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

Alice is a classic literary name that's both strong and sweet, ranking in the US Top 100 and popular throughout the western world. Alice is derived from the Old French name Aalis, a diminutive of Adelais that itself came from the Germanic name Adalhaidis, which is composed of the Proto-Germanic elements aþala, meaning "noble," and haidu, "kind, appearance, type." 
 Alice is quite distinct among traditional <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a>—more feminine and dainty than Mary and Helen, more substantive than Ann or Jane, yet with more lightness and innocent charm than Margaret or Katharine. 
 
Alice has been riding a fresh wave of popularity, not only in the US and other English-speaking countries but in places as diverse as Italy, France, Brazil, and Sweden. That makes Alice a remarkably international choice.
 Alice is a darling of literature, from the immortal heroine in Alice in Wonderland to an unusual number of fine modern writers like Alices Munro, Walker, Sebold, Hoffman, McDermott, Adams, and Elliott Dark. In other fields, there were First Daughter Alice Roosevelt, painter Alice Neel, food innovator Alice Waters, and literary figure Alice B. Toklas, to name a few.
 As a British royal, Alice was Queen Victoria's second daughter, the princess who shocked her Victorian mother by breastfeeding her baby. More recently, Tina Fey helped popularize the name when she chose it for her daughter.

Alice

Once a Top 100 name, this Spanish diminutive of Ana still retains some of her Latin flair. A notable namesake is noted attorney Anita Hill, another is the great jazz singer Anita O'Day. Plus there's Disney cred via the lead human character in 101 Dalmatians.

Anita

Annette is a French diminutive of Ann which was among the first wave of widely-used girls' names from France, now neglected for so long that it's almost starting to feel stylish again.

Annette

Annie is one of the most open and optimistic, the-sun'll-come-out-tomorrow type of name, having been celebrated over the years in song (Annie Laurie), comic strip (Little Orphan Annie), folklore (Annie Oakley, born Phoebe), and film (Annie Hall). It strikes a nice old-fashioned-but-jaunty chord that still has appeal, but we do suggest that you consider putting a more formal version on her birth certificate.
 Still well used, Annie was a Top 20 name from the 1880s to 1907.

Annie

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

This Elizabeth nickname has a decidedly retro feel--think Betsy Ross and the Betsy Wetsy doll-- once seen as a perkier, younger-sounding alternative to Betty. But with Betty on the brink of a comeback, pigtailed Betsy could return as well.
 Betsy's height of popularity was from the forties to the sixties, when she was likely to be the radio, film or TV teenaged daughter.
Betsy, spelled Betsey, was a Dickens favorite, appearing in both David Copperfield (in which Aunt Betsey had wanted David to be named after her had he been a girl) and The Pickwick Papers.

Betsy

In the USA, Blair is gaining momentum, rising quickly for the last 10 years and likely to continue to climb. In England and Wales, where Blair has political connotations – calling to mind former prime minister Tony Blair – it is much less common, although it is in use for boys in its native Scotland.

 Blair has a chic and tailored feel in line with other trending gender-neutral one-syllable girl names like Sloane, Quinn, Sage, and Reese. A notable pop culture namesake in recent years is Leighton Meester's upper-crusty character in Gossip Girls.

 Blair was first popularized as a girl's name in the 80s, cracking the Top 500 for a few years before falling off again. Blair re-entered the charts in 2011 and has been rising since. Blair has a longer history as a boy's name, with consistent use as early as the 1800s, and the name stayed on the charts until the mid 90s.

Blair

Carmen has long been associated with the sensuous, tragic heroine of Bizet's opera, based on a novel by Prosper Merimee; more recently it has called to mind two other bombshells: Carmen Miranda (born Maria) and Carmen Electra (born Tara), as well as the great jazz singer Carmen McRae. In the celebrity baby name world, this classic <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/495/spanish-names-for-girls">Spanish name for girls</a> was used by Hilaria and Alec Baldwin for their daughter.
 She has plenty of childhood references as well: Carmen Elizabeth Juanita Echo Sky Brava Cortez is a character from the Spy Kids trilogy, Carmen Lowell appears in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, Carmen de la Pica Morales was a character on The L Word, and Carmen Sandiego is the clever anti-hero in the Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? computer-game franchise—she was named for Carmen Miranda and the city of San Diego.
 In the Latin community, Carmen is also used as a <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">boys’ name</a>.

