Adalyn is one of a large group of Ad-beginning names for girls, which include Adeline and Adalynn and Adelaide and Addison — essentially, anything leading to the popular nickname Addie is in. Adalyn is a beautiful name, but be prepared to have to spell it out for people often.

Adalyn entered the charts in 2007 and rose quickly, but has been fairly steady in the mid 100s for nearly 10 years now.

Adalyn

Newly fashioned but familiar and with an on trend, unisex feel, Addison seems like the perfect solution for anyone who can’t decide between Madison, Adeline, and Alison. 
Addison really took off in the mid-2000’s, making a spectacular jump from being outside the Top 100, to being nearly within the Top 10, just two years later. Undoubtedly influenced by the introduction of Dr. Addison Shephard to “Grey’s Anatomy”, the name was at its peak in 2009. 
While it’s been steadily falling back down the charts, it does remain a popular choice. Currently given to nearly 4000 girls in the US each year, it ranks highly in New Zealand and Canada too. In the UK, it has made significant gains, becoming familiar for girls – and for boys too. 
Borrowed from an English surname, meaning “son of Adam,” Addison joined Madison as one of the few “son of” names to be used almost exclusively on girls. It also joins the 17 strong crowd of “Ad- names” in the charts for girls, including Adeline, Adelyn, and Adelaide. 
Contemporary and cool with a cute, sassy nickname, Addison has been a popular choice for celebrities. Baseball player Jason Bay, TV personality DeAnna Papas Stagliano, NASCAR driver Sam Hornish Jr, and Joe and Kendra Duggar all have daughters called Addison. 
It is unclear if Addison will fall as fast as it rose, but for now it remains comfortably within the Top 100. So, if love Addison but want your choice to stand out, you could try: Sullivan “Sunny”; Halliday “Hallie”; Barrett “Betty”; or Alcott “Lottie.”

Addison

Adelaide is now heading straight uphill on the coattails of such newly popular sisters as Ava, Ada, and Audrey, and in the company of Adeline and Amelia. It was chosen by actress Katherine Heigl for the name of her second daughter.
 Adelaide gained fame as the noble German princess who married the British King William IV in 1830 and became known as "Good Queen Adelaide," inspiring the name of the Australian city and a craze for her name. Earlier, St. Adelaide was married to Otto the Great and became Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, described as "a marvel of beauty and goodness."
 When Aussie actress Rachel Griffiths (also mother of son Banjo) chose Adelaide for her daughter, she said she'd been inspired by the city, Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, and the Disney character in The Aristocats. Adelaide can also be found in works by Thomas Hardy and Agatha Christie.

Adelaide

Credit the award-winning single-named British singer for taking the <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> Adele from a quiet semi-retirement back into currency. Adele reentered the US Top 1000 <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular baby names</a> in 2011 and has remained there ever since. 
Adele is both a saint's and a royal name, having originated as the French version of the German Adela. It's one of the most stylish <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/a">girl names starting with A</a>. 
Molly Ringwald chose Adele for one of her twins, and Fred Astaire's first dancing partner was his older sister Adele.
 Historically, Adele was the name of the youngest daughter of William the Conquerer. Music lovers might associate the name with a character in Johann Strauss's operetta Die Fledermaus, while a prime literary reference is Jane Eyre's young charge.

Adele

Adelie

Adeline has a lovely, old-fashioned "Sweet Adeline" charm, but has become so popular in the US under so many spellings and variations -- with Adalynn and Adalyn also popular -- that considered together it is far more popular than it first seems. Adorable nickname Addie is also pervasive. 
Adeline originated as a French diminutive of Adele, which came from the Germanic root adal, meaning "noble." Adeline was introduced to England by the Normans in the eleventh century, was very common during the Middle Ages, then vanished until the Victorian Gothic revival. Common variants of Adeline include Adalynn, Adalyn, Adelyn, Adelynn, Adelina, and Adaline.
 Adeline was introduced to England by the Normans in the eleventh century, was very common during the Middle Ages, then vanished until the Victorian Gothic revival.
 The song "Sweet Adeline" Is an old barbershop quartet favorite. JFK's grandfather John F. Fitzgerald, mayor of Boston, made it his theme song, and Mickey Mouse serenaded Minnie with it in a 1929 cartoon.
 Pronounced ad-a-line in America, it's usually ad-a-LEEN in France.

Adeline

Adeline in all its forms, including Adelyn, is rocketing up the list, but we do prefer the original to the variations.  Or you might consider varying it yet further to Adelia, Adele, or Adelaide. Or lengthen it to Madeline/Madelyn.

Adelyn

This a-ending feminine form of Adrian, from the northern Italian city of Adria, is a soft and lovely Italian choice. It appears as a character in Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors.
 The name had quite a different image in The Sopranos, where it was pronounced with a hard initial 'a'.
 Adriana Lima is a Brazilian model and actress best known as a Victoria's Secret Angel.

Adriana

A long-integrated French feminine form of Adrian, now overshadowed by the a-ending version, but still a valid option, with considerable substance and dignity—though these days more parents would probably choose Adriana.
 Adrienne Rich was an influential twentieth-century poet. Princess Madeleine of Sweden and her American husband Chris O'Neill named their third child Adrienne, giving it fresh royal gloss.

Adrienne

Amy was a 1970s favorite, and French spelling Aimee peaked in the same decade.
 Aimee Teegarden is an American actress, known for her role as Julie Taylor on the TV drama Friday Night Lights. Aimee Mann is an American musician and singer-songwriter.

Aimee

Alaina, part Alana and part Elena and maybe also a little bit Elaine, is one of the many feminine forms of Alan (or its French form Alain) that have grown in popularity over recent decades, surpassing the male original.  Not quite fashionable but also not quite un, Alaina is a choice that may feel more distinctive than it really is.

Alaina

Alana, in all its various spellings, was at one time reserved for daughters of dads named Alan, but is now much more widespread. It came into prominence via model/actress/celeb spouse Alana Hamilton Stewart. 
 While Alana is by far the most popular spelling, the name can also be spelled Alanna and Alannah, as in musician Alannah Myles. The variation Alanis (via singer Alanis Morissette (daughter of an Alan) sounds a bit more original, as does the Hawaiian Alani, now in the Top 500. Alaina is another popular variation.
 
Alana is a Hawaiian word meaning "awakening," and the variation Alannah is a Gaelic term of endearment for a child.

Alana

Alexa was a steadily popular modern classic until Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa was released in 2013. It remains relatively well used in the US despite this, though its standing keeps dropping for obvious reasons. Too bad, because it's a strong and pretty name (which is probably why Amazon used it.)

Alexa

Alexis, a one-time exclusively-<a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a>, was more popular than its sister Alexandra for quite a while, but in recent years Alexandra has overtaken it once again. Alexis was a Top 20 <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> from 1994-2010 but has experienced a decline in popularity in recent years, though now it's one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">top unisex names</a>.

