Aida is a melodic name largely associated with the title character of the 1871 Verdi opera, an enslaved Ethiopian princess who dies to save her people. In the past, her name was rarely heard outside the Latino community, but in the current time of love for all A-starting girls' names, this could very well change.
 Aida did have a period of some U.S. popularity; in 1954, it reached as high as Number 663, but fell off the list in 1976. Aida Turturro played Tony Soprano's sister in The Sopranos.

 Arabic families often pronounce it with two syllables — as EYE-dah — rather than three.

Aida

Anike is an attractive name with ties to several cultures, both African and Scandinavian. The African pronunciation emphasizes the second syllable while the Nordic one emphasizes the first. While there will be inevitable confusion over pronunciation, either form is "correct".

Anika

Atlas

Betina

A spunky nickname name for parents with showbiz aspirations for their daughter. 

Bibi

At one time just the sound of the name Camille could start people coughing, recalling the tragic Lady of the Camellias, the heroine played by Greta Garbo in the vintage film based on a Dumas story, but that image has faded, replaced by a sleek, chic, highly attractive one. 
 Among its namesakes are Camille Claudel, a French sculptor and Camille Paglia, a feminist writer and critic. Princess Stephanie of Monaco is the mother of a Camille, and it is the middle name of both Nicole Richie and Willow Smith.
 Camille is a unisex name in France, where distinguished male bearers include the composer Saint-Saens and the painter Pissarro.

Camille

After half a century, this otherwise feasible name has at last started to lose its link to the friendly ghost; it certainly didn't scare model Claudia Schiffer, who chose it for her son, as did Atomic Kitten Jenny Frost. Iconoclastic namer Jason Lee switched genders and called his daughter Casper. Also related to the revived Jasper, Caspar seems headed towards the path to a similar resurgence.

 Caspar is the name of one of the Three Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus&mdash;-Caspar of Tarsus was the one who brought the gift of gold.

 In the Casper spelling, the name was quite popular in the U.S. near the end of the nineteenth century, peaking in 1889 at Number 332, but it dropped off the list completely in 1933. It still retains its popularity in Scandinavia and Belgium.

 Actor Casper van Dien was the tenth generation in his family to bear the name of his Dutch ancestors, continuing the tradition with his son Casper Robert Mitchum.

Caspar

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

An early Christian martyr, a bespectacled MTV cartoon heroine, and Canadian supermodel Daria Werbowy: Daria is a name that manages to feel contemporary and usable without being exactly stylish.  Which may be a positive, in terms of Daria not being in danger of overpopularity.

Daria

Dina is a 20th century version of either Dinah or Adinah, two Old Testament names not related to each other. Dinah was the beautiful daughter of Jacob and Leah, while Adinah or Adina was a male soldier, though the name is also used for girls in modern Israel.

Dina

Eliza is a name with a wonderful combination of streamlined zest and Eliza Doolittle charm and spunk. It's a classic that's popular right now -- but not too popular.
 
Eliza has not been in the Top 100 since the 19th century and while it seemed like it was heading there again, it seems to have stopped just short of that mark. Which could be a very good thing.
 
Originally a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eliza eventually became a name in its own right. Despite its similarity to the Hebrew name Aliza, meaning "joyful," the two are unrelated. Eliza Schuyler Hamilton was the wife of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, recognizable today as one of the lead characters in the musical Hamilton.
 Eliza is the name of one of the most vivid fictional characters, My Fair Lady's spirited Eliza Doolittle. Based on the George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion, Eliza is transformed from cockney flower girl to elegant lady, played on stage by Julie Andrews and on screen by Audrey Hepburn. .
Pride and Prejudice's Elizabeth Bennett was often called Eliza; in Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, Eliza is the intelligent and courageous protagonist
 Eliza Dushku is a charter member of the Joss Whedon rep company of actors, appearing in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse and Much Ado About Nothing. 
 One note: Do not name sisters Eliza and Isabel or Isabella, as they're different forms of mother name Elizabeth.

Eliza

For a few seconds there in the late '70s, Farrah Fawcett's name was as frequently copied as her hairstyle; the name was Number 177 in 1977. Now, after many years off the charts and out of style, it's back, mostly thanks to a TV Teen Mom who bears the name. 
 Farrah and its spelling variation Farah are soft and lovely-sounding names whatever their fashion standing. Farrah's other major advantage is as a name that's familiar in both Arabic and English-speaking cultures and so can successfully straddle the two.

Farrah

Inaya is a soft and expressive name that derives from the Arabic word "inayah", meaning "care, concern, help". It is an indirect Qur'anic name, and the strictly feminine form of the unisex Inayat.
 
A name with multiple spelling variants, including Anaya, Inaaya and Enayah, Inaya was one of the fasted rising names in the US in 2023. It now sits in the Top 800 and is given to nearly 400 babies each year. 
 Across Europe, it is a Top 100 girls' name in several countries, including France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, and it is trending upwards in the UK and Switzerland too. With its pleasing meaning, appealing look, and gentle but sparkly sounds, it seems set to follow in the footsteps of Soraya, Farrah, Leila and Aaliyah as an Arabic name that is also popular in the English-speaking world.
 
