Agnes is the Latin variation of the name Hagne, which itself derived from the Greek word hagnos, meaning "chaste." In medieval times, St. Agnes was a very popular saint, leading to its popularity as a girl's name. Agnes Grey is the title of one of the two novels written by Anne Brontë.
 
Agnes, though it was the third most common English girls' name for four hundred years, has long been stuck in the attic. But now it looks like Agnes was so far out it's just about ready to come back in. It did look cute on a little girl in Despicable Me, and nickname Aggie has lots of retro appeal. 
 Agnes has also been making inroads in the celebrisphere—first actress Elisabeth Shue chose Agnes for her third child, and more recently Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany named their daughter Agnes Lark. 
 The French pronunciation—ahn-YEZ—could make it more attractive, but few Americans would comply. Other interesting variations: the Welsh Nesta, the Latin/Scandinavian Agneta, the Spanish Inez/Ines/Ynez, and the Scottish Senga—which happens to be Agnes spelled backwards.

Agnes

Anais is an unusual, alluring name forever attached to the daring French-born American novelist and diarist Anais Nin (born Angela, with Anais as one of her middle names), who became the inspiration for the naming of the daughter of musician Noel Gallagher. Anais is also the name of a popular perfume.
 Anais can be found as a character in Balzac's "Lost Illusions", and in Colette's 'Claudine' books.
 Anais would make a creative and distinctive <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/673/middle-names">middle name</a>.

Anais

Aoife, pronounced EE-fa, is derived from the Irish word aoibh, meaning "beauty." Aoife was borne by several different heroines of ancient Irish legend. In one tale, she was the fiercest woman warrior in the world and enemy of her twin sister, Scathach.
 
Aoife is very popular in Ireland, and is catching on across the UK as well. Aoife is sometimes Anglicized as Eva, but the names are from independent origins. Eva shares roots with Eabha and Aoibhe, both also currently popular in Ireland.

Aoife

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

A short, breezy name with a sophisticated yet upbeat image, that doesn't betray its Irish roots.
Bree first came to notice here in 1971 via the complex prostitute character in the movie Klute, which earned Jane Fonda an Oscar. More recently, it was tied to the character of Bree Van de Kamp on Desperate Housewives.
 Other recent references include Stephenie Meyer's novella The Short Second Life of Bree Turner in the Twilight series. And in the popular Fancy Nancy children's book series, Bree is Nancy's bff.
 The Bree spelling is much preferable to the cheese-related Brie.

Bree

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

Caroline is a perennial classic, one of the elite group of girls' names that's ALWAYS ranked among the Top 1000 and that's been in the Top 100 since 1994. Elegant yet strong, Caroline calls to mind the Kennedy Camelot years and Princess Caroline of Monaco.
 Caroline went to England in 1705 with King George II's wife, the German Queen Caroline of Ansbach, and then George IV married another German Caroline in 1795. 
 
In the US, Caroline has been a First Lady name via President Benjamin Harrison and was the name of one of the famous First Daughters, Caroline Kennedy. 
 
Jane Austen named one of her less pleasant characters in Pride and Prejudice Caroline, and the name was also borne by Lady Caroline Lamb, the mistress of the poet Lord Byron, as well as the mother of the Little House on the Prairie brood.
 The song "Sweet Caroline" was a huge soft-rock hit for Neil Diamond in 1969, inspired by then-eleven-year-old Caroline Kennedy (for whom he sang it at her fiftieth birthday party).
 Carolina is the more feminine (and place name) version, as opposed to the newer form Carolyn, which forces the pronunciation of the final syllable to rhyme with win and spin. Though Caroline can be pronounced that way, it's more usually pronounced to rhyme with wine and fine.

Caroline

The name of the tragic mythological Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but was condemned never to be believed, Cassandra has been used for striking characters in movies and soap operas. Ethereal and delicate, Cassandra was in the Top 70 throughout the 1990s but is now descending in popularity. 
 