 Alexis zoomed to popularity following the introduction of the Dynasty character Alexis Carrington in the 1980s – which gave it a sleek image – and was quite popular throughout the 90s and 2000s, peaking at the third most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> in 1999.

 One of the few notable female pre-Carrington Alexises was 1940s actress Alexis Smith, who had some minimal impact on the name, which entered the list in 1943. A current bearer is Alexis Bledel, who played Rory on Gilmore Girls and currently stars on The Handmaid's Tale.

Alexis

Alia is the most classic and feminine form of Ali, one of the 99 attributes of Allah within Islam. Meaning "supreme, exalted, high, sublime", it is pretty, powerful and spirited. 
The name is also used by Christians and Jews as it can be derived from the Hebrew word "alah", meaning "ascending" or "to rise" and is associated with making a pilgrimage or migrating to Israel. 
Alia also given to the heroine of Frank Herbert's science fiction classic,Children of Dune and with the release of the new film adaptations of Dune, it may just gain more attention.
 While Alia is the sleekest version of the name, both the most ancient and the most modern-feeling, its most famous relative in the U.S. today is Aaliyah, a Top 100 name, associated with the singer.

Alia

Alicia is a Latinized variation of Alice, a name ultimately derived from the German Adalhaidis. It emerged in the 19th century, but the 20th saw many spelling evolutions for Alicia, including Alecia, Alisha, Aleesha, and Alysha. Alyssa originated as a form of Alicia.
 
Alicia was more popular than its mother name for several years, adding a lacy, more balletic feel to the original. But their fortunes have reversed in recent years, with Alicia sinking down to its lowest rating since World War II while Alice has soared to the Top 100. Taken for its sound alone, Alicia is a lovely, feminine name, but parents should be aware that its innumerable phonetic versions have robbed it of some of its character.
 Two high-profile Alicias are actress Silverstone and soul singer Keys; in the past there were ballerina Markova and the great Spanish classical pianist de Larrocha. Alicia is the birth name of Jodie Foster, and the singer known as Pink was originally Alecia. Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, who won an Oscar for her role in The Danish Girl, pronounces her first name "ah-LISS-ee-ah."

Alicia

In music, the term allegro means "quickly, lively tempo," which makes this quintessential Bohemian ballet dancer's name all the more appealing. Allegra is one of the most distinctive yet accessible <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/a">girl names starting with A</a>.
 One of the most creative sounding of names, Allegra has been associated with the American prima ballerina Allegra Kent, and has been chosen as a first or middle name for their daughters by poets George Gordon, Lord Byron and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, as well as by R. Buckminster Fuller and Donatella Versace.
Caveat: There is that current connection to the allergy medication.

Allegra

Althea is a poetic, almost ethereal name found in Greek myth and pastoral poetry, associated in modern times with the great tennis player Althea Gibson, the first African-American to win at Wimbledon. 
 
Althea appears in Greek mythology as the mother of the hero Meleager and was revived by the seventeenth-century poet Richard Lovelace as a poetic pseudonym for his beloved.
 
These days, parents would also appreciate the short form Thea.
 
Althea is the most common girl name in the Philippines.

Althea

Alyssa was in the Top 20 from 1997-2010 and peaked as the 11th most <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">popular girls’ name</a> in 1998 and 1999 but has become less popular in recent years. It's related to the flower alyssum as well as to the classic Alice and variants. Alyssa Milano helped give it a bounce back when she was still a child sitcom star.

Alyssa

Though perhaps not as currently stylish as Ruby, Jade, or Pearl, Amber has a colorful history (remember the notorious Forever Amber heroine?). Unfortunately, it does come with the "Amber Alert" connotation for modern parents (and their children).

Amber

Amelia is one of the hottest <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a>, a successor to the megapopular Emma and Emily. Amelia, which spent several years at Number 1 in England, is now comfortably ensconced in the US Top 10.
 
Now the most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/a">girl name starting with A</a>, Amelia is also a Top 10 girls' name in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland and Poland. So while Emilia and Emelia are sound-alike names, it's the Amelia version that's on the fast track. 
 
Amelia is derived from the German name Amalia, which in turn is a variation of Amalberga. The root, amal, is a Germanic word meaning "work," and in the context of female given names suggests themes of fertility as well as productivity. Aemilia, the name from which Emily is derived, is unrelated to Amelia.
 
Kids might associate Amelia with the wacky children's book character Amelia Bedelia, while adults could appreciate it as the eponymous heroine of the Henry Fielding novel. Amelia also appears in novels by Trollope and Thackeray, as a Harry Potter name, and as detective Amelia Peabody in the Elizabeth Peters series. Angelina Jolie played patrol cop Amelia Donaghy in The Bone Collector.
 
Amelia became a British royal name via the daughters of Kings George II and III. American heroes who have inspired a new generation of namesakes are aviatrix Amelia Earhart and feminist Amelia Bloomer.
 
Trivia tidbit: Amelia is the birth name of Minnie Driver.

Amelia

Amity--what nicer gift to give your little girl than a name that signifies friendship and harmony? This virtue name is also more rhythmic and feminine than the single-syllable Hope, Faith, and Grace. 
 Amity is a neglected gem that could make a distinctive namesake for an Aunt Amy.

Amity

With Angelina becoming so popular thanks to Ms. Jolie, this could be a new twist—but everyone will always misunderstand it as Angelina. While it currently ranks at Number 951 in the US, it's Number 352 in France.

Angeline

Anna has become the dominant form of the Ann family, offering a touch of the international to English speakers and a bit more style than the oversimplified Ann or Anne.
 Anna is the Latin form of Hannah, a Hebrew name that derived from root chanan, meaning "grace." European Christians embraced the name for its associations with the Virgin Mary’s mother, Saint Anna — known in English as Saint Anne.
Anna has been used for generations throughout Europe, from Russia to Italy, Spain to The Netherlands. While Hannah and Anna are the most common forms of the name, variations including Annie, Annalise, Anya, Anika, Nancy, and Anais also rank in the US Top 1000.
 
Classic and simple, Anna would be an excellent choice for parents in search of a name that will bridge two different cultures, say Jewish and Italian.
 
In literature, Anna is associated with Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. The name was given some fresh life when it was used for the adorable younger sister voiced by Kristen Bell in the animated film Frozen. Three current bearers are actresses Anna Kendrick, Anna Friel, and Anna Paquin.
 
Anya takes it more into international territory, and Anja, even further. Read more about Anna and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Anna

Annabel is a spirited name that embodies quirky British gentility. Appearing in Scotland as early as the twelfth century, where it was a royal name, it also recalls the romantic Edgar Allan Poe poem Annabel Lee, written upon the death of his young wife, Virginia.
 In the Swinging Sixties, Annabel was in the thick of things as the name of London's trendiest disco and nightclub, named for the wife of the owner. The Annabel spelling is preferable today to Annabelle, too closely associated with the eponymous horror movie doll.

