This strong yet graceful feminine form of Gabriel is a modern favorite. The double L spelling is given to more than three times as many girls as the Gabriela version. 



Gabriela

This name's meaning derives from the material from which the mythical sculptor Pygmalion chiselled his ideal woman - she was carved from ivory. Pygmalion fell in love with his creation and Aphrodite, taking pity on him, brought the sculpture to life. The woman was named Galatea due to her incredibly pale skin. The Pygmalion myth was the inspiration behind the story of "My Fair Lady" starring Julie Andrews on stage and Audrey Hepburn on screen.

Galatea

Spanish for galaxy, this larger-than-life name would make a bold but beautiful choice for girl.

Galaxia

Galiana

Interesting alternative to Dalila, relates to the Biblical Galilee. 

Galila

Galilee is a highly unusual place name, Galilee being a large region in northern Israel, the home of Jesus during at least thirty years of his life, and also where he cured a blind man. The Sea of Galilee gets its name from the area.
 Its pretty, delicate sound make Galilee a real possibility for use as a girl's name--in fact one of our Berries chose Galilee as the middle name of her baby daughter.

Galilee

Commonly used in Russia, has an Old World Slavic feel.   The original Galen can be used for girls as well as boys.

Galina

Garnett

Another intriguing and virtually unused Spanish nature name to add to the books.

Gaviota

Gavriela

Gavrilla

Astrological sign with enough rhythm to make a plausible astral name. 

Gemini

Gemma is a jewel of a name, an Italian classic that was very popular in 1980s England, but has only recently been started to be used here; it entered <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">the list</a> in 2008.
 Coming from a medieval Italian nickname for a precious gem, Gemma was the name of Dante's wife and was borne by a nineteenth century saint.
 Gemma is the name of the character played by Katey Sagal on Sons of Anarchy, and actress Catherine Bell has a daughter called Gemma, as does Kristin Davis.
 Bottom line: A stylish cousin of Emma and Jenna.

Gemma

With the sounds of Jennifer and Alexis, and the vibes of Eden and Serenity, Genesis is a Biblical inspired choice that has been popular in the US since the 2000’s. 
Derived from Greek, Genesis means “birth” or “origin” and is the name of the first book in the Bible, describing the creation of the world, the fall of Adam and Eve, and Noah and the flood. 
This association could give the name a strong, powerful, and significant feeling, and may work for parents who want a Biblical name, but dislike the well-worn classics, such as Sarah or Mary. 
Alternatively, it does have the secular connotations of simply meaning the beginning of something, which may appeal to anyone hoping for a fresh start or a new chapter. 
Don’t be fooled into thinking the name is a hidden gem, however. Or rather, don’t, if you happen to live in the US. Genesis has ranked in the Top 1000 since 1988 and entered the Top 100 in the late 2000’s, where it has remained ever since. 
Peaking at #55 in 2013, Genesis is given to over 3000 girls every year, and to more than 200 boys, putting it on par with the likes of Sophie, Audrey, and Claire. 
Outside of the US though, Genesis is only popular in Chile and Mexico, meaning across the rest of the globe, it still holds sway as an unexpected option, or an update on Jennifer or Genevieve. 
Notable bearers include American actress Genesis Rodriguez and Bermudian singer and actress, Genesis Lynea. Viola Davis has a daughter named Genesis, and fans of rock music may associate it with the band of the same name. 
With its distinctive but familiar sounds, Genesis is a popular choice among Christian parents who want a non-traditional baby name. It fits in perfectly with other more contemporary Biblical choices, like Eden, Nevaeh, or Delilah, and seems set to stay in the Top US 100 for now? 
Is there something you love about Genesis but want to explore other options (or just avoid nickname Gen)? You could try Journey, Dove, Amity, Damaris, or Anastasia.

Genesis

Unlike its somewhat formal Swiss city namesake, this is a lively and appealing place-name that also has a real history as a female name. 
 Geneva was a relatively popular American name at one time: it reached as high as Number 107 in 1919, and remained in the Top 200 until 1942. Geneva was the middle name of First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, and is the name of a leading character on The Good Wife.