Cassandra was the name of Jane Austen's mother, sister, and two cousins. Cassandra Wilkins is a character in John Dos Passon's novel Manhattan Transfer, but in the 2007 Woody Allen thriller, Cassandra's Dream, Cassandra was not the name of a person, but a sailboat. Currently, Cassandra Wilson is a noted jazz singer; Charlie Sheen has a daughter Cassandra born in the eighties.
 
Nicknames include Cass, Cassa, Cassie, Sandra, Sandy.

Cassandra

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

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

Claudia is a classic name with ancient Roman roots. Never truly in or truly out, Claudia feels like a strong, modern choice that hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual..
 Claudia was a common <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> in ancient Rome, borne by the wives of both Nero and Pontius Pilate. The name is mentioned in the New Testament in one of St. Paul's letters to Timothy as one of the Christian women in Rome. As a result, it was taken up in the sixteenth century and has been in moderate use ever since.

 There was a popular mid-century series of novels by Rose Franken, beginning with Claudia: The Story of a Marriage. The name was also used by Agatha Christie and Penelope Lively, as well as being a main character in Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire. Model Claudia Schiffer gave it an infusion of glamour, as had earlier Italian actress Claudia Cardinale. Michelle Pfeiffer has a daughter named Claudia.

 While some parents may be put off by the common "lame" meaning, some etymologists theorize that the name may relate to the word for enclosure or clause, an alternate meaning that may appeal to a child with a form of this otherwise appealing name.

Claudia

Cleo, one of the few girls' names to boast the cool-yet-lively o ending, is of course short for Cleopatra, the name of one of the most powerful women in history.
 Cleo was most popular in the early decades of the twentieth century--when it was also used for boys. The opening of the Egyptian tombs along with the 1917 silent film starring Theda Bara popularized a range of now-obscure Cleopatra diminutives, including Cleora, and Cleola. 
 A distinguished bearer is the British jazz singer Cleo Laine, and there have been Cleos on two TV dramas: ER and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Maybe the fact that Cleo was recently chosen by Friends' David Schwimmer will ignite a welcome revival.
 Sound-alike Clio is the name of the ancient Greek mythological muse of history and heroic poetry, one that is rich with modern charm and would also make an intriguing choice,

Cleo

Cosima, the kind of elegant and unusual name the British upper classes love to use for their daughters, is given to a handful of baby girls in the US after being chosen by two high-profile celebs in the same month; cool couple Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars as well as supermodel Claudia Schiffer. It was used earlier by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, while the male form, Cosimo, was given to the son of Marissa Ribisi and Beck.
 
The most famous Cosima in history had strong musical ties — Cosima Wagner was the daughter of composer Franz Liszt and the wife of composer Richard Wagner. Cosima is well used in Germany, Italy and Greece, but in the US, it was given to only ten baby girls in 2021, the same number who got the name in 2010.
 
A note on pronunciation: in Germany, Italy, and Spain, they say KO-zee-ma, like cozy ma. In the UK, they rhyme the first syllable with boss. In the US, you can do whatever you want.

Cosima

An intriguing mythological name whose one challenge might be pronunciation questions.
 In Greek myth, Danae, a goddess of music and poetry, was the mother of Perseus by Zeus, who appeared to her in the form of a shower of gold. A novel name worth considering.

Danae

Effie is the old-fashioned short form for Euphemia. It shares a vintage charm with Hattie and Letty although is much rarer than either. Effie is a character in The Hunger Games and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Effie

Ella is a sweet, simple name that owes much of its current popularity to the popularity of other names, from Emma to Bella to Emily to Ellie.

Ella is one of those names that just misses ranking among the US Top 1000 for its entire history, falling off the list for a handful of years in the 1980s before shooting straight back toward the top. Like many names from Liam to Finn to Emma that's easy to spell and pronounce, Ella is an international favorite, making the Top 100 throughout the Anglophone world as well as in a range of French and German-speaking, Scandinavian, and Eastern European countries. 

Which makes sense for a name with parallel derivations in several different languages and cultures. Ella is the Norman variation of the Germanic Alia—itself a nickname for names containing the element ali. In English speaking countries and Scandinavia, Ella developed as a diminutive for names beginning with El-, such as Eleanor and Elizabeth. Ella is also a Hebrew name, referring to a tree in the pistachio family or in modern Hebrew, "goddess."