Annabel

With the ascent of all names -ella, and even -bella, we predict that Annabella will rise as an alternative for such favorites as Isabella and Angelina. It's possible to spell the name Anabella. Annabel -- along with Anabel, Annabelle, Anabelle, and Annabell -- are potential alternatives.
 Annabella crops up in royal history as the mother of King James I of Scotland, and plays a part in the 1633 play Tis Pity She's a Whore. Sela Ward has a daughter named Annabella, and a current bearer is actress Annabella Sciorra.

Annabella

This is a charming name that rose steeply along with other-belle names, such as Isabelle, until the horror film Annabelle and its sequels knocked it out of favor. Made famous by the Edgar Allen Poe poem Annabel Lee. Annabelle is saucy and stylish, a tad upscale, has a sense of humor, is melodious and lively, but is unfortunately off its peak.
 Annabelle was well used in the early twentieth century, took a long rest, then resurfaced in 1995.

Annabelle

Annaliese is a distinctly German smoosh name that's found some popularity in the US, especially with the simpler spelling Annalise.
 
Annalise is among the Top 1000, given to about 750 baby girls in one recent years, ten times as many as were called Annaliese.
 
Liese is the German form of Lisa, a short form of Elizabeth.

Annaliese

Variously spelled Annalise and Annaliese as well as several other forms, this is not a modern smoosh but a traditional German combo-name with a definite Heidi-esque feel. 
 
 Anna of course is familiar and Liese or Lise is a short form of Elizabeth, ala Lisa, But though it may be seen as old style in Germany, it's a recent success in this country: Annalise jumped onto the popularity list for the first time in 1997.
 
Americans prefer the simpler spelling: There are about ten baby girls named Annalise in the US for every Annaliese. Another 100 baby girls were named Analise and Analiese is also found.
 
TV fans know Annalise as the first name of the lead character in ABC's "How To Get Away With Murder," played by Viola Davis, who won an Emmy for the role.

Annalise

This feminization of Anthony, like other early French forms, such as Babette and Nanette, is not heard as often as it once was, but it could be time for a reappraisal of this delicate Gallic choice. 
 The name is most familiar via the ill-fated Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. Antoinette Giry is a character in Phantom of the Opera. And the theatrical Tony awards were named for theatrical actress and director Antoinette Perry (born Mary Antoinette). 
 Other options: Antonia and Antonella.

Antoinette

Arabella, lovely and elegant, has long been well used in Britain and finally made it onto the American list in 2005. A Top 50 choice in the UK, in the US in remains in the Top 300, given to around 1300 babies each year. 
 
Arabella was used as a given name beginning in the 12th century with the birth of Arabella de Leuchars, granddaughter of William the Lion, King of Scotland. It is derived from the Latin orabilis, from which Arabella gets its meaning. Some scholars tie Arabella to Amabel, claiming that the former developed as a variation of the latter in Scotland, much like the name Annabel. 
 
Arabella has been a great favorite in English novels, dating as far back as Samuel Richardson's Clarissa and Henry Fielding's Tom Jones, and also appeared in The Vicar of Wakefield, Dickens's Pickwick Papers, George Eliot's Felix Holt and Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, and more recently in Harry Potter.
 Arabella is the title of a lyric comic opera by Richard Strauss, and was chosen for their daughters by Ivanka Trump and Dr. Oz. A real life heroine is Arabella Mansfield (born Belle Aurelia), the first American woman to become a lawyer.
 Though off its 2017 peak, Arabella is a sophisticated choice especially recommended for parents who love the super-popular Isabella but want something more distinctive.

Arabella

Arden, the name of the magical forest in Shakespeare's As You Like It, is a stylish A name with a strong, straightforward image. Another reason to love Arden: its similarity to "ardent." Arden is solidly unisex, with the current gender distribution running about 60 percent girls and 40 percent boys.

 A locational surname name deriving from several places in England, there are multiple legitimate derivations for this name. One is from Old English earn "eagle" + denu "valley", while another is from the Celtic ard meaning "high".

 As a girls' name, Arden has been flirting with the bottom of the Top 1000 in recent years, hopping on and off the US list. A solid Nameberry favorite, this name should begin climbing more steadily.

 Arden is more familiar as a surname, as in cosmetics entrepreneur Elizabeth and actress Eve, and the narrative poem by Tennyson, Enoch Arden. Shakespeare's mother was Mary Arden.

Arden

Aria is a multi-cultural name with two extremely popular versions: this more word-like one along with Arya, the spelling used for the feisty young heroine of Game of Thrones. There were about 6400 baby girls named Aria in the US last year alog with 2400 named Arya, which counted together places the name in the Top 10.
 
The light and airy Aria entered the list in 2000 and now ranks among the Top 25 girl names in the US. In Italian, Aria's literal meaning is air, while in Hebrew it's a form of Ari meaning lion. An Aria is a musical term denoting a kind of song or melody, often in an opera.
Aria is a Top 100 name throughout the English-speaking world and also ranks highly in France and several European countries -- though notably not in Italy or Israel. In Persian, Aria is a male name, and in Indian it is considered unisex. 
Aria is also an improbably cool saint's name. Saint Aria (or Arria) of Rome was an early Christian martyr.

Aria

Soft and delicate French name rarely heard here.

Arianne

Ariel is a male Biblical name, seen there as the messenger of Ezra, and also used as a symbolic name for the city of Jerusalem, while Shakespeare used it for a (male) sprite in The Tempest.
 For girls, Ariel enjoyed a considerable burst of popularity with the 1989 release of Disney's The Little Mermaid: in 1991 it peaked at #66. 
 Although its wave has crested, Ariel is still a name any little girl would love. It is also associated with the poetry of Sylvia Plath and with the Chilean-American writer Ariel Dorfman. The popular historian Ariel Durant was born Ida Ariel Ethel.
 In Israel, Ariel is used as much or more for boys, but in the US, more than three times as many baby girls as boys are named Ariel. Read more about Ariel and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Ariel

This variation of Ariel, with the extra-feminine suffix, has been on the rise in recent years and has now surpassed the original. The similarity to the name of the Little Mermaid gives Ariella a princessy flair. 

Ariella entered the charts in 2008, and has now risen into the Top 200. The cute nickname Ari is on trend as seen with the popularity of Ariana and Arianna, as are any girl names ending in "-ella", making Ariella a natural hit. Arabella is another name with the best of both of these trends. 

Ariella

While not as popular as the Ariel spelling of Little Mermaid fame, this rendition has achieved popularity in its own right.
 Arielle has been on a steady rise, perhaps helped by the -elle ending shared with other trendy names such as Annabelle, Isabelle, and Brielle.

Arielle

Best known as the princess of the Elves in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Arwen is a fantasy-inspired choice that feels perfectly down to earth. In 2022, it entered the UK Top 400, making it one of the fastest rising names, more than doubling in use from the previous year.
 