Carmen

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

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

Cecily is as dainty as a lace handkerchief. Cecily has a wide assortment of namesakes. One Cecily was the mother of King Richard III, whose beauty gained her the title "the Rose of Raby," Cecily Parsley is a Beatrix Potter bunny, Cecily Cardew is a character in The Importance of Being Earnest, and the author of the Gossip Girl books is Cecily von Ziegesar.
 Sisters of Cecily that may also interest you: Cecilia, Cicely, and Celestia. Variant Cicely has a distinguished bearer in actress Cicely Tyson and was used by Sandra Bernhard for her now grown daughter..

Cecily

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

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

Colleen

Coralie is a French name not often heard here, though she's gaining some recognition via Neil Gaiman's similar sounding spooky and lovely children's book, Coraline. Other literary appearances: Coralie is the stage name of an actress in Balzac's Lost Illusions, and a French girl in an 1850 Thackeray novel.
Coralie is currently very popular in French-speaking Quebec, and there is a contemporary French singer named Coralie Clement.

Coralie

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

Famous as the name of the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Coretta

Corinne is one of the names that, it might surprise you to learn, has never been off the US popularity charts. Its most popular year was 1926, when it ranked Number 249. Corinna is another pretty ancient form of the name, technically a diminutive.

Corinne

Edie is part of the Evie-Ellie et al family of cute and friendly short forms that sometimes stand on its own. Briefly popular in the 1960s, it could well be due for rediscovery. It's already a fashionable choice in the UK, where it has ranked just outside the Top 100 for several years.

 Several Ediths have chosen to be known by this pet form, including socialite and Andy Warhol superstar Edie Sedgwick, actress Edie Falco, singer Edie Brickell and the Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy relatives called Big and Little Edie in the iconic documentary Grey Gardens. Edie Britt was the character portrayed by Nicolette Sheridan in Desperate Housewives.

 British actress Samantha Morton chose Edie for her daughter as did Keira Knightley in 2015. We think Edie is going to continue to rise in the coming years.

Edie

This old Scottish form of Helen has had quite a history, going from appearing as one of the shining heroines of the Arthurian legends, the princess who fell in love with Sir Lancelot and became the mother of Sir Galahad, referred to as 'Elaine the fair' and 'Elaine the lovable', to being the name of the most famous of New York's celebrity restaurants, to being the archetypal New York neurotic on Seinfeld.
 Elaine is a homophone for French Helene, just one of many names that a was imported to Scotland during the centuries that Scotland and France had a mutual enemy in England.
 Elaine entered the Top 100 in the early 1920s, and remained there for close to forty years, peaking at Number 42. Now, after a long slump, we see signs of a possible rise along with all the other El-names. For parents looking for a more unusual name, try Yvaine.

Elaine

Combine the charming heroine of the movie Legally Blonde with supermodel Elle Macpherson and the trend toward all names beginning with "el"—Ellie, Ella, Eleanor—and you have one hit name.
 Elle Driver is the Darryl Hannah character in Kill Bill, Elle Bishop was Kristen Bell's in Heroes, and Elle Fanning (born Mary, sister of Dakota) is a rising young actress.

Elle

Ellis, a surname used sparingly as a first in the Wallace/Morris period, sounds new now for girls, as a gender-neutral alternative to Ella or Alice. It debuted in the US Top 1000 for girls in 2015.-- Ellis has always been in the Top 1000 for boys -- and seems to be headed straight up. One of the most popular gender-neutral names, currently there are two baby boys named Ellis for every girl. Ellis Bell was the name chosen by Emily Bronte as her male pseudonym, and Ellis Grey was the mother of Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy.

Ellis

Esmé comes from the past participle of the Old French verb esmer, meaing "to esteem" or "to love." It can also be considered a derivative of the Spanish name Esmeralda, which means "emerald". 

 Esmé began life as a masculine name, as in its original bearer, Esmé Stewart,1st Duke of Lennox, and Esmée, with the same pronunciation, was the feminine form. Today both spellings are used as feminine given names, along with Anglicizations including Esmay and Esmae.

 
Esmé is a sweet, sophisticated and charming literary name, from J. D. Salinger's classic 1950 story For Esmé, With Love and Squalor. Esme is also one of the most stylish <a href="/list/434/Baby-Names-That-Mean-Love">baby names that mean love.</a>

 A current favorite among celebs, including Samantha Morton, Michael J. Fox and Katey Sagal, Esme got a lot of publicity via the character Esme Cullen, the vampire matriarch of the Olympic Coven in the Twilight Saga. Esme has long been more popular across the pond in the UK, where it currently makes the Top 50 baby girl names.

