Unconventional Feminizations of Male Names

If there's an ancestral Earl you want to honor, consider Early instead.

Earlene is even more out of style than Earl. These are among the names that have not been revived ala the Hundred Year Rule.

There's more than one reason why parents might consider this rising name for a daughter. George Eliot was the pen name of English writer Mary Ann Evans, one of the leading authors of the Victorian era. The possibility of nickname Ellie is another factor.

The female version of Emanuel could become more prominent, though for some it still carries a steamy image dating back to a then sensationally erotic French film. Singer and Shameless star Emmy Rossum's full name is Emmanuelle.

Novel way to honor Grandpa Henry.

One time joke name, à la Lily Tomlin's bossy telephone operator, Ernestine is ready for a possible reevaluation, like cousins Josephine and Clementine..

Eugenie enjoyed a major dusting off when Fergie and Prince Andrew chose it for their daughter, restoring a patina of royal sheen it hadn't had since the time of Napoleon III's glamorous empress--who spent much of her life in England. It was also borne by Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, after whom Prince Andrew's younger daughter was named.

Eustacia, the ancestor of mid-century fave Stacy, is just the kind of fusty old relic that might be polished up for modern use. Eustacia Vye is the central character of Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native.

The futuristic consonant x sets this apart -- for better and worse -- from all the other Felices, Felicias, and Felicitys.

Frederica is an interesting possibility for the parent unintimidated by its old-fashioned formality, and who can appreciate the vintage charm and verve lurking inside its stuffiness.

Honoring a male relative. Be bold and go with Glenn.

Imposing, if not intimidating.

Now that Jacob has been the top boys' name for several years, this may come to the fore, the way Michaela did after Michael's long reign at Number One. For now, it's one of the more unusual girl names starting with J.

More grown up than Jamie, but never given to more than 13 baby girls in the US per year (and that back in 1968). Modern parents prefer Jamie, Jameson or even James itself, as Blake and Ryan Reynolds chose in 2014.

Joel is one of those boys’ names that's never been super-popular yet has never been UNpopular either -- it's been in the Top 400 in the US since we started keeping statistics in 1880. So it's inevitable that its female form Joelle would gain visibility too, and indeed Joelle was used most widely during Joel's reign in the Top 100, from the late 1960s through the early 1990s.

Josepha is less heard in this country than in other parts of the world, seen as a slightly awkward feminization a la Ricarda and Benjamina. In the U.S., Josephine or Joanna is the more usual feminine form of Joseph, though you might consider Josepha if you want to break rank.

This Scottish name for girls has been sued since the 19th Century as a feminine given name, and has a surprisingly feminine sound for a feminization.