Warrior Queen
- Verona
Origin:
Italian place-nameDescription:
Verona is a scenic place-name with the added attraction of a Shakespearean connection, as in Two Gentlemen of....
- Victoire
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"victory"Description:
Adds French flair to Victoria, though many Americans would find pronunciation a challenge.
- Victoria
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"victory"Description:
Victoria is the Latin word for "victory" and a feminine form of Victor. It is the name of the ancient Roman goddess of victory, the equivalent of the Greek Nike, and also a popular third century saint.
- Wilhelmina
Origin:
German and Dutch, feminine variation of WilhelmMeaning:
"resolute protection"Description:
Wilhelmina might once have been condemned as a clunky relic best left in the past, but a steadily increasing number of parents are dusting it off for their 21st century babies. A reasonably popular choice in the 19th century, but out of favor by the 1950s, in the last decade, the number of babies called Wilhelmina has doubled, with 140 girls receiving the name in 2023.
- Xena
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"guest"Description:
Still projects the potent allure of television's warrior princess.
- Ygraine
Origin:
Literary nameDescription:
The name of the mother of King Arthur and Morgan le Fay in English legend. The Ygraine spelling was used in the BBC television series Merlin. Other forms of the name include Latin Igerna, French Igerne, and Welsh Eigyr.
- Yvaine
Origin:
Female variation of Yvain or ScottishMeaning:
"evening star"Description:
A mix of Yvonne and Elaine, Yvaine was first noticed in the Neil Gaiman fantasy novel and then movie Stardust, in which Claire Danes played the 'fallen star' Yvaine. This In all its forms, one of the most classic Scottish names for girls is now attracting namer attention--just as that other Gaiman-inspired name, Coraline, did. Yvaine has a definite romantic, medieval charm. A small segment of namers are definitely taking notice.
- Zelda
Origin:
Diminutive of GriseldaMeaning:
"gray fighting maid"Description:
Classified as an early beauty, Zelda has long and often been used as such for characters in books and films. Since 1986, Zelda has been a prime Nintendo name, as in the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
- Zenaida
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"the life of Zeus"Description:
This name of a daughter of Zeus has an intriguing air of antiquity.
- Zenobia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"force of Zeus"Description:
With historical roots as a beautiful and intelligent ancient queen and literary ties to Hawthorne and Edith Wharton novels, this rarity could appeal to adventurous parents seeking the romantically unusual. Tina Fey used it as her daughter Alice's middle name.
- Zoraida
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"captivating woman"Description:
This name of a beautiful Moorish woman character in Don Quixote is rarely heard.
- Zorya
Origin:
SlavicMeaning:
"star"Description:
Zorya is the name of the two star goddess in Slavic mythology, Zorya Utrennyaya and Zorya Vechernyaya, referring to the morning and evening stars, respectively. It's used as a name in Russia and other countries with Slavic-based languages.
- Zosime