Geneva

Genovella

Georgia is so rich, lush and luscious, it's almost irresistible. Georgia's now a rising star among the feminizations of George, helped by associations with the southern state (named for British King George II) and painter Georgia O'Keeffe, with the Ray Charles song "Georgia On My Mind" or maybe "Sweet Georgia Brown" playing in the background. 

 Georgia is in fact a double place name, also belonging to an ex-Soviet state famous for the ancient monastery Vardzia and its rich culinary and wine-growing culture.

 Georgia has been chosen for their daughters by Harry Connick, Jr., Hope Davis, Amy Ryan, Zac Brown, Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane, and Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy.

Georgia

GHALIYA

Gia is a cute if slight name that calls to mind stylish sisters Mia, Lea, Pia, Tia, and Nia. One of the most familiar <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/166/italian-names">Italian baby names</a> 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."
 Gia first made a strong impression via Gia Carangi, the ill-fated supermodel whose biopic provided Angelina Jolie's breakout role in 1998. It entered the Top 1000 in 2000, and rose as high as Number 299 in 2011 before slumping down.
 Gia was chosen by Matt Damon and by Mario Lopez for their daughters and also gained recent fame as the name of the oldest daughter of Real New Jersey Housewife Teresa Giudice.

Like high-kicking amies Coco and Fifi, Gigi has a lot of Gallic spunk but lacks substance. Was chosen for her daughter by designer Cynthia Rowley. While some parents might fashionably use Gigi on its own, we'd recommend lengthening it on the birth certificate to something like Georgiana or Gabrielle. 

Gigi

Gillian is a name that was in common usage in Great Britain until the 1970s, when it dropped out of the Top 100 and is yet to return. Until recently, it had not crossed the Atlantic in significant numbers, except in the short form Jill.
 In medieval England, the name Gillian was so common that it was used as a generic name for a girl, just as Jack was for a boy, hence the nursery rhyme Jack and J(G)ill and the expression "every Jack has his Jill." The high profile of actress Gillian The X Files Anderson did a lot to publicize the name in the US -- where it is more often spelled the phonetic Jillian.
 Two other noteworthy bearers are Australian film director Gillian Armstrong and Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn. Gillian Boardman is a key character in Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land.

Gillian

This lovely alternative for the Jennifer-lover ranks among the most popular girls' names in Italy. At this point in the US, the legions of Jennifers born in the 1970s are starting to become grandmas, so Ginevra might make an apt honor name for granny Jen.

Ginevra

Originally a unisex nickname for a redhead -- red hair is called "ginger" in Britain -- or for the name Virginia, Ginger perennially wears pink gingham and spike heels. 

Ginger

Another name for the Mona Lisa, who was married to a Florentine businessman surnamed Giocondo; others say the title referred to her mysterious smile. 

Gioconda

Giordana

Like Galilea and Livia, one of the Italian names that fashionable American parents—with or without Italian roots—have started to choose for their daughters. It has endured ups and downs since entering the popularity charts in 1991.

Giovanna

Gloria is beginning to move beyond its de-glamorized Grandma image, most recently thanks to glamorous young Hollywood parents Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, who chose it for their second daughter. Gyllenhaal was quoted as saying they had been inspired by Patti Smith's rendition of the Van Morrison song "Gloria" at a concert and thought " 'We'll name our daughter that one day'."
 George Bernard Shaw was one of the first to use this form of the ancient Latin name GLORIANA in his 1898 play You Never Can Tell It was a Top 25 name in the Gloria (born Josephine) Swanson era of the 1920s,--reaching as high as Number 20 in 1925-26) and held on in the Top 50 until 1955.
 Most prominent current adult bearers: Gloria Steinem and Gloria Estefan. Glorias have also figured prominently in TV sitcoms--as Archie and Edith's only child on All in the Family and the sexpot character played by Sofia Vergara on Modern Family.

Gloria

Glory sounds fresh and uplifting and a lot more modern than Gloria (which is definitely feeling the stirrings of a revival, though some might still view it as a terminal Old Lady name).  Glory, as in "Glory Be" and "Old Glory," has both a religious and a patriotic flavor.

