 
Coinciding with the name for a young fox, Kit feels at home with the likes Wren and Quinn — and with fast risers like Scottie, Robin, and Drew. In 2023, around 130 girls received the name compared to 180 boys. 
The year prior, however, the scales were tilted the other way, with 160 girls and 140 boys receiving the name. With its unisex potential then, and its sharp, clear sounds, Kit may well see more use across the board in coming years. 
 <
Love the idea of Kit for a girl but still want a full name that isn't Katherine or Christina? You could try Kallista, Kensington, Keturah, Kismet, Kinneret, or Katalina.

Kyrie elieson is one of the oldest religious refrains, meaning Lord, have mercy. As a first name, though, Kyrie is less a name of God and more a nickname-name that might be short for Kyra or a diminutive that stands on its own, a la Kylie. The best-known Kyrie is the male basketball player Kyrie Irving, who pronounces the first syllable to rhyme with my rather than fear. He has inspired more than 1000 baby boys to be given this name one recent year in the US, while it was given to 178 baby girls. Impressive numbers.

Kyrie

This pet form of Helena and other ena-ending names, long used as an independent name, is attracting notice again as an option both multicultural and simple. Lena was a Top 100 name from 1880 to 1920.
 A past inspiration might be the lovely singer Lena Horne, a contemporary one is the hot creator of and actress in Girls, Lena Dunham, another might be Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey.
 Lena Grove is a simple but strong character in William Faulkner's Light in August.

Lena

Lilith is derived from the Akkadian word lilitu meaning "of the night." In Jewish folklore she is portrayed as Adam's rejected first wife, who was turned into a night demon for refusing to obey him. Lilith is unrelated to most other Lil- names, with the exception of Lilita, which is the Latvian variation.
 
In spite of its gently pleasant sound, Lilith had for the most part been rarely heard outside of reruns of Cheers and Frasier until its recent rise up the charts. It entered the Top 1000 in 2010 and has risen in recent years.
 Lilith's demonic aura has followed her through popular culture in various fantasy novels including George MacDonald's 1895 Lilith, comics such as Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, TV shows like True Blood, comics, anime, and numerous video games.
 But that could be changing, in part due to Lilith Fair, the all-female traveling music festival organised by Canadian singer Sarah McLaughlin, which has raised millions for women's charities. Lilith may also ride the coat-tails of the resurgence in (non-related) Lily names.

Lilith

An unusual member of the "Lily" family of names, this one gives you the option for sweet vintage nickname Winnie, too. It's very unusual even in its native country, never given to more than 3 babies per year since naming records began in 1996.

Lilwen

Lumina

The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is derived straight from the Latin word for moon, luna. Luna may be the name most likely to surprise someone from an older generation by its Top 10 status in the US and its widespread international popularity.
Often ranked as Number 1 on Nameberry's internal charts, the strong but shimmery Luna is among the Top 100 names for baby girls in a wide range of countries around the world, from France to Italy to Germany, Scandinavia to Slovenia to Spain. It's simple, easy to spell and pronounce, and remarkably diverse.
 And it's also got deeper roots than you might imagine. It was somewhat popular in the US as a baby name around the turn of the 20th century, reaching a high of Number 403 way back in 1881.

Luna's popularity is undoubtedly influenced by the Harry Potter character Luna Lovegood and several high-profile celebrity babies, notably the oldest daughter of Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. 
 Along with its celebrity connections, Luna's popularity is partially driven by its standing as a mythological name. Luna’s divine complement is Sol, the god of the Sun. In Roman art, Luna is often depicted driving a chariot.
 
Luna makes another appearance as the endearing oddball Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter series, who was central enough to the story to have Harry give his daughter Luna as a middle name, and as the True Blood teacher-shapeshifter character, Luna Garza. 
 
Along with Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, other celebrities who named their daughters Luna include Penelope Cruz and Javier Barden as well as Constance Marie. Joely Fisher and Ellen Pompeo have used it as a middle. Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson use Luna as the nickname they call daughter Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence.
 
Luna is also among the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/dogs">most popular dog names</a>.

Luna

Lynwen

Maeve is a short and sweet name that has become one of the most stylish Irish names for girls in the modern US. Maeve would make an excellent first or middle name choice, with more heft than Mae/May and more modern charm than Mavis. 
 Maeve appears in Irish mythology in two forms, one as the powerful Queen of Connacht, the other as the queen of the fairies. Maeve of Connacht was a warrior queen, famous for starting a war in attempt to steal her ex-husband’s stud bull. Other spellings are Meabh, Medb and Meadhbh, which are connected to mead, a honey-based wine that was produced in many ancient cultures.
 
Chris O'Donnell, Lili Taylor and Kathryn Erbe used Maeve for their daughters. The Irish author Maeve Binchy also is a well-known bearer. Maeve is the name of one of the lead characters on the HBO show Westworld.
 Irish spelling Meabh is popular in Ireland, but not recommended in the US.