For many of his character names, Tolkien took inspiration for Welsh, and Arwen and its masculine counterpart Arwyn do have some history of use as legitimate Welsh names, possibly influenced by the ancient Welsh Arianwen. In this case, the name would mean "fair, blessed", while in Tolkien's world, it has a more regal air. 
 
Similar in sound to Elowen, Gwen, Aria, and Ariana, Arwen has seen steadily increasing use in the US since the early 2000s. Currently given to around 180 babies each year, actress Caterina Scorsone and musician Rob Giles chose the name for their daughter in 2019. 
 
Like with any pop culture inspired name, you would have to decide if you'd mind people asking or assuming you were big Lord of the Rings fans, but with its grounded and familiar sounds, Arwen may continue to rise in coming years.
 A trivia tidbit to finish: The International Astronomical Union names all colles (small hills) on Saturn's moon Titan after characters in Tolkien's work; in 2012, they named a hilly area "Arwen Colles" after Arwen.

Arwen

Though it relates to the Irish original, Ashlyn and its next most popular form, Ashlynn, owe more of their popularity as baby names in the US to the megastar Ashley, though all three have been dropping on the charts lately.

Ashlyn

Astrid has been a Scandinavian royal name since the tenth century, and many people associated it with the Swedish author of the Pippi Longstocking stories, Astrid Lindgren. Astrid is derived from the name Ástríðr, which is made up of the Old Norse elements that mean "god" and "beautiful." 
Related names include Asta, a diminutive used throughout Scandinavia, and Astride, the French form. Despite their similarities, Astrid is unrelated to Astra, a Latin name meaning "of the stars."
 
Astrid has never really assimilated into our culture the way Ingrid did, but with the renewed interest in international names, Astrid might be worth consideration by parents with Norse roots. 
 
Astrid is the name of the teenage heroine of Janet Finch's 1999 novel White Oleander and has appeared as a character in How to Train Your Dragon and the TV shows Fringe and Once upon a Time.

Astrid

Magical and distinctive but grounded and familiar too, it's no surprise that Athena has become one of the most widely used ancient <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/433/goddess-baby-names">goddess names</a> in the contemporary Western world. Derived from the city name Athens, it is current a Top 100 choice in the US. 
 
In Greek mythology, Athena is a daughter of Zeus and the goddess of wisdom, warfare, handicrafts, mathematics, and courage. She was the great patron-goddess of the city of Athens and in Homer's Odyssey, she is described as 'sparkling-eyed Athena.' Her Roman counterpart is Minerva. 
 
Associated with owls and olive trees, Athena is a name which might appeal to parents who value wisdom and intelligence — or those who like the sounds of Amelia, Thea, and Anabella. Alternative forms of the name include the Greek Athene and Athenais, along with the Spanish Atenea.
 
One of those names that is probably more popular than you might think, Athena has been in the US Top 1000 since the 1960s but in the Top 100 since 2021. It also ranks highly in England and Wales, Iceland, Canada, Italy, and France.
 
Appearing in Disney's The Little Mermaid as the name of Ariel's mother, Athena was also chosen in 2011 by actress and comedian Tina Fey for her second daughter's middle name, Penelope Athena. This prompted more interest in the name which rose rapidly during the 2010s.
 
More recently in 2024, singer and internet personality Sophia Grace (as in Sophia Grace and Rosie) chose Athena Rose for her daughter, while in 2025, Princes Beatrice selected Athena Elizabeth Rose for her second baby. 

ina Fey turned to her Greek heritage for both of her second daughter's names: Penelope Athena—and this has spurred interest in Athena, even though it's in middle place.

Athena

Aubree and its big sister name Aubrey are both very widely used names, and if taken together would be among the most popular girl names. The Aubree spelling came into the limelight on the show Teen Mom 2.

Aubree

Aubriana, along with Aubrianna and Aubriella, is an elaboration of a perfectly-good if too-trendy name, Aubrey.  The final anna or ana or ella does not improve on the original.  But A names of all kinds continue to appeal.

Aubriana

A compound name made up of Aubrey and Brielle, this modern invention blends fresh, stylish sounds, with a nod to more traditional elegance. It entered the US Top 1000 in 2012 and remained there for a decade, and though 2023 saw it drop from the ranks, it is still given to around 240 girls each year.
 
The unisex Aubrey has been more popular for girls since the 70s, and Aubrielle makes it more definitively feminine, reminiscent of Gabrielle, Annabelle, or Isabelle. Brielle meanwhile is used as a diminutive of Gabrielle - or as a nod to the towns in New Jersey and the Netherlands, whose name means "hunting grounds". This name could also be seen as a combination of Aubrey and the suffix -elle used to denote it is a feminine name. This could switch the meaning to "elf queen".
 
A notable Aubrielle is the gymnast, model, and social media star, Aubrielle Rich, whose account is run by her mother.

Aubrielle

Audrey is one of the girls' names that have been rising due to their connection to Old Hollywood glamour—in this case the eternally chic and radiant Audrey Hepburn. Audrey has another very different appeal as one of the elite group of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/96/girl-names-that-mean-brave-or-powerful">girl names that mean strong, brave, or powerful</a>.
 
Audrey is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Aethelthryth, the name that later evolved into Etheldred or Etheldreda. St. Audrey was a seventh century saint who was particularly revered in the Middle Ages. Her name led to the term tawdry, as cheap lace necklaces were sold at the St. Audrey fair. Shakespeare bestowed her name on a character in As You Like It. 
 
Celebrities who have chosen Audrey include Greg Kinnear, Steve Zahn, and Faith Hill & Tim McGraw.
 A current representative is the French actress Audrey Tautou—who made her mark in Amelie, The Da Vinci Code, and as Coco Chanel—and who shares some of the charm of Audrey Hepburn.

Audrey

Crisp and colorful, Autumn is the most popular season name now -- the only one in the Top 100 in recent years -- with Autumn's coolness only surpassed by Winter. Jennifer Love Hewitt named her daughter Autumn James.

Autumn is one of those unusual names that's been popular for many years without ever becoming wildly overused, which can be a real plus if you're looking for a name that's familiar without being too trendy. It entered the UK Top 100 for the first time in 2023.

Autumn

Aviana is a name that's kinda like the megapopular Ava, and kinda like the popular Ariana, and not quite as widely appealing as either of them.  But it's on everyone's scope now as the choice of actress Amy Adams for her new daughter -- ironic as she was quoted as saying she wanted a "normal" name. Turns out that Adams was born in Aviano, Italy, explaining the mystery. The first syllable of the name can be pronounced ah, ay, or (most commonly) to rhyme with have.

