Favorite Girl Names

An over-elaborate Italian name associated with fashion designer Simonetta Colonna, a key figure in the emergence of Italian haute couture. Stop at SIMONE or SIMONA.

An attractive French word name known here via former child TV star Soleil Moon Frye, aka Punky Brewster. It started to be lightly used in the U.S. in the 1920s and is now attracting some attention as both a sunny nature and an international word name. It's currently in the Nameberry Top 500.

A name some people first encountered in the old children's book series The Five Little Peppers, in which Sophronia, the youngest of the Peppers is nicknamed Phronsie.`It was also used by Dickens in two of his novels: The Old Curiosity Shop and Our Mutual Friend.

Stella is a name with star quality and sparkle, that manages to sound both ethereal and earthy. Celestial but not otherworldly, it lands somewhere between the popular Ella and bold Seraphina.

Susannah is by far the most stylish form of the classic name now that Susan and Suzanne have retired. Susannah has biblical and musical pedigrees, is impervious to trends, and has an irresistible, flowing rhythm. It can be spelled just as properly with or without the final 'h.'

The lovely Sybella is being nudged into the spotlight by two influences: the original Sybil (the most popular spelling) or Sibyl, name of the beauteous youngest sister of television's period megahit Downton Abbey, and Top Ten name Isabella. Biggest downside: There are an awful lot of girls with names that are variations of Bella around these days. But Sybella at least makes a distinctive member of the genre.

Talullah or Talulla, the old Irish name of two early saints, is almost identical to the Native-American Tallulah. A modern hipster favorite, however it's spelled.

Although Tamerlaine, especially with the addition of an i, feels more feminine than masculine these days and is occasionally used for girls, the original Tamerlane was a fierce Mongol warrior.

Y-ending color adjectives like Tawny and Rusty are nowhere near as stylish as the more sophisticated Lilacs and Violets.

Although Thaddeus has long been used in this country, Thaddea is almost unknown and, with its air of mystery, could make a distinctive choice.

This feminine form of Theodosius has long been buried deep in the attic, but might be a good discovery for the parent who wants to move beyond Theodora. Vice President Aaron Burr named a daughter Theodosia ("Dear Theodosia" is a song in the smash musical Hamilton), and it was the birth name of silent screen vamp Theda Bara. Theodosia actually appeared on the US popularity lists in the 1880s and 90s.

This female form of Tristan was featured on the reality-television show The Bachelorette, and has been rocketing up the charts as a new millennium Trisha.

Tulia, rhyming with Julia, is one of several offshoots of the noble Roman family name Tullius, best known as the middle name of the philospher Cicero. Another option is Tullia with a short u. This whole clan of names is relatively unknown but may be rediscovered thanks to the fashion for ancient Roman names.

Biblical wife of Moses whose name has many variations, with and without the initial T and final h, with one p or two. However you spell it, it's an original choice that also carries teasing potential; those zipper jokes will get old fast, though Zippy is a cute nickname.

This name of the major Maltese city takes on an air of attractiveness via model Amber Valletta, making it an appealing alternative to the overexposed Valerie and Vanessa.

This name of an architecturally glorious Italian city makes a romantic and evocative possibility.

Vienna is one of the more popular of the European place-names, with a particularly pleasant sound, evoking elegant images of the Blue Danube, of castles and cafes, sweets and sausages and Strauss waltzes—and Sigmund Freud. It could be a possible substitute for the popular Sienna.

Vincenza would be a more user-friendly form in this country.

This name of a famous Parisian fashion designer known for her sophisticated 1920s and 30s style could translate into a pretty American baby name.