Maeve

A name that's appeared out of thin air, in the same vein as such mystical favorites as Destiny and Nevaeh.

Magic

Mairwen

You'll probably be hearing more of this name thanks to the newest Pixar film, featuring Princess Merida, the first Pixar princess--a feisty, athletic, independent medieval Scottish girl with wild red hair. Her name, however, is not Scottish, but a Spanish place name found in both Spain and Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. 

 Will Merida be the next Ariel? Stay tuned. Read more about Merida and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Merida

Morgan has long been a traditional Welsh male name, a variant of the Old Welsh name Morcant, from the Welsh elements mor, meaning "sea" and cant, "circle." The female Morgan is unrelated to the male version—it is a name from Arthurian legend created for Morgan le Fay, King Arthur's half-sister and famed sorceress. Her name comes from Morgen, an Old Welsh name meaning "sea-born," and is related to the Irish name Muirgen. 
 
In this country, Morgan is now used more for girls than boys, though considerably lower than its Top 25 status in the 1990's. And although it's been veering south for both sexes, we still find Morgan a sophisticated choice. 
 
Actress Morgan Fairchild—who had an influence on the name's popularity for girls—was born Patsy.

Morgan

Morwenna is an ancient Cornish name now being revived in Wales, deriving from a Celtic word meaning "maiden", although the Mor- syllable means that it's often associated with the sea. It's been heard in the British series Doc Martin and Poldark. Morwenna Banks is a British actress.

Morwenna

Nevaeh: an already bold word name with the unusual twist of being spelled backwards; a nightmare for those who love traditional, classic names; a divisive option on name forums across the internet; and a spelling and pronunciation that aren’t quite intuitive at first glance. 
Nevaeh has a lot stacked against it, and yet it’s maintained a surprising level of popularity and unexpected longevity in recent years. 
Given to just a tiny handful of babies before the 2000’s, Neveah shot up the US charts in 2001, after singer Sonny Sandoval from the rock group P.O.D used it for his daughter. He introduced the name during an MTV appearance, with the explanation that it was heaven spelled backward. 
An edgy, celebrity-style choice, fitting for the daughter of a rockstar – but what was it about Nevaeh that made it catch on in the non-celeb world and what has kept it in the US Top 100 since 2004? 
Perhaps it’s simply the heavenly meaning, made more discreet and name-y by spelling it in reverse. 
Perhaps it’s the fact that visually, it bears resemblance to classic Biblical names, such as Hannah, Leah, or Sarah, while also feeling new and on trend. 
Maybe it’s the popular end sound or the similarity it bears to other favorites – both from the 2000’s and from now. Reminiscent of Savannah, Ava, Avery, Delilah, Aaliyah, and Kayla, it feels less surprising perhaps, that Nevaeh appealed in 2001 and holds sway now. 
Alternatively, Neveah may have been brought to people’s attention because it was so often discussed on forums across the internet. As a result, it likely showed up in searches when parents were looking for baby names and they might have just liked the sound of it. 
Whatever the reasons, Neveah certainly caught parents’ eyes and its popularity spread across other English-speaking countries, including Canada, Australia, and the UK. 
In the last decade Nevaeh has seen a steady decline in use, and while it is still given to over 2000 babies in the US each year, newer favorites such as Nova, Luna, Ayla, and Aurora have pushed it back. 
What the future holds for Nevaeh is uncertain then, but its rise to fame demonstrates the power of a pop culture association and the possibility of modern, invented names to become mainstream.

Nevaeh

Dark and enigmatic. A baby named Night would follow in the African tradition of day naming—naming a child based on the day of the week, time of day, or season in which he or she was born.

Night

Australian writer Wendy Orr put this name on the map with her hit Nim's Island" series of children's books, about a smart young girl who lives on an island in the South Pacific. Abigail Breslin played Nim in a 2008 film adaptation of the book. Gamers will know Nim as the name of an abstract mathematical game a bit like Mancala, while fans of '80s animated films may associate it with Ratatouille precursor The Secret of Nimh.

Nimue (Lady of the Lake) is the ruler of Avalon in the Arthurian legend. Nimue plays a pivotal role in many stories, including giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father. 

Always an unusual choice, this name went to three magical girls in England and Wales in 2013.

Related names include Nimue, Viviane, Vivien, Elaine, Ninianne, Nivian, and Evienne.

Nimue

The spelling makes the tradition Non even more of a non-name. 

Nonn

An interesting name associated with the elegant American-born Queen Noor of Jordan. Noor is very popular among modern Muslim parents around the world and is beginning to cross over, perhaps because of its simplicity and its resemblance to the stylish Western Nora. It appeared in the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2015.

Noor

A literary twist on rising star Nova, derived from the same Latin word.

Novel

A spelling twist on the word name Ocean, or perhaps an Anglicized spin on the French form, Océan.