Aviana

This variation of Aviana adds a second n, possibly to make the connection to Anna clearer. On the popularity charts, it first entered the US Top 1000 in 2011 and was one of the fastest-rising girls' names of 2016, entering the Top 500 for the first time. Its rising popularity could be attributed to the recent success of similar names Eliana/Elliana/Elianna and Ariana/Arianna. Whereas those two names shorten to Ellie and Ari, Avianna provides the trendy nickname Avi.

Avianna

Bright, fresh, and sunny, Ayla is a fashionable choice for girls. Reminiscent of other trending names such as Layla, Isla, and Ava, Ayla has recently found its place in the Top 100. 
At first glance, Ayla appears to be short, sweet, and simple – a modern invention, perhaps – but don’t be deceived. Like many names, it has different pronunciations and various origins, making it an exciting and international choice. 
In Turkish, Ayla is pronounced “Eye-luh”, meaning “halo” or “moonlight,” whereas in Hebrew, it could be a modern take on the Biblical “Elah” meaning “terebinth tree,” from “Alon” meaning “oak tree”, or, from “Ayelet” or “Ayala” meaning “doe, deer, gazelle.” 
Alternatively, Ayla is a literary name, created by Jean. M. Auel, for her novel Clan of the Cave Bear.” Pronounced “Ay-luh,” the independent heroine inspired American parents to use the name, and following the release of the film adaptation in 1986, it leapt straight into the Top 600. 
Internationally popular, Ayla ranks highly in the UK, Sweden and Azerbaijan, and is on the rise in France and Belgium. 
 In the US, over 2500 girls are given the name each year, meaning it has more than doubled in usage over the last decade. 
Notable namesakes include the American singer, Ayla Brown and the Turkish politician and activist, Ayla Akat Ata. A popular choice among influencers too, “The Flo Fam”, “Sunkissed Mama,”, and “The Prince Family” all have daughters called Ayla. 
As lovely as the name is, in its own right and as an alternative to a Top 10 choice, it may be worth keeping in mind how similar Ayla’s sounds are to those high-ranking names. This couldlead to confusion between Ava/Isla/Ayla, or to Ayla feeling more popular than it actually is. 
If you do love Ayla but want to stand out from the crowd a little more, you could consider Mira, Eira, Liora, Alara, Miray, or Aviya for their similarity in sound or feel.

Ayla

Azalea is one of the fresher flower names, along with Zinnia and Lilac, that are new to the name bouquet — in fact, it entered the Social Security list for the first time in 2012. So if Lily and Rose are too tame for you, consider this brilliant pink springtime blossom with a touch of the unusual that has been growing in popularity. 
 Azalea is the name of the princess heroine of the novel Entwined, and, most recently, is connected to musical artist Iggy Azalea.

Azalea

Beatrix has a solid history of its own apart from Beatrice, with that final x adding a playful, animated note to the name's imposing history and stately vibe.
 
In the earliest sources it is recorded as Viatrix, meaning "voyager". Possibly the spelling was deliberately changed to resemble the Latin word beatus, "blessed" and now both meanings are part of Beatrix's rich history.
 
It has been largely associated with Beatrix (born Helen) Potter, creator of Peter Rabbit, and with Beatrix who was Queen of The Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013.
 Actress Jodie Sweetin has a daughter called Beatrix, and designer Kate Spade chose it for her daughter Frances's middle name. The main character in Quentin Tarantino's movie Kill Bill was Beatrix Kiddo, played by Uma Thurman. 
 
With cute nicknames Bea and Trixie, Beatrix is most popular in the UK, where it ranks in the Top 200. On the rise since 2001, its accelerated popularity in the 2010s could have been influenced by the character Beatrix 'Trixie' Franklin from the popular period drama, Call the Midwife.
 
Across the pond in the US, it appeared briefly in the Top 1000 in 2019, but it has been trending downwards since then. Given to around 160 girls each year, it could be an unexpected but familiar choice in the States.

Beatrix

Belinda, cousin of Linda and Melinda, enjoyed a brief return to the Top 1000 from 2005 through 2013, only to fall off again in 2014. A name that some may consider a modern spin on the midcentury popularity queen Linda is in fact a classic with deep and fascinating roots. In Babylonian mythology Belinda was the goddess of heaven and earth, and the name later was used for the heroine of Alexander Pope's satirical poem The Rape of the Lock.
 One of Belinda's meanings is 'beautiful snake' (coined at a time when snakes were a sacred symbol of wisdom and immortality) and it still does seem to have a certain lingering serpentine charm.
 Belinda entered the US popularity lists in 1940, and went on to reach Number 142 in 1961. Both Maria Edgeworth and Anne Rice wrote eponymous novels called Belinda.
 Belinda Carlisle was the lead vocalist in "The Go-Go's."

Belinda

J.K. Rowling is a modern master of naming who brought a whole constellation of ancient and celestial names to modern parents. Bellatrix, of one of the stars of Orion, combines fashionable names Bella and Beatrix to make a convivial and original name. The down side: the Harry Potter character Bellatrix, played by Helena Bonham Carter, is a character so evil she's called a Death Eater, killing one beloved character and being murdered by another. And the name Bellatrix is so closely associated with that character that it might be challenging to sidestep the association.

Bellatrix

Bethany is a lyrical name that still strikes many parents as a fresher, more substantial substitute for the overused Brittany/Brittney or the more antiquated Beth. 
 In the New Testament, Bethany is the name of a village just outside Jerusalem where Jesus stayed during Holy Week. Mary of Bethany was the sister of Martha and Lazarus.
 A spelling variation was introduced by Real Housewife of New York Bethenny Frankel.

Bethany

Bianca, the livelier Italian and Shakespearean version of Blanche, has been chosen by many American parents since the 1990s, just as Blanca is a favorite in the Spanish-speaking community. Its meaning of white relates to snow, making it one of the prime <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">names for winter babies</a>.
 Miss Bianca was an elegant mouse (voiced by Eva Gabor) in Disney's 1977 The Rescuers, and Bianca features as a character in two Shakespeare plays, Othello and The Taming of the Shrew, not to mention its musical offshoot, Kiss Me Kate.
 Bianca was brought to prominence here by the first Mrs. Mick Jagger. Her name entered the U.S. popularity ranks in 1973, reaching a high of Number 84 in 1990. Bianca was chosen for her daughter by actress Tia Carrere.

Bianca

The further you move away from the original Briana, the feminine form of Brian first used by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queen, the more invented and less authentic you get.  But many parents want the distance from Brian as Breanna -- or Breana or Breeanna or any of the other variations -- feels more like its own name.

Breanna

Unusual floral name which would be perfect for a spring baby girl, if you can pronounce the Welsh double L correctly. It's a tricky sound for non-native Welsh speakers, kind of halfway between an H and an L.

Briallen

Spelled this way, Briana was coined by Edmund Spenser for his great literary work, The Faerie Queene, which gives the now-overexposed name a far classier pedigree than it's usually credited with. 