Glory

Whether you think of the chocolates or the naked long-haired lady on the horse, Godiva is a name with baggage no child should have to carry. 

Godiva

More Sadie than Sadie, this old canasta player--somewhat modernized and energized by Goldie Hawn--looks like it could be making a comeback. It was recently chosen for her daughter by Ione Skye and Ben Lee, as well as by shoemeister Steve Madden.
 Goldie was one of those saucy nickname mainstays from the late 1800's through the 1940's, topping at Number 114 in 1904-05, then sliding off the list completely in 1958.
 Goldie Clemens is a major character on the TV show The New Normal.

Goldie

With Grace getting so popular, you may want to explore its international variations such as Grazia, or go all the way to Graziana or Graziella.

Grazia

An appealingly international spin on Grace. 

Graziana

Greta is an Old World name long tied to the iconic Garbo, but now synonymous with environmental activism.
 In the early 2000s, Greta was showing signs of a comeback, along with other Old Hollywood glamour names. It was even chosen by David Caruso and by Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline for their daughters. Then in 2018, Swedish teen Greta Thunberg became very famous, very fast, for her anti-climate-change protests. Since then, it seems that the name is too tied to one figure for most parents' tastes... which is a shame.
 Greta is currently popular in Germany, Hungary, and especially Italy. Dr. Greta Guttman was a character on Mad Men, Greta Van Susteren is a familiar face on TV, and Greta Gerwig is an up-and-coming young actress and director.
 Greta returned to the Top 1000 in 1999, and rose as high as the 500s, before swiftly plummeting in Thunberg's early years of public activism. The name's highest point ever was at Number 318 in 1932, at the peak of Garbo's career, the year she starred in Grand Hotel and one year after she was Oscar-nominated for Anna Christie. 
 Greta should be a sweet spot name — sophisticated with a touch of retro glamour — and a hero name, and we hope it will regain some of its former glory. On the other hand, variant Gretel is still out strewing crumbs in the forest with brother Hansel.

Greta

Guinevere was the name of the beautiful but ill-fated queen of Camelot, for so many years eclipsed by its modern Cornish form Jennifer. Today, Guinevere could be a cool possibility for adventurous parents intrigued by this richly evocative and romantic choice.
 Guinevere shares the attractive short form Gwyn with Gwyneth. Other cousin ideas: Gwendolen, Genevieve, Jenna, or Gwen.

Guinevere

This popular old <a href="https://nameberry.com//baby-names/190/swedish-names">Swedish name</a> is not one that would appeal to many modern American parents, though shortening it to Nilla helps.

Gunilla

Gustava

Gwendolen, an ancient Welsh favorite, retired decades ago in favor of the short form Gwen, but now, as in the case all across the naming board, the nickname has faded and the more distinguished original is up for reappraisal. Gwendolen means "white circle," probably alluding to an ancient moon goddess, and appears in both Welsh and English legend, once as a fairy with whom King Arthur fell in love and another was the wife of the wizard Merlin.
 Gwendolen is the name of principal characters in George Eliot's novel Daniel Deronda and in the Oscar Wilde play, The Importance of Being Earnest.
 An alternate spelling is Gwendolyn, as in Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer prize for poetry. Gwendolyn, always the more popular spelling in the U.S. and the full name of the character Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years is now at Number 514, having reached as high as 112 in the 1950's.
 Singer Gwen Stefani was actually christened Gwen.

Gwendolen

Because of Gwyneth Paltrow, this has almost become a one-person name, but not in the prohibitive there's-only-one-Oprah sense. Also seen as Gwenyth and Gweneth, this mellifluous appellation is definitely becoming more and more appreciated by American parents-- enough to land it on this year's Top 1000.
 Gwyneth is an Anglicized form of Gwynedd, the name of an ancient Welsh kingdom. Gwyneth Jones is an acclaimed Welsh Wagnerian soprano.

Gwyneth

Gyorgi

GYTHA

Gloriana

Glorinda

Gustavia

ScarlettRobin's list "Gorgeous G names [girls]" of 43 great name ideas: Gabriela - Gustavia!