 The final accent indicates the pronunciation of ez-may, though in English you can just spell it Esme. Whatever the spelling, Esme is one of the fastest-rising <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/e">girl names starting with E</a>.

Esme

Esther was derived from the Old Persian word stāra, meaning "star." In the Old Testament, Esther, originally named Hadassah, was the captured Jewish wife of the King of Persia who risked her life to save her exiled people from annihilation. This story is celebrated by Jews on the holiday of Purim, so that it has traditionally been given to girls around that time.
 
One of the major female figures in the Bible, quiet, studious Esther was in the Top 50 a hundred years ago and stayed in the Top 100 until 1935. It is now on the ascent again, appealing to parents—Ewan McGregor is one—seeking an underused biblical name with a strong history and serious image.
 Judy Garland played two memorable Esthers--in Meet Me in St. Louis and A Star is Born; Esther Summerson is a main character in Dickens' Bleak House and Esther Greenwood is the autobiographical character's name in Sylvia Plath's A Bell Jar. Someone who glamorized the name is champion swimmer-turned-movie-star Esther Williams.
 Madonna adopted Esther as her Kaballah name.

Esther

Thanks to the surprise hit revival of Etta James' song At Last and because of recent interest in vintage style nicknames, Etta has established herself as a possible successor to Emma and Ella. Back in the US Top 1000 as of 2023 and rising rapidly up the UK charts, where it sits in the Top 200, Etta is a snappy, smart and sparky choice.

Once a short form of Henrietta, Etta has long been used on its own, and like Nora it feels perfectly substantial as a standalone. It could however also be a nickname for Loretta, Annetta, Violet, Juliet - or, for the brave, Jamesetta, which was Etta James' real first name.
 
Once a Top 100 name in the last decades of the 19th century, it slid down the US popularity charts, as nickname-y choices were ditched in favor of putting a full name on the birth certificate. It has made appearances on the US charts since 2017, and with its vintage vibes and sharp-but-sweet sounds, it may well be here to stay this time. 
 
The name was recently been picked by a celeb, Carson Daly, who is said to have been inspired by soul singer Etta James. Meanwhile, Henrietta "Etta" Bishop was a character on the TV show Fringe and might have shone a new light on the name.
 
Given to nearly 300 girls in 2023, Etta joins Ruthie and Winifred as vintage-revival names to re-enter the US charts.

Etta

Does Fay really need that e at the end? We vote no, but modern parents disagree: The Faye spelling was used for nearly 300 girls in 2014, vaulting the name back onto the Top 1000 after a 35-year absence, nearly ten times as many babies as received the Fay spelling.
Some people may feel spelling it Faye makes the name more balanced and complete, as Anne of Green Gables famously said about her name. The original Fay, Morgan le Fay, was a sorceress of the Arthurian Legends. Faye may also be used as a short form of Faith.

Faye

Ferne

Gia is a cute if slight name that calls to mind stylish sisters Mia, Lea, Pia, Tia, and Nia. One of the most familiar <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/166/italian-names">Italian baby names</a> in the US, Gia is a short form of Gianna, which in turn is a diminutive of Giovanna, the feminine form of Giovanni, the Italian equivalent of John—all of them meaning "God's gracious gift."
 Gia first made a strong impression via Gia Carangi, the ill-fated supermodel whose biopic provided Angelina Jolie's breakout role in 1998. It entered the Top 1000 in 2000, and rose as high as Number 299 in 2011 before slumping down.
 Gia was chosen by Matt Damon and by Mario Lopez for their daughters and also gained recent fame as the name of the oldest daughter of Real New Jersey Housewife Teresa Giudice.

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

Greta is an Old World name long tied to the iconic Garbo, but now synonymous with environmental activism.
 In the early 2000s, Greta was showing signs of a comeback, along with other Old Hollywood glamour names. It was even chosen by David Caruso and by Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline for their daughters. Then in 2018, Swedish teen Greta Thunberg became very famous, very fast, for her anti-climate-change protests. Since then, it seems that the name is too tied to one figure for most parents' tastes... which is a shame.
 Greta is currently popular in Germany, Hungary, and especially Italy. Dr. Greta Guttman was a character on Mad Men, Greta Van Susteren is a familiar face on TV, and Greta Gerwig is an up-and-coming young actress and director.
 Greta returned to the Top 1000 in 1999, and rose as high as the 500s, before swiftly plummeting in Thunberg's early years of public activism. The name's highest point ever was at Number 318 in 1932, at the peak of Garbo's career, the year she starred in Grand Hotel and one year after she was Oscar-nominated for Anna Christie. 
 Greta should be a sweet spot name — sophisticated with a touch of retro glamour — and a hero name, and we hope it will regain some of its former glory. On the other hand, variant Gretel is still out strewing crumbs in the forest with brother Hansel.