Brianna is currently the most popular feminine form of Brian in the US, given to three times as many baby girls as Briana. Depending on your viewpoint, that may be a vote either for or against the more unique Briana spelling, though whichever version you choose is sure to prompt confusion over spelling and pronunciation.

One enduring appeal of Briana and sisters is that they're <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/96/girl-names-that-mean-brave-or-powerful">girl names that mean strong, brave, or powerful</a>, which may be why George R. R. Martin names his warrior maiden Brienne of Tarth.

Briana

Brianna's popularity in the US came later than father name Brian's, peaking in the 1990s, two decades after Brian's Top 10 reign of the 1970s.

But Brianna is more popular than Brian now, along with sister name Briana even taking a slight upward turn recently. That fresh sheen might be credited to Brienne of Tarth, a warrior-heroine of Game of Thrones.

Though it sounds like it might be a modern invention, the name actually appeared as far back as the sixteenth century in Edmund Spenser's poem The Faerie Queen. And Brian goes back a lot further, to Irish high king Brian Boru's reign around the year 1000.

Brianna

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.
 Briony Tallis is the young girl who sets the plot in motion in Ian McEwan's novel Atonement--played on screen by Saoirse Ronan, for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
 Briony is a variant spelling of Bryony, coming from the Greek meaning 'to grow luxuriantly'. Bryony/Briony is an unusually strong plant name --the bryony being a wild climbing vine with green flowers
 Pronunciation is like Brian with an ee at the end.

Briony

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.

Bristol

One of the loveliest of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/172/welsh-names">Welsh names</a>, 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.

Bronwyn

Caia Caecilia was the Roman Goddess of fire and women.  The name Caia would make a truly fresh alternative to the flagging Maya, with which it rhymes.

Caia

Calista Flockhart may have made her variation of this beautiful Greek name familiar to modern Americans, but the even-edgier x version was the name of an earlier feminist heroine: a character in Kate Chopin's The Storm.

Calixta

Calliope is the name of the muse of epic poetry -- and also the musical instrument on the merry-go-round. Bold and creative, it debuted in the US Top 1000 in 2016, and entered the Top 500 in 2023. Similar in rhythm and sound to Penelope with usable nicknames Callie, Clio, and Lola, it is no wonder it's on the rise.
 
While Americans usually pronounce this name with a long I sound and the emphasis on the second syllables, Greeks pronounce it with the emphasis on the third syllable -- ka-lee-OH-pee.

Calliope

Most names that start with Cam- are on the upswing, so why not this obscure term for Wales as well as for a prehistoric time period. 

Cambria

Cara is a simple, sweet, Italian endearment that enjoyed its greatest popularity from the 1970s through the 1990s, reaching a high of Number 189 in 1977. Despite the rising celebrity of English model/actress Cara Delevingne, who played Enchantress in Suicide Squad, Cara dropped off the Top 1000 in the US in 2020, perhaps because it sounds too close to the dreaded Karen. 
 I
Cara remains a highly popular choice in Ireland, perhaps used as an Anglicized form of the Irish Ciara or Ceara. the Evelyn Waugh novel Brideshead Revisited, the Cara character is French.
 Damon Wayans took the endearment aspect even further when he named his now-grown daughter Cara Mia.

Cara

This Katherine variation, used through Ireland and Scotland, is pronounced like Katrina. The name became popular after the Crusaders brought home stories about the colorful fourth century martyr, Catherine of Alexandria. Its later popularity increased following the success of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1893 Catriona, the sequel to Kidnapped.

Catriona

Cecelia, with this spelling, got some recent attention as the name of Jim and Pam's baby on The Office -- and also the name of actress Jenna Fischer's newborn niece.  A spelling variation of Cecilia that has a gently old-fashioned feel and several appealing short forms, including Celia, Celie, and, as on the TV show, Cece.

Three times as many babies are given the Cecilia spelling as get the Cecelia one, though if you plan on calling your daughter Cece or Celia, Cecelia may feel like the more logical spelling.

Cecelia

Cecilia is a lovely classic name deservedly enjoying a new turn in the sun. Always among the Top 500 girls' names in the US, Cecilia is now at its highest point ever.
 
Cecilia is a feminine form of Cecil, which was derived from a Roman clan name related to the Latin caecus, meaning "blind". While that may put some parents off, we say put that ancient meaning aside and focus on Cecilia's symbolic resonance in the contemporary world as a classy and classic name.
 
The martyred Saint Cecilia was designated the patron of musicians, either because she supposedly sang directly to God while the musicians played at her wedding, or because she sang to God as she was dying. The name was popularized in the Middle Ages as an homage to the Saint.
 On TV, the Cecelia spelling variation was the name chosen for Pam and Jim's baby on The Office; in real life the name of the daughters of Vera Wang and Soledad O'Brien.
 Cecilia is also a Dickens character name in Hard Times, and appears in the novels Atonement and The Virgin Suicides, and The Hunger Games series, as well as being the subject of a memorable Simon & Garfunkel song.
 Cecilia, Celia and Cecily are all nameberry faves. Cecelia is an accepted spelling variation you may want to consider if you plan to shorten the name to Celia or Cece.

Cecilia

Celeste is a softly pretty and somewhat quaint name with heavenly overtones, which kids might associate with Queen Celeste of Babar's elephant kingdom. She's a light and lovely choice that's finally getting noticed.
 Celeste has been in the Top 1000 every year since 1880. Best known modern Celeste is Oscar-winning actress Celeste Holm.
 If you want a more unusual variation, consider Celestine, Celestia -- or even Celestial.

Celeste

Celia, splendidly sleek and feminine, is a name that was scattered throughout Shakespeare and other Elizabethan literature, but still manages to feel totally modern. 
 Shakespeare has been credited with introducing Celia in As You Like It, and it was to Celia that the poet Ben Jonson penned the immortal line, "Drink to me only with thine eyes." Other literary Celias have appeared in works ranging from George Eliot's Middlemarch to T. S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party to Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin.
 Celia Cruz was a superstar of Latin music.
 Celia is not a short form of Cecilia, which has a completely different meaning, and developed independently. But some contemporary parents are naming their babies Cecelia, especially with that spelling, and calling them Celia—which gives you two beautiful names in one.

Celia

Charity is one of the Big Three abstract virtue names, along with Hope and Faith, though far less widely used than the others. But as Faith, Grace and Hope grow more common, some parents are beginning to look at the more unusual three-syllable choices like Verity, Amity, Clarity and Charity, which sound much fresher and also have that pleasingly rhythmic 'y'-ending sound.
 In the Dickens novel Martin Chuzzlewit, there are two sisters named Charity and Mercy, who are known as Cherry and Merry.
 In the musical Sweet Charity the title character, Charity Hope Valentine, is an all too charitable girl with a heart of gold. In the novel"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" Charity Burbage is a Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and in Two Broke Girls there's an Aunt Charity who's not very charitable.
 Charity was in the Top 500 in the 1880's and 1890's, remained in the Top 1000 until 1927 when it dropped from sight, then reappeared in 1968. For a period in the 1970's and eighties, Charity was a Top 300 name.