Ella can also be a short form of names that begin with El, such as Eleanor and Elizabeth, as well as those that end with -ella, from Gabriella to Luella to Rafaella. And it can be one of the many routes to the super-popular nickname Ellie.

Ella has long been a favorite celebrity baby name, chosen by several stars for their now-mostly-grown daughters by John Travolta, Warren Beatty, Ben Stiller, Eric Clapton, Jeff Gordon, Ioan Gruffudd, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Wahlberg.
 
Iconic singer Ella Fitzgerald adds a jazzy edge. And Ella Enchanted gave the name some princess-y pop.

Ella

Eloisa captures a lovely name back from the spoiled little girl at the Plaza.  Historical romance writer Eloisa James has helped make this antique name sound fresh and sassy again.

Eloisa

Well balanced between sleek, sweet, strong, and vintage, newly chic Eloise re-entered the US Top 1000 in 2009, following a 50 year absence. In 2022, it broke into the Top 100 in the US and across the pond in the UK. Given to nearly 3000 babies each year, Eloise is showing no sign of stepping out of the spotlight. 
 
Eloise comes from the Old French name, Héloïse, which means "healthy" and "wide." The name was first used by Héloïse, a 12th century scholar, philosopher and Catholic Abbess whose work inspired a many French and English writers.
 There is contention over whether her name is a feminized variant of Eloi, meaning "to choose" or a French form of the Old German Helewidis meaning "healthy" and "wood" or "wise".
 
Eloise has also been linked to the name Louise, but despite their similarities, there is no evidence either derived from the other. But don't let that stop you from using Eloise as an updated honor for a family Louisa!
 
However it originally came to be, the name was revived in the 19th century as Eloise, making the pronunciation more obvious to English speakers and the spelling more in line with the familiar Eleanor and Eliza. 
 
To some, Eloise will forever be the imperious little girl making mischief at the Plaza Hotel, while others might think of the rebellious Eloise from the TV series Bridgerton - a popular show which first aired in 2020, and likely influenced the rise of Eloise. 
 With that popular El- beginning and the potential nicknames Ellie, Lolly, Lola, Elsie, and Lolo, it is no wonder Eloise is climbing the charts.

Eloise

Esmeralda came into use as an applied use of the Spanish word for emerald, esmeralda. In the 1831 Victor Hugo novel Notre-Dame de Paris, also known as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, the heroine was born Agnes, but called La Esmeralda in reference to the jewel she wears around her neck. The name Esmeralda got increased visibility via the Disney version of the story.
 
This Portuguese and Spanish version of the jewel-like Emerald has long been popular with Hispanic parents. Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling named their first daughter Esmeralda, inspired by the Victor Hugo novel. Read more about Esmeralda and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Esmeralda

Elaheh

A lacy, lucky name very popular in the Hispanic community a decade ago, less so now. 

Felicia

Felicity is as accessible a virtue name as Hope and Faith, but much more feminine -- and dare we say, happier. The hit TV show did a lot to soften and modernize the once buttoned-up image of Felicity, and it got further notice as the red-haired Colonial doll, Felicity Merriman, in the American Girl series. A current bearer is actress Felicity Huffman.
 Two nicknames for Felicity: Flick and Fee. Other forms include Felicia and Felice.

Felicity

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.
 
Also the name of a saint, Flora has long been a favorite in Scotland where it was the name of the young heroine who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie make his way to the Isle of Skye. In Gaelic, her name was Fionnghal nic Dhòmhnaill, but the Anglicized Flora caught on with the Scots, who used it disproportionately compared to the rest of the UK until the 20th century.
 
Flora was a Top 100 name in the 1880s and 1890s but gradually descended until it finally fell off the list in 1972. It is still popular in some European countries, including Hungary and France.

