B girl names
- Briella
Origin:
Short form of GabriellaMeaning:
"God is my strength"Description:
If you feel, as many parents do, that Gabby or Gabi is too harsh a short form for the mellifluous name Gabriella, try Brie, Brielle, or Briella.
- Brielle
Origin:
FrenchMeaning:
"hunting grounds"Description:
Though it sounds so modern, Brielle is, among other things, a traditional Cajun contraction of Gabrielle, but it has now spread far beyond that community. Brielle is also the name of a historic seaport in the western Netherlands.
- Brighton
Origin:
English place-nameDescription:
Out-of-the-way place name (it's an antiquated holiday spot on England's south coast) that might make a brilliant choice. Actor/director Jon Favreau named his daughter Brighton Rose.
- Briony
Origin:
Spelling variation of BryonyMeaning:
"to sprout"Description:
Briony may be the variation and Bryony the original, but many parents will see this as the more authentic-feeling version of this attractive botanical name. Still unusual in the U.S., Briony is in the British Top 100 and may appeal to parents as a fresh spin on Briana or Brittany or an honorific for a Brian, though it bears no relationship to the male name.
- Bristol
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Bristol Palin, the daughter of former Alaska governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, grabbed her own share of headlines by having a baby out of wedlock and then appearing on Dancing With The Stars. She single-handedly propelled her distinctive name, inspired by a city in England, into the Top 1000 and up the charts. Bristol's ascent ended a few years back.
- Britney
Origin:
Variation of BrittanyDescription:
This abbreviated spelling, which also relates to Whitney, quickly took on a life of its own, thanks to the megafame of Britney Spears, but it's already beginning to burn out.
- Brittany
Origin:
English name of the French region Bretagne, meaning 'from Briton'Description:
Brittany first arrived on the US popularity list in 1971, and rapidly zoomed up the charts, in the Top 100 a decade later. By 1986 it had entered the Top 10, becoming the third most popular girls’ name in the country by 1989.
- Britton
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"from Britain"Description:
Britton, technically a spelling variation of Britain, is much more popular that the original place name for both boys and girls. There are about three baby girls named Britton for every four boys, making it a truly nonbinary choice.
- Bronte
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"thunder"Description:
This lovely surname of the three novel-writing sisters, now used as a baby name, makes a fitting tribute for lovers of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. While the original name took an umlaut over the e, modern English speakers may find that more trouble than it's worth. Trivia note: The Anglo-Irish clergyman who was the father of Charlotte, Emily and Anne changed his name from the original Brunty. According to scholars, the family pronounced the name brun-tee, though in the 21st century world it's commonly pronounced bron-tay. In Australia, the name is more likely to take inspiration from Bronte Beach in Sydney. It was named after Lord Nelson, the 1st Duke of Bronté. He got his title from a town in Sicily, itself named after a mythological Cyclops.
- Bronwen
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"white breast"Description:
Bronwen is widespread in Wales, but still rare enough here to sound somewhat international — we think Bronwen is a real winner. (Note: the Bronwyn spelling is an Anglicization, since the -wyn ending is masculine in Welsh).
- Bronwyn
Origin:
WelshMeaning:
"white breast"Description:
One of the loveliest of the Welsh names, striking the perfect balance between being familiar and unusual. In Wales, the female spelling is always Bronwen, but Americans usually see a "y" as adding femininity.
- Brook
Origin:
English nature nameMeaning:
"small stream"Description:
Brooke variation – or is the other way around? – that makes it more a nature name, less an eighties-style androgynous name.
- Brooke
Origin:
EnglishMeaning:
"small stream"Description:
Brooke has long projected an aura of sleek sophistication, and can also be seen as a stylish water name.
- Brooklyn
Origin:
Place-name from DutchMeaning:
"marshland"Description:
Extreme makeover: Brooklyn has gone from jokey Borough Boy name in the 1990s to a leading girls' name starting with B. The status of New York's Brooklyn as hipster heaven is ironic as few bona fide Brooklyn hipsters would choose this name.
- Brooklynn
Origin:
Spelling variation of Brooklyn, place name from DutchMeaning:
"marshland"Description:
This extra-N variation matches up with the current preferred spellings of Oaklynn, Raelynn, and Adalynn, however it has always been outranked by popular Brooklyn. Though both spellings have trended downwards since their peak in 2011, Brooklyn maintains its place in the US Top 100, while Brooklynn lags behind in the #300s.
- Brunhilda
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"armed for battle"Description:
Variant of Brunhild, still clad in heavy armor. Though the heroine Brunhilda of Quentin Tarantino's recent film Django Unchained may have given this version of the name new appeal.
- Bryar
- Brynn
Origin:
Spelling variation of Bryn, WelshMeaning:
"hill"Description:
Brynn outshines the original Welsh Bryn in the popularity stakes. This simple, brisk name might be seen as a combination of Bree and Lynn, an androgynous-sounding choice that especially in this spelling is not truly unisex: Brynn, for boys, is not even in the Top 1000.
- Bryony
Origin:
Latin flower nameMeaning:
"to sprout"Description:
Bryony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony is a wild climbing vine with green flowers --that caught on in the U.K. before sprouting here. The name of the young character in the Ian McEwan novel Atonement is spelled Briony, which is the variation and Bryony the original.
- Bunni