Charity

Charlotte, the name of the young Princess of Cambridge, is the latest classic name to join Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella at the top of the popularity list. It is now among the most popular girl names in many English-speaking and European countries.
 
The feminine form of Charles, Charlotte derived from Charlot, a French diminutive of Charles meaning "little Charles" and the name of Charlemagne’s son in French literature and legend. The name was popularized by England's Queen Charlotte Sophia, wife of King George III.
 
Queen Charlotte was the mother of fifteen children and a patron of Mozart and Bach. She and George ruled England in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century during the French and American revolutions.
 
Charlotte is an elegant royal name, with a host of widely varied role models, from Charlotte Brontë to the spidery protagonist of E. B. White's Charlotte's Web to the more recent Charlotte York, aka the prissy one, of Sex and the City. Charlotte is appealing to a wide range of parents because it sounds feminine yet grownup, sophisticated yet lush. 
 
Charlotte is a pop culture staple—it was Scarlett Johansson's character in Lost in Translation and has been featured on TV shows like Lost and Revenge. The band Good Charlotte was named for a children's book with that title. An all-around winner of a name, Charlotte has been chosen by Chelsea Clinton, Dylan McDermott, Colin Hanks, and Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.
 In addition to Charlie, Lottie makes a cute nickname.

Charlotte

Chelsea is still being used, with about 400 baby girls named Chelsea in the US last year. But it was much more popular a few decades ago, peaking at Number 15 in 1992. 

Chelsea first entered the American consciousness in a major way via the character Jane Fonda played in On Golden Pond in 1981 and later of course was frequently in the headlines when Chelsea Clinton (whose name was inspired by the lyric of a the Joni-Mitchell-Judy Collins song "Chelsea Morning") became First Daughter.

Chelsea

Chelsea was last fashionable around the time First Daughter Chelsea Clinton was born, ranking in the Top 25 in the early 1990s.

Chelsey never hit the heights of the original. About 40 baby girls were named Chelsey in the US last year, and about ten times that many called Chelsea.

Chelsey

The name of a courageous tribe, Cheyenne became quite popular in the 1990s, inspiring a wide range of spelling variations—Shyanne is one example that's still on the rise. 

Cheyenne

Christina, a pretty and feminine, crystal clear classic, may be trending downward, but it's never out of style. Christina's short forms Chris, Christie, and Tina all seem dated—making the royal Christina best used in its full glory. 
 Christina became a royal name in Sweden (Greta Garbo played Queen Christina in one of her classic films) and Spain, and it is more usable today than the French Christine.
 Christina is now well represented by actresses Applegate, Ricci, and Mad Men's Hendricks, alongside singer Aguilera and Orphan Train novelist Baker Kline. Previous bearers include British poet Christina Rossetti and Australian novelist Christina Stead.
 Christiana is a more distinctive variation.

Christina

Christine was the dominant feminine variation of Christopher forty or fifty years ago, when French E-endings were preferred over As; it was a Top 20 name for several years, from 1966 to 1974. But though it still hangs in on the popularity list, today most any other version would be considered more stylish, from Kristen to Kirsten to Christina herself.
 Christine is the heroine of the 1910 novel and hit musical Phantom of the Opera and the automotive protagonist of Stephen King's 1983 horror novel. Christine has been serenaded in song by everyone from Elton John to Kiss to Motorhead.

Christine

This frilly Victorian name is a variant of Cecilia and Cecily, with which it might well be confused. Cicely was a surprise choice for comedienne Sandra Bernhard. 
 Literary Cicelys can be found in Sir Walter Scott's "Kenilworth" and the 1925 Dos Passos novel "Manhattan Transfer."
 A distinguished bearer is actress Cicely Tyson. Cicely, or Sweet Cicely is also a herbaceous plant with a strong taste reminiscent of anise,and is sometimes used for medicinal purposes.

Cicely

Cicily

Cierra

In Greek myth, Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun, was a sorceress living on the island of Aeaea, who could turn men into animals with her magic wand, which is just what she did to Odysseus's crew in Homer's Odyssey, transforming them into swine. All was forgiven, however, as Circe and Odysseus later had a child together&mdash;Telegonus.

The name and legend have appeared in countless forms, from a section of James Joyce's Ulysses to short stories by Julio Cortazar to Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon to films to DC comics to a dance by Martha Graham.

So is Circe's seductive legend too powerful for a modern little girl to carry? Your call.

Circe

Claire, luminous, simple, and strong, is one of those special names that is familiar yet distinctive, feminine but not frilly, combining historical depth with a modern edge. And though Claire is enjoying revived popularity, it will never be seen as trendy. Claire is also a great middle name choice. 
 Claire is the French form of Clara, a feminine derivation of the Latin masculine name Clarus. The French word for "clear," Claire’s meaning, is clair, and was traditionally a male name. Now the spelling is used mainly for girls, along with Clare, and occasionally Klaire or Klare.
 
Claire is usually seen as the French spelling of the name, while the equally appropriate Clare is English and Clair is French too. Clara, once seen as a stuffier version, has lately gained some fashion edge, primarily because it has more vintage charm and is somewhat more unusual. The Italian Chiara is another recommended choice.
 
Famous women named Claire include the medieval Saint Clare of Assisi (who was made the patron saint of television in 1958 because of her reputed power to see events at a distance), writer Clare Booth Luce, silent screen siren Clara Bow, and actresses Claire Bloom and Claire Danes.
 
There have been countless fictional Claires as well, including ideal mom Clair Huxtable, Molly Ringwald's character in The Breakfast Club, Clare Kendry in Nella Larsen's novel Passing, and characters in House of Cards, Lost, Six Feet Under, Modern Family, and the Outlander series.

Claire

Clara is a strong, lovely girls' name that's always ranked among the US Top 1000 girl names but has been climbing since the turn of this century. It now ranks right around Number 100, making it a modern classic that's neither too popular nor unfamiliar.
 
Long relegated to an Olde World backwater, the European-flavored Clara was long less fashionable than sleeker sister Claire. Now, though the vintage chic Clara is still less popular, it's arguably the more stylish of the two names. 
 Clara was a Top 10 name in the 1880's, at one time associated with the silent screen 'It Girl,' Clara Bow, and before that with German musician and composer Clara Schumann and Red Cross founder Clara Barton, who was born Clarissa.
 Clara is beloved for her leading role in The Nutcracker ballet and as Heidi's invalid friend. Actor Ewan McGregor was an early celebrity adopter of the name for one of his daughters.
 Other Clara variations you might want to consider include Clarissa and Clarina, though Clarabelle seems still fit mainly for cows.