There have been a number of memorable Floras in literature, including the angelic little girl in Henry James's Turn of the Screw, the exasperating but charming Flora Poste in Stella Gibson's Cold Comfort Farm, Flora MacIvor in Walter Scott's Waverly, and one of the three Good Fairies in Disney's Sleeping Beauty.
Flora is the name of the eighth child and fifth daughter of Ballerina Farm Instastar Hannah Neeleman. Neeleman is one of the main inspirations for our Natural Glamour group of names that makes up one of the prime <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/baby-name-trends-2024">baby name trends</a> of the year, a trend that includes Flora.

Flora

The quintessentially elegant and worldly Gabrielle -- designer Coco Chanel's real name -- is on its descent after years on the rise.  

Gabrielle was a hit in the 90s and early 2000s, peaking at number 46 in 1999. Popular nickname options include Gabby, Bri, and Brielle. 

Today Gabriella has taken over as the more popular version and still sits in the Top 100, while Gabrielle is soon to lose its spot in the Top 500. This follows a collective trend of "-a" ending version surpassing the more tailored versions, similar to how Daniela replaced Danielle.

Gabrielle

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

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen undoubtedly gave this name a boost. The French pronunciation (jiz-ELLE) gives it a more graceful, balletic, gazellelike feel. 
 In the 2007 film Enchanted, Giselle is the name of the ingenuous princess, portrayed by Amy Adams, living in the fantasy animated kingdom of Andalasia. Read more about Giselle and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Giselle

Iris has so much going for it. It's a fashionable flower name. It's a mythological name, from the Greek goddess of the rainbow. And it's a classic name, always ranking in the girls' Top 1000 but now at its highest point ever.
 
Iris is directly derived from the Greek word iris, meaning "rainbow." In Greek mythology, rainbow goddess Iris was a messenger for Zeus and Hera who rode the rainbow as a multicolored bridge from heaven to earth. 
 The botanical iris also carries evocative symbols. In ancient times, the Iris was considered a symbol of power and majesty, the three petal segments representing faith, wisdom and valor. This image led to the naming of the colored part of the eye.
In the contemporary world, Iris has amazing international versatility, ranking highly throughout the English-speaking world as well as in a diverse range of countries from Spain to Slovenia, France to Sweden.
 Part of Iris's rise is due to its celebrity power: Jude Law and Sadie Frost, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, and Renee O'Connor all chose Iris for their daughters.
 A notable modern bearer was the prolific British novelist Iris Murdoch. Frequently seen on screen, characters called Iris have been played by Jodie Foster, Jane Fonda and Kate Winslet, and Iris Chase is the narrator in the Margaret Atwood novel The Blind Assassin.

Iris

Isla is a hit name throughout the English-speaking world but hasn't found the same popularity in other western countries, perhaps because its spelling and pronunciation don't make sense for those whose native language is not English. Think island without the final two letters.

Adding to the confusion, the name is a twin of the Spanish word for island, which is pronounced EES-la. Isla is part of a trend for simple, old-fashioned <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> that start and end with a vowel: Ava, Ada, Ella, Emma, Eva, Ida, Ivy. 
 
Red-haired actress Isla Fisher, married to Sacha Baron Cohen, propelled the name to stardom. Isla Black Hitchens is a Harry Potter character; Queen Elizabeth has a great-granddaughter named Isla Elizabeth Phillips. 
Some other similar names that are not as trendy as Isla: Islay and Ailsa.

Isla

Soft and appealing, with a whiff of vanilla. 

Jamila

Kiran

A pretty Persian name with an equally lovely meaning

Laleh

Lolita without the naughty implications. 

Lalita

Malika is an attractive multi-cultural name--it is also a pet form of Amalia in Hungary.
 Malika Haqq is an actress who is one of Khloe Kardashian's BFFs on Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

Malika

Margherita

Mila is a popular name that took a 125 year nap, ranking in the Top 1000 in 1881 and then not ranking again until 2006, after actress Mila Kunis appeared on That 70s Show.
 
Ukrainian-born Kunis was named Milena, and indeed Mila originated as a short form for names such as Ludmila, Milena, and Milica. Mila can be a nickname for any name containing the element mil, meaning "gracious" or "dear." 
 
Mila has ranked in the Top 100 in the US for a decade now, and is firmly established as a modern classic along with popular sister Mia. Mila has also found a good measure of international popularity, ranking highly throughout the English-speaking world and in several Eastern European countries along with Germany, Switzerland, and even Chile.
 