Greta

Harriet has long been considered a stylish, upscale name in England, but it's still waiting to be revived in the US—though some parents seeking a solid, serious semi-classic are beginning to consider it. 
 Distinguished namesakes include Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of the influential Uncle Tom's Cabin; Harriet Tubman (born Araminta), the famed abolitionist; and in pop culture, Harriet Hilliard Nelson, of Ozzie & Harriet TV fame. Many will associate it with the protagonist of the childhood classic Harriet the Spy. Harriet has appeared in other books ranging from Jane Austen's Emma to Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 
 Harriet, a Top 100 name at the turn of the last century, hasn't appeared on the list since 1970. On the other hand, it is currently Number 61 in England and Wales.
 Cutesy nicknames for Harriet include Hattie, Hetty, and Hatsy. A related idea: Henrietta.

Harriet

Heidi became known—and popular—via the 1880 eponymous children's classic by Swiss writer Johanna Spyri and, despite decades of American Heidis of all sizes, shapes, and personalities, the name seems permanently tethered to that spunky little girl on the Alpine mountaintop in the book and Shirley Temple movie. 
 The movie was released in 1937, and two years later the name popped onto the charts, and would, a few decades later, be a Top 100 name for close to twenty years. The prominence of Heidi Klum on Project Runway has given it a new recent bump.

Heidi

Helen is a name that has connoted beauty since ancient times – Helen of Troy was the the mythological "face that launched a thousand ships," over whom the ten-year Trojan War was fought. 
 

The name Helen has moved in and out of favor over the centuries, often alternating with Ellen. It was a Top 5 name for several decades of the early twentieth century, falling out of the Top 100 in the 50s. Now, after being unfashionable for decades, we see signs of a comeback for Helen—it's the kind of serious, unadorned classic many parents are returning to.
But if Helen still feels too plain for you, you might consider one of its many lovely variants: Helena, Elena, Eleni, Ella, Nellie or Nell, to name just a few.

 In Greek myth, Helen is the daughter of Leda and Zeus, who came to her mother in the form of a swan. Helen also has legions of real-life namesakes, including author and activist Helen Keller, politician Helen Gahaghan Douglas, newspaper reporter Helen Thomas, Cosmo force Helen Gurley Brown, Bridget Jones creator Helen Fielding, artist Helen Frankenthaler, and actresses Hayes, Mirren, and Hunt. Beatrix Potter's birth name was Helen.

Helen

Helena is one of those classic names that just misses making the US Top 1000 girl names for its entire history, falling off for a single year in 1992. Since then it's been drifting lazily up the charts, and makes a perfect choice if you want a name that both fits in and stands out.
An airier and more elegant version of Helen, Helena was a favorite of Shakespeare, who used it in both All's Well That Ends Well and A Midsummer's Night Dream. 

Historically, Helena was the mother of Constantine the Great (and, supposedly, the daughter of Old King Cole), who became a fourth century saint--Evelyn Waugh wrote his only historical novel, Helena, based on her story.
 British star Helena Bonham Carter and Danish model Helena Christensen have done much to keep the name alive, and it is also remembered via beauty mogul Helena Rubinstein. Helena is also the title of a song by the group My Chemical Romance.
 Helena is a recommended <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls' name</a> for those who find the classic version a bit bland.
 HELL-ehn-a is the best modern pronunciation for Helena, but hell-AYN-a or even hell-EEN-a work too.

Helena

The disgraced heroine of The Scarlet Letter's name, after long neglect, just might have a chance at revival, following in the wake of sister-name Esther. We've characterized her elsewhere as an eccentric aristocrat, much more accepted in the U.K. than she has been here.
 Hester's beyond-Hawthorne's literary appearances include as characters in Theodore Dreiser's novel An American Tragedy, in Oscar Wilde's play A Woman of No Importance, in John Irving's novel A Prayer for Owen Meaney, and as Niles and Frasier Crane's mom on Frasier.
 Hetty is Hester's usual nickname, sometimes used independently.