Notable namesakes include singer Inaya Day, Lebanese politician Inaya Ezzeddine, and British journalist and presenter Inaya Folarin Iman. 
 
Currently, the spelling variant, Anaya remains more popular in the US and has been since the 2000s, though this might be attributed to the fact it is also a Spanish place name. Inaya has something more distinctive about it, with that underused 'In-' beginning and sleek spelling that may see it rise further in coming years.

Inaya

Also spelled Ines, this name of the prudish mother of Don Juan in the Byron poem has a touch of mystery, but has also been fully integrated into the American name pool. 
 Inez Milholland and Inez Hayes Irwin were both important figures in the American suffragist movement. And Inez was the name of the character played by Rachel McAdams in Midnight in Paris.
 Other spellings variations of Inez: Ines, Ynes and Ynez. A Russian version is Inessa.

Inez

Beguiling and lovely, Laila is one of the lilting variations of Leila and Layla. It's the name of the former-boxer daughter of Muhammad Ali and of actor Shawn Wayans. In Finland, the Sami people use this in place of the Scandinavian name Helga.

Laila

Lula has a firecracker personality, a singing and dancing extrovert. Interesting that Lulu was a Top 100 name when the Social Security list was born in 1880, but it's been sliding ever since and has not been in the Top 1000 for decades. Modern parents in love with Lulu might well reverse that trend.
 Lulu is the now grown daughter of musicians Edie Brickell and Paul Simon. In the Swinging London sixties, Lulu was a popular single-named Scottish singer--whose birth name was Marie.

Lulu

Popular among parents with Arab roots. Also found as Maryam.

 Mary was ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Mariam. The original meaning of Mariam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Mariam

Marjan

Most famous as a Dracula victim (where Mina is short for Wilhelmina), Mina is a name that can stand on its own or be a diminutive of any name ending in -mina, most usually Wilhelmina.
This Old World German nickname name was popular in the US in the 19th century, then dropped from sight after World War II along with many other German names. That's turned around in the last 20 years, and Mina is now heading up the charts again.
Mina is also a nickname name that has its own nickname, Minka, used in many European countries and occasionally in the US, though usually identified as Polish.
Mina Loy was a modernist artist and writer who associated with the likes of T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and Gertrude Stein.

Mina

Nadia, an accessible Slavic favorite, has a strong run of popularity in the US in the early 2000s, partially thanks to the character on Lost called Nadia but actually named Noor, but it's since slumped down the rankings. An earlier inspiration was Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who won the 1976 Olympics. Nadia is actually a short form of Nadezhda, the name of Lenin's wife, though more Westerners will relate it to the familiar Natalya or Natasha.

 Nadia is also a traditional Arabic name, popular in the Muslim community and also spelled Nadiyya or Nadya. It means "moist, tender, delicate" in Arabic.

 Octomom Suleman spells her first name Nadya, as in the Queen Nadya character in Noel Coward's play The Queen was in the Parlour.

Nadia

Navid

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

Sabina is a sleek but neglected name from an ancient Roman tribal name that's well worth consideration. The equally alluring Sabine is heard in France and Germany. Related names include the more popular Sabrina or Serena. All are equally lovely.
Sabina dropped off the US Top 1000 a century ago. Does that mean it's time for a comeback?
The Sabines were a tribe in Ancient Italy that went to war with the Romans. According to legend, the Sabine women were kidnapped by the Romans but later affected peace between the warring sides.
There have been characters named Sabina in Thornton Wilder's play The Skin of Our Teeth and the Milan Kudera novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

Sabina

Sabrina, the bewitchingly radiant name of a legendary Celtic goddess, is best known as the heroine of the eponymous film, originally played by Audrey Hepburn, and later as a teenage TV witch; it would make a distinctive alternative to the ultrapopular Samantha. Similar names you might also want to consider include Sabina and Serena. 
 In Milton's poem "Comus," the river nymph is addressed as Sabrina Fair, which became the title of a 1953 play. In the original Charlie's Angels, Sabrina was played by Kate Jackson.
 Sabrina debuted on the US popularity charts in 1953, and one year later, with the release of the Audrey Hepburn film, shot up 550 places. It reached the Top 100 in 1977 and hovered in and around the Top 100 until the late 90's when its popularity began to decline.

Sabrina

Intriguing name with great symbolic meaning in Eastern religions. 

Sadira

This female form of Sa'id is one of several eminently usable Arabic S names. 

Sadiya

Early European import, well known in the 1940s via Norwegian skating movie star Sonja Henie, that has sailed back across the Atlantic, despite the rising popularity of other Russian names. 

Sonia

Sophia, which was the Number 1 girls' name in the US from 2011 to 2013, is among the top girl names in the Western World, with a sensuous sound and high-minded meaning. A real winner, Sophia reached the top of the charts without losing any—okay, much—of its sophisticated beauty. 
 
Derived from sophia, the Greek word for wisdom, the name was first famous via St. Sophia, venerated in the Greek Orthodox church—St. Sophia was the mother of three daughters named Faith, Hope and Love. It was first used in England in the seventeenth century and was the name of George I's both mother and wife.
 
