I in the middle
- Galilea
Origin:
Feminine variation of Galileo, after "Galilee"Meaning:
"Galilee"Description:
Like the masculine form Galileo, Galilea is a variant of Galilee, a region in Northern Israel of great Biblical significance. Given the current popularity of soft Italian girls’ names, this name’s long historical roots, its beautiful sound and the potential for cute nicknames (Leia, Lil, Ally, etc) it’s no surprise that this name has been on the rise in recent years.
- Gia
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"God's gracious gift"Description:
Gia is a cute if slight name that calls to mind stylish sisters Mia, Lea, Pia, Tia, and Nia. One of the most familiar Italian baby names in the US, Gia is a short form of Gianna, which in turn is a diminutive of Giovanna, the feminine form of Giovanni, the Italian equivalent of John—all of them meaning "God's gracious gift."
- Heidi
Origin:
Diminutive of Adelheid; GermanMeaning:
"noble, nobility"Description:
Heidi became known—and popular—via the 1880 eponymous children's classic by Swiss writer Johanna Spyri and, despite decades of American Heidis of all sizes, shapes, and personalities, the name seems permanently tethered to that spunky little girl on the Alpine mountaintop in the book and Shirley Temple movie.
- Idina
Origin:
English variation of EdinaMeaning:
"from Edinburgh, Scotland"Description:
Made famous by actress Idina Menzel, of "Rent" and "Wicked" fame.
- Jaida
Origin:
Spelling variation of JadaDescription:
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith propelled her name into the limelight during the 1990s and early 2000s. Alongside this rise, variant spelling Jaida entered the US Top 1000 in 1998 and peaked at Number 516 in 2008. In the last five years, however, Jaida has dropped dramatically, drawing ever closer to the bottom of the charts.
- Jaime
Origin:
Spanish variation of JamesDescription:
Though every Spanish student knows that the male classic is pronounced HY-me, for girls this is a straight homonym for Jamie, a favorite ambisexual 1970s nickname name. Another way to think of it is as a variation of the French "J'aime" (I love).
- Jamiyah
- Janiyah
Origin:
Modern invented name, variation of JaneDescription:
Janiyah’s star is definitely fading, but it will likely remain in the Top 1000 for years to come.
- Julieta
Origin:
Spanish variation of JulietMeaning:
"little Julia"Description:
The lovely Shakespearean Juliet is finding renewed interest as a baby name today, and Julieta is along for the ride, especially among Spanish families.
- Julissa
Origin:
Spanish variation of JuliaMeaning:
"youthful or sky father"Description:
Julissa is a Spanish version of Julia used mostly in Latin America. It peaked in the 1990s and early 2000s and now hovers near the bottom of the Top 1000.
- Juniper
Origin:
Latin tree nameMeaning:
"young"Description:
Juniper is a fresh-feeling nature name -- it's a small evergreen shrub -- with lots of energy. A new favorite of fashionable parents, Juniper joins such other tree and shrub names as Hazel, Acacia, and Willow.
- Kairi
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"sea"Description:
Kairi is the name of the main female character in the popular role-playing video game series, Kingdom Hearts. Voiced by Hayden Panettiere in the main series, Kairi is one of the seven Princesses of the Heart. Kairi entered the US Top 1000 in 2010 and was given to over 400 baby girls in one recent year.
- Kaiya
Origin:
Spelling variation of Kaya and KaiaDescription:
Kaiya reached a peak of Number 652 in 2002. This spelling performs worse than its sisters Kaia and Kaya, and it likely creates more pronunciation confusion.
- Kalista
- Karissa
Origin:
Spelling variation of CarissaDescription:
Both Karissa and Carissa are trending downward, along with the other issa names that first rose to popularity in the 1970s. Karissa fell out of the Top 1000 in 2014, two years after Carissa.
- Keily
Origin:
Variation of Kylie, Australian AboriginalMeaning:
"boomerang"Description:
A spelling variation of Kylie, an Aboriginal name first popularized by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It’s now associated with Kylie Jenner, whom parents might be attempting to distance themselves from with this version of the name.
- Keira
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"little dark one"Description:
Keira is an attractive girls’ name 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.
- Kaliope
- Keidy
- Laila
Origin:
Spelling variation of Layla (Arabic); Sami variation of Helga (Finland)Meaning:
"night; holy"Description:
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.