Hester

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

Julia was an ancient Roman imperial name given to females in the house of a Julius, as in Caesar. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthfu"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".
 
An enduring classic, Julia has a lot going for it: ancient roots but a modern, fashionable feel, simplicity and sophistication, and connections to both saints and celebs, including actress Julia Roberts and Saint Julia of Corsica. The elegant Julia's one of the least problematic choices a parent could make. 
 
Julia is also Shakespearean, Dickensian, Orwellian, and Harry Potter-related. The ground-breaking 1960s TV show Julia was the first to feature a non-stereotypical African American woman. Celebrity chef Julia Child is a notable namesake.
 
Julia has been in the US Top 150 since Social Security records have been kept and is currently the only <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/j">girls' name starting with J</a> in the US Top 100. She's even more popular internationally, and is highly popular in the Netherlands in Spain, and in Germany, Belgium, France, Norway, and Sweden.
 
If you think Julia is too simple, you might want to move to Juliet, Juliette, or Juliana, or even the Italian Giulia. Sixties short form Julie has segued from cute to middle-aged. Jules is much more current.

Julia

Kate, in the headlines via Catherine Middleton aka the Princess of Wales, has been as pervasive as Kathy was in the 1950s and 1960s, both as a nickname for Katherine and Kaitlyn and as a strong, classic stand-alone name. 
 
Kate has an image that's independent, smart, and energetic, recalling Kate Hepburn, the heroine of The Taming of the Shrew/Kiss Me Kate, and contemporary Kates Winslet, Hudson, Moss, Spade and Beckinsale. Cate Blanchett has helped popularize that spelling of the name.
 Kate is also the female equivalent of Jack as a favorite character name in the movies, TV, and books. It's down-to-earth yet classy, common yet cool.
 Kate has always been, and remains, mega popular in Ireland.

Kate

A kind of old-fashioned nickname name that's enjoying some fresh life thanks to trendy brother Lane.  Lainie is a more old-school spelling.

Laney

Through all the years when Betty, Betsy, Beth, Liz, and Lizzie were the Elizabethan nicknames of choice, the bubblier Libby was set aside, but today it may be the most modern of all—it has already made a strong comeback in England and Wales, where it ranks Number 139.
 Libby Holman was a colorful torch singer in the 1920s and '30s, Libby Smith was a mysterious character on Lost, and Carly Simon wrote a song titled "Libby."

Libby

Elvis naming his daughter Lisa Marie and Nat King Cole's hit song "Mona Lisa" conspired to catapult one of Elizabeth's many offshoots to a high of #4 in 1970. 

 It has largely fallen from favor in the English-speaking world since then, but still ranks highly in countries such as Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands. It has a sweet and simple charm that could be ripe for an early revival in the US too.

Lisa

The fame of actress and Aerosmith daughter Liv Tyler helped to infuse life into this short but solid Scandinavian name that was chosen for her daughter by Julianne Moore.
 Liv Tyler was given the name after her mother, Bebe Buell, saw an image of Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann on the cover of TV Guide shortly before her daughter's birth.
 Liv combines the succinct charm of a nickname—people might assume it's short for Olivia—with the solidity of being a classic stand-alone Scandinavian name with a life-force meaning.
 Unlike its popular cousin Olivia, Liv has never risen that high in the US ranks, but it is a Top 100 girls' name in a range of international places, from Scandinavia to Switzerland to Israel.

Louise has for several decades now been seen as competent, studious, and efficient—desirable if not dramatic qualities. But now along with a raft of other L names, as well as cousin Eloise, Louise is up for reappreciation—sleek and chic, stylish in Paris, and starting to become so in the US as well. Louisa is perhaps more in tune with the times, but Louise has more edge. Louise has been on the rise lately, and reentered the US Top 1000 for the first time in a quarter century in 2016.
Louise has been a royal name in several countries, including Denmark, Sweden, France and England: currently Queen Elizabeth has a granddaughter named Louise via her son Prince Edward. It has been a staple on the Top 10 lists in Belgium and France in recent years.
Among her most notable bearers: iconic film actress Louise Brooks and modern sculptors Louise Bourgeois and Louise Nevelson. Louise is the middle name of both Madonna and Meryl Streep, and Louise was the character played by Susan Sarandon in the feminist road movie Thelma and Louise.
And there's also a nature reference—the beautiful Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies. Louise is one of many classic names newly fashionable as one of the trendy <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/l">girls' names starting with L</a>.