It's also a versatile nickname: former President Bush's daughter Jenna named her daughter Margaret Laura, after the child's two grandmothers, called Mila.

Mila

Nadia, an accessible Slavic favorite, has a strong run of popularity in the US in the early 2000s, partially thanks to the character on Lost called Nadia but actually named Noor, but it's since slumped down the rankings. An earlier inspiration was Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who won the 1976 Olympics. Nadia is actually a short form of Nadezhda, the name of Lenin's wife, though more Westerners will relate it to the familiar Natalya or Natasha.

 Nadia is also a traditional Arabic name, popular in the Muslim community and also spelled Nadiyya or Nadya. It means "moist, tender, delicate" in Arabic.

 Octomom Suleman spells her first name Nadya, as in the Queen Nadya character in Noel Coward's play The Queen was in the Parlour.

Nadia

Part of the vogue for French-sounding names in the 1920s and 30s, Nadine has been replaced by the Russian sound of Nadia and Natasha. 

Nadine

Niamh, derived from the Old Irish Niam, is an ancient Irish name that was originally a term for a goddess. In Irish myth, one who bore it was Niamh of the Golden Hair, daughter of the sea god, who falls in love with Finn's son Oisin and takes him to the Land of Promise, where they stayed for three hundred years. Niamh can be Anglicized as Neve, Nieve, or Neave.

Niamh is particularly popular choice in Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and England and Wales. Niamh Cusack is part of the acting family that also includes Sinead (wife of Jeremy Irons), Sorcha and Padraig. Americans have recently become better acquainted with Niamh via the heroine of Christina Baker Kline's bestselling novel Orphan Train.
Here, the Anglicized Neve would undoubtedly prove simpler, if less intriguing. Actress Neve Campbell pronounces her name (a family name) "NEV", and Neve is the daughter of Conan O'Brien.

Niamh

Another light new twist in the Nicole family. 

Nicolina

Nina is as multiethnic as you can get: Nina is a common nickname name in Spain and Russia, a Babylonian goddess of the oceans, and an Incan goddess of fire. Here and now, it's a stylish possibility that's been underused. "Weird Al" Yankovic chose this decidedly nonweird name for his daughter.
 Nina has been a permanent resident on the Social Security list, mainly in the low hundreds. 
 In literature, Nina Zarechnaia is one of the principle characters in Chekhov's drama The Seagull, as well as appearing in Trollope's Phineas Finn and Evelyn Waugh's Vile Bodies.
 More recent real-life bearers have included jazz singer Nina Simone (born Eunice) and Nina Garcia of Project Runway fame.
 Natalie Portman was awarded an Oscar for her role as ballerina Nina Sayers in the 2010 Black Swan.

Nina

Olivia, a lovely Shakespearean name with an admirable balance of strength and femininity, is the Number 1 name for baby girls in the US and one of the top girls' names around the world. 
 
Olivia ranks among the Top 10 girls' names in several English-speaking countries as well as in Spain, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, and Argentina. And it's a Top 100 name in most countries that keep baby-naming statistics, making it an internationally flexible choice. 
Records of the name Olivia exist from as far back as 13th century England, but the name was popularized after Shakespeare used it for the name of the countess in Twelfth Night. Olivia is based on the Latin word oliva, meaning "olive." In ancient Greece, the olive was a symbol of Athena as well as a token of peace and fertility, and olive wreaths were awarded to the winners at the Olympic games. 
 
Olivia has been a popular celebrity baby name for fifteen years, and has also been a well-used TV character name, such as in Olivia Benson on Law & Order SVU and the recent powerful lead Olivia Pope on Scandal.
 
Golden Age star Olivia de Havilland was influential in bringing the name to U.S. attention, followed by Olivia Newton-John, and now we have Olivias Wilde, Munn, Rodrigo, Colman and Williams.
 If you love <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular names</a>, Olivia might be the perfect choice for you, but parents in search of a distinctive name will have to keep looking. Some related alternatives: Olive, Livia, Liv.