Like its sister baby girl names Isabella and Olivia, Sophia has gained widespread favor by appealing to a broad range of parents: Intellectuals who like it for its meaning and those attracted to its femininity, parents who want a classic name and those looking for a name with Latin roots—the Sofia spelling is also popular. Sophie is the French version of the name, more popular than Sophia in some parts of the world. Legend Sophia Loren was originally Sofia.
 
Sophia has been an author favorite from the days of early novelists like Henry Fielding (Tom Jones) and Jane Austen (Persuasion) to the TV scriptwriters of today (The Walking Dead, Orange is the New Black).
 
Sophia's only downside is its huge popularity; it's actually even more popular than it appears, because alternate spelling Sofia falls in the Top 20 on the US popularity chart. Alternative baby names you might want to consider: Sophie, Seraphina, Susannah, Zofia.

Sophia

Suri, a once obscure name, hit the headlines when it was chosen by Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise for their daughter in 2006. A truly multi-cultural choice, Suri is a unique name with a variety of different origins.
 
As a Yiddish name, it is a variation of the Hebrew Sarah, while in Persian, it is a botanical and color name, used as both the adjective for red and as the name of a red rose. In Thai, it translates to "sun", while in Sanskrit, it could either be a contracted form of Sunrita, meaning "truthfulness", "joyfulness", or "friendly speech" – or from surya, also meaning "sun". 
 
Beyond that, it is also the name of a breed of Alpaca, a mountain in Peru, a type of edible larvae, a title used for Jain monks, and a Japanese word for "pickpocket".
 
Short and stylish with that cool -i ending and with plenty of meaning behind it, Suri did see a tenfold increase in use after Holmes and Cruise announced her name. Peaking in 2012 when it was given to 246 girls, Suri has declined in popularity since then and is now steadily given to around 130 babies each year.

Suri

Although Susan had her heyday from the thirties to the sixties, and is now common among moms and new grandmas, and though most modern parents would prefer Susanna/Susannah, we have spotted some flickers of interest in a revival. It still retains a certain black-eyed-Susan freshness.
 
Susan has a substantial literary resume, including appearances in George Eliot's Mill on the Floss, Anthony Trollope's Barchester Towers, Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge and Jude the Obscure, and Charlotte Bronte's Shirley.
 
Susan's many nicknames include Sue, Susie, Suzy, Sukie, and Zuzu—many of which have been celebrated in song. Among Susan's notable namesakes are activist Susan B. Anthony, writer Sontag, and actress Sarandon.

Susan

Susanna is an old and under-appreciated name, perhaps because of the recent overpopularity of Susan, that is certainly due for a comeback. 
 
The Susannah spelling is just as appropriate as Susanna. The two versions seem to have traded places over time as the dominant version. Neither spelling is in the Top 1000 at the moment, though we expect that will change over the next few years as more modern parents rediscover these beautiful Biblical names.
 
How is Susanna different from Susannah? The h-less version feels a bit more streamlined and modern, and might refer more directly to an ancestor named Ann or Anna. Susannah seems more old-school Biblical and more self-contained, while Susanna resembles a smoosh name: Sue + Anna. But Susanna and Susannah are pronounced the same and are equally beautiful.
 
A European short form of Susanna that's become popular: Sanna or Sanne.

Susanna

One of the most unusual flower names, Tulip is cute but tough to pull off as a first. It has some celebrity cred via Charlie Tamara Tulip, twin daughter of Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell. It derives from Persian dulband "turban", due to the distinctive shape of the flowers.

Tulip

Western novelist Zane (born Pearl!) Grey made this name famous. Now, it's in tune with the style of our times, retaining that appealing cowboy image. 
 Zane Grey was the great-grandson of Ebenezer Zane, founder of Zanesville, Ohio, the town where the writer was born. The name Zane has been on the popularity list since 1921, the heyday of such Zane Grey novels as The Riders of the Purple Sage.
 The Arabic name Zayn, as in musician Zayn Malik, sounds exactly the same as Zane but has a different root. Zayn is one of the fastest-rising names in recent years. And some parents--including country singer Mindy McReady -- use the spelling Zayne.

Zane

Zora is a meaningful literary heroine name honoring Zora Neale Hurston, an important black writer and leader of the Harlem Renaissance. 
 Spelled Zorah, it is a biblical place name, and is also the name of a character in the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta Ruddigore.
 Fairly well used from the 1880s until 1940, Zora reached a high of Number 293 in 1885.Now, Zora is back in the charts and given to more than 300 girls every year, perhaps because of its namesake and how it makes an interesting alternative to Nora, Cora, or Zara.

Zora

Now that Zoe is getting wildly popular in the U.S. and the U.K. -- one poll puts it at number one in Wales -- parents may start hunting down fresh twists like this. 

Zoya

mayonegg's list "Cross-Cultural Muslim Names" of 36 great name ideas: Aida - Zoya!

Cross-Cultural Muslim Names

Muslim, Arab, Persian, Turkish and Pakistani names that sound good to the Western Ear