Louise

Lydia is one of the first place names, after an area of Asia Minor whose inhabitants are credited with strong musical talent great wealth. Always among the US Top 1000 girl names, Lydia is a quietly fashionable classic.
 Although mentioned in the New Testament (Lydia was the first European convert of Saint Paul), it didn't really emerge as a viable first name until the eighteenth century, promoted via the character of Lydia Languish in Sheridan's popular 1775 play The Rivals, and the youngest of the Bennett girls in Pride and Prejudice.
 Lydia continued to be a literary favorite, found in the novels of George Eliot and D. H. Lawrence. And there's also the iconic Groucho Marx ditty: "Lydia the Tattooed Lady."
 Lydia is increasingly appreciated for its history and haunting quality. Cute nickname: Liddy or Lydie.

Lydia

Mabel is a saucy Victorian favorite rising in popularity in the US over the past decade, after a 50-year nap If you love offbeat old-fashioned names like Violet or Josephine, only sassier, Mabel is one for you to consider.
 In the 1880s and 1890s, Mabel was a Top 20 name. Some of Mabel's vintage cultural references include Charlie Chaplin's favorite leading lady Mabel Normand, jazz singer Mabel Mercer, the lead character in Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance
 There is a Princess Mabel in the Netherlands today, born a commoner and the widow of Prince Friso. Several celebrities have named their daughters Mabel, including Chad Lowe, Nenah Cherry, Bruce Willis and Dermot Mulroney., and the baby on the sitcom Mad About You (in which Mabel was an acronym for Mothers Always Bring Extra Love--a nice thought).

Mabel

Maeve is a short and sweet name that has become one of the most stylish Irish names for girls in the modern US. Maeve would make an excellent first or middle name choice, with more heft than Mae/May and more modern charm than Mavis. 
 Maeve appears in Irish mythology in two forms, one as the powerful Queen of Connacht, the other as the queen of the fairies. Maeve of Connacht was a warrior queen, famous for starting a war in attempt to steal her ex-husband’s stud bull. Other spellings are Meabh, Medb and Meadhbh, which are connected to mead, a honey-based wine that was produced in many ancient cultures.
 
Chris O'Donnell, Lili Taylor and Kathryn Erbe used Maeve for their daughters. The Irish author Maeve Binchy also is a well-known bearer. Maeve is the name of one of the lead characters on the HBO show Westworld.
 Irish spelling Meabh is popular in Ireland, but not recommended in the US.

Maeve

Margaret is derived from the French Marguerite, which in turn came from Margarita, the Latin form of the Greek Margarites. Margarites was based on the Old Persian word margārīta, meaning "pearl." 
 
Margaret has been one of the most Christian and royal of <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">female names</a>—attached to the patron saint of women in childbirth and to various queens and princesses in England, Scandinavia, Austria, and the Netherlands, and to the first female prime minister of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher.
 
Margaret is a rich, classic name used for queens and saints. Margaret was replaced for decades by less starchy forms like Maggie and Meg, but some stylish parents are reviving Margaret in full, attracted by its strong sound and classic status, as an alternative to Elizabeth or Katherine. 
 
Margaret is also an important family name for many people, having ranked near the top through the first half of the 1900s. An extremely well used name since medieval times, Margaret is still considered the Scottish national name.
 
If you're honoring an ancestral Margaret, there are many fresh and new alternatives, from the French Marguerite—very stylish in Paris—to the diminutive Margo (or Margot). In French, Marguerite is another word for daisy, making Daisy another appropriate Margaret short form or honorific, as is Maisie. Other offspring of Margaret include Madge, Marjorie/Margery, Megan, Molly, Polly, Peggy, Greta, and Rita.

Margaret

Margot is suddenly a star again. After a nearly-half century absence, it hopped back on the Top 1000 list in 2013 and is on the rise. The Margot spelling is now given to three times as many baby girls as the Margo one.
 Makes sense, as Margot is a name that has a lot going for it: spelled with or without the final 't', it's one of the few <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> with the dynamic o-ending sound; it's familiar, yet uncommon enough to be distinctive.
 