Olivia

Rosalie hit its apex in 1938 and then slid straight downhill until it fell off the U.S. Top 1000 completely in the 1980s, only to spring back to life in 2009 as the name of a character in the Twilight series. The beautiful vampire Rosalie Hale has breathed fresh life back into this mid-century name, and the fact that the character is both sympathetic and relatively minor means Rosalie has the chance to thrive again as a baby name without feeling unduly tied to Twilight.
 For a long time Rosalie's main claim to fame was via the eponymous 1928 Broadway musical, which became a movie ten years later, both of which included a hit song.
 Rosalie was used as a character name in literature by Anne Bronte and Oscar Wilde. In the mid-twentieth century, Rosalie was the name of the daughter on The Goldbergs. More recently, Rosalie is a character on Grimm.

Rosalie

This lovely, quintessentially British appellation, also spelled Rosamond, is the name of a legendary twelfth-century beauty. Rare on these shores, it is more than worthy of importation.
 There was a time when Rosamund wasn't quite so unusual in the US--she ranked on the Top 1000 from 1881 to 1930, reaching 574 in 1912. Today, fewer than 20 baby girls were given the name in the US, and fewer than five got the alternate version Rosamond.
 Early on, the name was associated with 'fair Rosamond' Clifford, mistress of Henry II, whose story was the basis of the Joseph Addison opera Rosamund and the Swinburne play of the same name. 
 Another, literal, translation of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/lists/category/meanings-of-names">name"s meaning</a> is 'rose of the world.'
 A current bearer is actress and one-time Bond girl Rosamund Pike--who has a son named Solo.

Rosamund

Simple and pretty and user-friendly, the Welsh Sian was used by U2's Dave "the Edge" Evans for his daughter. In Welsh, it is also spelled Siân.

Sian

Simcha

Siofra

THEA

Theodora is one of the most revival-worthy of the charmingly old-fashioned Victorian valentine names, softly evocative but still substantial, as is the reversed-syllable Dorothea. 
 
The name Theodora was borne by several saints and by the beautiful ninth wife of the Emperor Justinian, who became the power behind his throne. A later royal was Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, the older sister of the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 

 Keith Richards named his daughter Theodora (with whom he recently collaborated on a best-selling children's book) in 1985; Robbie Williams did the same just last year. In TV's Grey's Anatomy Dr. Theodora "Teddy" Altman was a surgeon.

 Theodora offers a menu of neat nicknames, from the classic Teddy to trendy Thea to the vintage Dora. Theodora also has some cool international variations as well: Theodosia, Feodora and Teodora. It reentered the US Top 1000 in 2019 for the first time in over 60 years and seems destined to follow brother name Theodore toward the top of the list.

Theodora

In an epic poem, the personification of truth, beauty, and unity; this ancient name is popular in several European countries but less common in the US. The Oona spelling is slightly more popular but Una sleeker.

This name, whose sweet and fragrant floral essence has always been widespread across the Near Eastern world, has now landed on US popularity lists in a variety of spellings. It's been dropping precipitously over the past few years, though, perhaps due to a combination of tensions in the Middle East and the fading fashion status of Jasmine itself. 

Yasmin

Peaking in the 1950s, Yvonne has now dropped out of the Top 1000 in 2003 and doesn't look set to return soon, although its rare Y initial might endear it to some. Yvaine, from Neil Gaiman's Stardust, has more modern appeal.

Yvonne

Zainab—the name of a flowering tree and of a granddaughter, daughter, and two wives of the Prophet Muhammed—was a newcomer to the US Top 1000 in 2013. While simplified variations Zaina or Zayna are more Western-friendly, neither makes the US list.

Zainab

Readers who remember J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey have probably forgotten that the character was male (nee Zachary). Nowadays the somewhat loopy spin on Zoe is associated with actress Zooey Deschanel.

Zooey

thebiscuitqueen's list "Project Moth - Female" of 53 great name ideas: Agnes - Zooey!

Project Moth - Female

All the names for the leading and non-leading ladies I've created and thought about creating over the years. Preferred spellings of names are underneath, along with any nicknames and meanings that are missing from the NameBerry database.