Clara

An attractive and unusual name that may be a variation of Cleo, Clea was possibly invented by Lawrence Durrell for a character in his Alexandria Quartet.
 Actress Clea DuVall is one noted bearer of the name, another is Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward's youngest daughter, who was named Claire Olivia, but always called Clea.

Clea

Midcentury Irish-American favorite, never used in Ireland itself, being the generic word for "girl"; rarely given today. 

Colleen

Constance is one of the more subtle of the virtue <a href="https://nameberry.com">baby names</a>, but still has quite a prim and proper image. One impediment to its revival has been the decidedly dated nickname Connie, though modern parents might well opt for using the strong and dignified name in full.
 One of William the Conqueror's daughters was named Constance, and in Shakespeare's King John, Constance is the devoted mother of King Arthur. Constance was widely used in the seventeenth century by Puritans: Constance Hopkins was a young passenger on the Mayflower.
 The fictional Constance Billard School appears in TV's Gossip Girl, and Constance was the first name of the decidedly non-prim and proper Lady Chatterley.
 Oscar Wilde's wife was Constance, and Mozart's spouse was the German form Constanze, nicknamed Stanzi.
 Though Constance has been neglected here for a number of years, it's still ranks at Number 120 in France.
 Trivia tidbit: Constance was the birth name of 1940's peekaboo-hairdo star Veronica Lake and also, not surprisingly, Connie Britton.

Constance

Cora is a lovely, old-fashioned girls' that has been recently rejuvenated by its contemporary-feeling simplicity. In fact, Cora seemed headed straight for the top of the popularity list when the coronavirus pandemic somewhat weakened its appeal.
 
Though she has never been completely out of favor, Cora has had her ups and downs. A Top 20 name in the 1880's, she had sunk to Number 876 in 1988 before reversing course yet again. A more recent inspiration is the appealing American-born Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham on Downton Abbey. 
 
In classical mythology, Cora—or Kore—was a euphemistic name of Persephone, goddess of fertility and the underworld. Kore was the name used when referencing her identity as the goddess of Spring, while Persephone referred to her role as queen of the Underworld. 
 
Cora gained popularity as a given name after James Fenimore Cooper used it as the name of his heroine, Cora Munro, in his 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans. 
 
While a complete name unto itself, some parents who love Cora may want to use it as a short form for such names as Cordelia or Coraline. Cora's fashionable sisters include Clara, Nora, Corinne, Corinna and Coralie.

Cora

Coraline may not be original to Neil Gaiman's wonderful book of the same name, but it might as well be. Gaiman's young heroine Coraline Jones is constantly called Caroline but as a name Coraline is more distinctive and has a more mysterious feel. The 2002 novel Coraline was made into a 2009 animated film voiced by Dakota Fanning and nominated for an Academy Award. The number of baby girls named Caroline increased by a factor of 100 between 2007 and 2017 -- going from 5 to over 500 in a decade.

Coraline

Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both style and substance along with its Shakespearean pedigree.
 <br/
Cordelia is a Nameberry favorite—Number 106 on the site—and it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 60+ year absence. By 2016 it sank below that line again, must to the relief of many Cordelia fans who feared the name would get too popular.
 
If you're torn between Cordelia and the equally lovely Cora, you can always choose Cordelia for long and then call her Cora for short—or Delia, Lia, Del, or even the extremely different Cordie.
 Cordelia also appeared in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye, as detective Cordelia Gray in P.D. James's mystery novels, and was promoted by a character on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.
 And then there's that quote from the heroine of Anne of Green Gables: "I would love to be called Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant name."

Cordelia

Corena

A spelling variant of Corinne, which ranked a little behind its sister spelling until the 1990s when it fell out of favor. 

Corrine

Cristina is one case where the streamlined version feels more alluring. 

Cristina

Daenerys is yet another girls' name invented by "Game of Thrones" author George R. R. Martin that is beginning to gain some traction in real life. Daenerys was used for 67 baby girls in 2013 while one of the character's titles, Khaleesi, was given to 241 baby girls. And the name Arya, also from the hyper-popular series, is one of the fastest growing <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' names</a> in the country.

Daenerys

Daisy, fresh, wholesome, and energetic, is one of the flower names that burst back into bloom after a century's hibernation. Originally a nickname for Margaret (the French Marguerite is the word for the flower), Daisy comes from the phrase "day's eye," because it opens its petals at daybreak.

 Daisy has a colorful literary and pop culture history – as the innocent Daisy Miller in the Henry James novella, as Daisy Buchanan, the hero's object of desire in The Great Gatsby, and as many movie and TV characters, including in L'il Abner and The Dukes of Hazzard, as the older Daisy in Driving Miss..., as well as Julia Roberts's character in her breakthrough movie, Mystic Pizza.

 Meg Ryan has a daughter named Daisy True, chef Jamie Oliver has Daisy Boo, and Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom recently named their daughter Daisy Dove.

Daisy

Similar in sound to the flower name Dahlia, this gentle but distinctive name, heard in many cultures, hits that Golden Mean between too popular and too unusual. In Lithuanian mythology, Dalia is a goddess of weaving and of fate.

Dalia

While Danica may sound similar to Dana, Danielle, and Daniela, Danica is not a variation. Danica, a delicate and unique Slavic name meaning "Morning Star," is synonymous with Venus in many countries. Though it's slipped down the charts a bit since its peak in 2007, we think Danica deserves even more attention given that it is at once feminine without being frilly, and easy to spell without being too common.
 Danica has two noted namesakes: Danica McKellar, who played Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years, and Danica Patrick, the first woman to win an Indy car race. It has appeared in the United States Top 1000 since 1977, picking up speed and peaking at Number 307 in 2007.

Danica

In Greek mythology, Daphne was the nymph daughter of Peneus, a river god. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollo’s romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. It is from this myth that the plant genus daphne, which contains the laurel species, gets its name.
 
Daphne's origins may be Greek, but it's seen by Americans as quintessentially British—as in the Daphne Moon character on Frasier and the heroine of the romantic drama Bridgerton. The shrub inspired the popularity of the name in England, where it became part of the British vogue for plant names at the end of the nineteenth century. 

Though we don't see it becoming a Top 100 name in the US, Daphne is obviously finding more widespread acceptance—and for a distinctive, deeply-rooted, attractive girls' name, that's a positive thing. In fact, Daphne has been in the US Top 1000 for every year but two -- 1913 and 1938. And it's now at its highest point ever in the US and is also one of the most popular girls' names on Nameberry.
 Its most famous bearer is Daphne du Maurier, author of such suspense novels as Rebecca. Fictional Daphnes have appeared in Some Like It Hot (Jack Lemmon as a woman), The Jewel in the Crown, Scooby-Doo, Harry Potter, and Heroes.

Daphne

Delaina

Hannah-Banana's list "Operation: Baby 2020 (Girl)" of 365 great name ideas: Adalyn - Zoey!