The Great Big List of Cottagecore Names

  1. Fen
    • Origin:

      English, Dutch, Frisian
    • Meaning:

      "marshland; peace"
    • Description:

      In English, a fen is a wetland fed by surface and/or groundwater. In Dutch and Frisian, it's a traditional diminutive of names containing the element frid, meaning "peace". Either way, Fen makes a fresh alternative to fashionable Finn.
  2. Fern
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "plant name"
    • Description:

      Of all the botanicals, Fern has been one of the slowest to move back from the front parlor into the nursery, despite the appealing girl character in the children's classic Charlotte's Web. Fern was most popular from the turn of the last century through the 1940s, reaching a high of #152 in 1916. We can certainly see her rejoining the long list of popular greenery names.
  3. Finch
    • Origin:

      English word and nature name
    • Meaning:

      "to swindle"
    • Description:

      It feels like Finch should be a modern bird name that's as popular as Wren or Lark, but that's not the case - so it's one to consider if you're looking for a nature name that's familiar but rare.
  4. Finn
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "fair or white"
    • Description:

      Finn is a name with enormous energy and charm, that of the greatest hero of Irish mythology, Finn MacCool (aka Fionn mac Cuumhaill), an intrepid warrior with mystical supernatural powers, noted as well for his wisdom and generosity.
  5. Finnegan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "fair"
    • Description:

      If you like the Finn names and love James Joyce, Finnegan is extremely winning. Will & Grace 's Eric McCormack chose the Finnigan spelling for his son. And of course Finnegan gains you access to the great short form Finn.
  6. Flora
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "flower"
    • Description:

      Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names we think is due for a comeback— alongside cousins Cora and Dora. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all.
  7. Florence
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "flourishing, prosperous"
    • Description:

      Florence is back, returning to the US Top 1000 girl names in 2017 after a nearly 40 year absence. Other English-speaking countries have been quicker to welcome Florence back into fashion.
  8. Forrest
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the woods"
    • Description:

      Forrest is one of the earliest appealingly sylvan, outdoorsy choices, borne by newsman Sawyer, actor Whitaker, and football Hall of Famer Gregg. Forrest Gates was a character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
  9. Fox
    • Origin:

      Animal name
    • Description:

      Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files. Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting middle name.
  10. Franklin
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "free landholder"
    • Description:

      A doubly Presidential name, via Pierce and Roosevelt, Franklin was given an initial boost via the fame of Benjamin Franklin. It also has a literary tie to the main character of the Wilkie Collins classic The Moonstone.
  11. Frederick
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "peaceful ruler"
    • Description:

      Frederick, and friendlier nickname Fred, seemed almost to have disappeared, leaving just the memory of Freds past such as Astaire, Mr. Rogers and Flintstone. But today's parents are beginning to recognize it as a strong classic and one of the top royal baby boy names.
  12. Felicity
    • Gardenia
      • Origin:

        Flower name, from English surname
      • Meaning:

        "Garden's flower"
      • Description:

        More uncommon and powerful than garden varieties like Rose and Lily. Named for Scottish botanist Dr Alexander Garden.
    • Gardner
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "keeper of the garden"
      • Description:

        Surely one of the most pleasant and evocative of the occupational options.
    • Gilbert
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "shining pledge"
      • Description:

        Considered ultra debonair in the silent-movie era, Gilbert then went through a nerdy phase, a la Gilbert Gottfried. Now though, like Albert and Alfred and Walter and Frank, it could be in for a style revival.
    • Ginger
      • Origin:

        English diminutive
      • Description:

        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.
    • Ginny
      • Origin:

        English, diminutive of Virginia, American place-name and Latin
      • Meaning:

        "virginal"
      • Description:

        Ginny was more common before Jenny and its myriad variants came along.
    • Glenn
      • Origin:

        Scottish
      • Meaning:

        "valley"
      • Description:

        Glenn appealed to a lot of post-World War II parents for its cool, leafy image, also calling up the Big Band sounds of Glenn Miller and the calm, composed image of actor Glenn Ford, whose name at birth was the Welsh Gwyllyn. It could possible be in line for a comeback in the more nature-evoking spelling of Glen, as used by Glen Campbell, or possibly even the Welsh Glyn.
    • Golda
      • Origin:

        English, Yiddish
      • Meaning:

        "gold"
      • Description:

        A name with an obvious meaning, for a long time associated with Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. Nickname Goldie seems to be catching on in the celebrity community.
    • Graham
      • Origin:

        Scottish
      • Meaning:

        "gravelly homestead"
      • Description:

        Well used in England and Scotland since the fifties, the smooth and sophisticated Graham is catching on here.