Oceon

Onyx is a fresh and trending gemstone name for boys, currently in the US Top 500, having climbed the charts rapidly since 2018. Now, an increasing number of girls are receiving the name, with a recent count revealing nearly 200 baby girls were called Onyx in 2023. 
 
This sleek, often shiny and black gemstone gets its name from Greek, in which it means "claw, talon, or nail" due to its mythological creation story, in which it formed by Cupid trimming Venus's fingernails. As a stone, it is said to protect against nightmares and improve concentration, while as a name, it feels reminiscent of other unisex options, like Phoenix or Alex, and like other cool gems like Opal and Sapphire. 
 
Nick Cannon and LaNisha Cole chose Onyx Ice for their daughter in 2022, which may boost the name further.

Onyx

Ororo Munroe is the civilian name of African-American comic book heroine Storm, from the X-Men series.

Ororo

Persephone is the esoteric name of the Greek mythological daughter of Zeus by Demeter, the queen of the harvest. After she was kidnapped by Hades to be Queen of the Underworld, it was decreed by Zeus that she would spend six months of the year with her mother, allowing crops to grow, and six in mourning, thus accounting for the seasons.
 Despite the mixed message of her mythological past, Persephone has a light and lyrical aura, and pleasant associations with springtime and the harvest; she was also goddess of spring growth. Persephone was seen in the Matrix movies, played by Monica Bellucci, and could make an interesting replacement for the overused Stephanie.
 Persephone's meaning is in dispute: While some sources give it as the worrisome "bringing death," others indicate that's it's associated with dark blue and with speaking. Persephone was called Kore in childhood; in Roman mythology, she is Proserpina.
 Persephone is popular on Nameberry, ranking in the Top 100.

Persephone

Pippa, a peppy condensation of Philippa that turns it from serious to sprightly, has come into the public eye in a big way via the former Kate Middleton's sister. 
 
Pippa can and is given as a name in its own right, and may also be short for names other than Philippa: Penelope, for instance, or Patricia, or the more out-of-the-box Philippine.
 
Heard far more in the UK (where it's currently in the Top 200) than the US, Pippa has been used on its own since the nineteenth century, popularized by Robert Browning's dramatic poem, Pippa Passes. A recent book and film was titled The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.
 
Expectant parents should be warned, however, that the word pippa or pipa has an unsavory slang meaning in several European languages, including Italian, Swedish, Polish, and Greek.

Pippa

Pixie is a cute -- quite possibly too cute -- name that suddenly feels possible thanks to the craze for names that contain the letter x.  Though its origin may be uncertain, a pixie is internationally recognized as a sprite or fairy: tiny, sometimes green, usually pointy-eared.

Pixie

Praxis makes perfect?  Though this mythological name sounds boyish, it's a female name, an equivalent for Aphrodite.

Praxis

Prideaux is a Cornish place name and surname that is occasionally attested as a girls' first name. It likely stems from the French phrase "pré de eaux", meaning meadow of waters. For fans of Margaux, Prideaux might be a less-common and very pretty alternative.

Prideaux

Quinn is one of the first popular Irish unisex surnames, a strong and attractive choice on the rise for girls but still popular for boys. Quinn was used for about 3000 baby girls and 700 boys in the US last year.
 
Quinn is the Anglicized version of the Irish patronymic surname Ó Cuinn, meaning "descendent of Conn." Conn has two possible derivations—the Old Irish cond, meaning "intellect," or cenn, meaning "chief." One of the most notable Quinn clans was from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. 
 Quinn started taking off for girls in the mid-nineties, possibly influenced by the popular show Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Since then, there have been female Quinns on the animated MTV show Daria, on Zoey 101, and—most prominently—on Glee, featuring cute blond cheerleader character Quinn Fabray.
 Some other, more <a href="https://nameberry.com/lists/category/unusual-names">unusual names</a> with the Q-factor: Quincy, Quintina, Quintana, Quinta, Quilla--and, on a different note, Queenie.

Quinn

Ravenna is a lovely, untouristed Italian place-name just waiting to be discovered. Renowned for its fantastic Byzantine mosaics, it's a city that has a rich historic and artistic heritage.
 Part of the early Roman Republic, Ravenna was where Julius Caesar gathered his forces before crossing the Rubicon. It was the site of Dante's funeral and burial, Ravenna having been mentioned in his Inferno. Other poets with a connection: Lord Byron, who lived there, and Oscar Wilde who wrote a poem called Ravenna, as did Herman Hesse.

Ravenna

Razel

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

Popular in Wales, but likely to be mispronounced as Ryan here. 

Rhian

Fiery~Red~Fox's list "Possible Names for Female Fantasy Characters!" of 144 great name ideas: Aisling - Zennor!

Possible Names for Female Fantasy Characters!

These are some names that could be used for female characters in novels, especially for fantasy novels. Yay!