Margot originated as a French pet form of Marguerite, a name that ultimately derived from the Greek margarites, meaning "pearl." Other spellings include Margo and Margaux. Margaux Hemingway was originally Margot but changed the spelling to honor the wine from the French village of Margaux that was drunk by her parents on the night she was conceived.
 Movie buffs will remember Bette Davis's archetypal role as Margo Channing in All About Eve (the actress named her own daughter Margot), while balletomanes will associate the name with the great English dancer Margot Fonteyn (born Margaret).
 In the film Margot at the Wedding, Margot was played by Nicole Kidman; in The Royal Tenenbaums, Gwyneth Paltrow was Margot T. Gorgeous Australian actress Margot Robbie has made an impact here in the film The Wolf of Wall Street.

Margot

As a highly popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> in all Spanish-speaking countries, this saintly Latin variation of Mary retains a timeless beauty. Through the centuries, Maria remains one of the most widely-used <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/m">girl names starting with M</a>.
 This widespread name understandably has produced notable namesakes in almost every field – opera's Maria Callas (born Sophia Cecelia), tennis's Sharapova, education's Montessori, ad infinitum. And she's been celebrated in song as well, from Ave Maria to the eponymous song in West Side Story to "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" in The Sound of Music. 
While the usual English pronunciation these days is the same as it is in non-English-speaking countries – mah-REE-ah – the British used to pronounce it mah-RYE-ah, like Mariah Carey.

 Maria ultimately dervies from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Maria

An old English surname name that sounds just like the invented Marlo. Though the final w places it among the more buttoned-up <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names"> androgynous baby names</a>, all spellings of the name, which also include Marlowe, are gaining in popularity for girls.

Marlow

Maud, lacy and mauve-tinted, was wildly popular a hundred years ago but has been rarely heard in the past fifty. Some stylish parents are starting to choose Maud again, especially as a middle. Maude is another spelling, associated with actress Maude Apatow.
 
As a British royal name, Maud was the daughter of the youngest daughter of King Edward VII and granddaughter of Queen Victoria, who went on to become Queen of Norway. As a lively young girl, she was given the boyish nickname of Harry.

Maud

The oldest-known form of Mary, serious and solemn Miriam has been a particular favorite of observant Jewish parents. But we can see it extending beyond that sphere into the next wave of Old Testament names post-Rachel, Rebecca, Sarah, Hannah, and Leah. Miriam is currently the Number 1 girls' name in Israel.
 Miriam is the Old Testament form of the Hebrew Maryam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).
 In the Old Testament, Miriam appears in Exodus as the older sister of Moses and Aaron, a prophetess who led the triumphal song and dance after the crossing of the Red Sea and deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians.
 Miriam is an artistic character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Marble Faun and in Henry James's The Tragic Muse, Miriam Rooth is a talented young half-Jewish actress, Miriam Leviers is a farm girl in D. H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers, and Miriam is the eponymous central character of a haunting Truman Capote short story.
 One notable namesake is South African singer Miriam Makeba. More relaxed nicknames: Miri, Mira, and Mimi.

Miriam

Monroe is a presidential name which, thanks to the immortal beauty of Marilyn Monroe, is catching on fast for baby girls. Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon chose it for their twin daughter, honoring Marilyn Monroe. Their use of Monroe as a <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> did much to revive this Old Man name, a la Sydney, as a newly fashionable choice for girls.

Monroe

Once a poetic Celtic name, that of the angel who governs the month of June, Muriel became the mom or grandma on TV sitcoms. She does have literary cred via Edinburgh-born author Muriel Spark, author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and also appears as a character in Anne of Green Gables. Muriel was a Top 200 name from 1912 to 1933.

Muriel

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

Nell, once a nickname for Helen, Ellen, or Eleanor, is a sweet old-fashioned charmer that is fashionably used today in its own right. While Nell is perfectly in tune with contemporary vintage name style, it hasn't taken off the way some of its sisters have and so maintains an air of distinction. Use Nell or Nellie as a short for any name from Eleanor to Penelope or just name her Nell.
 Nell was the pet name FDR called his wife Eleanor (along with Babs), the famous Little Nell in Dickens' Old Curiosity Shop was Elinor, and the infamous mistress of Charles II, Nell Gwynne, was born Eleanor as well.
 Nell was the belle of the ball in the Gay Nineties, but has been off the charts since 1956. It's currently popular in France though, ranking at Number 144.
 Jodie Foster played the title character of the 1994 movie Nell, and Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton named their daughter Nell, keeping the family tradition of names related to Helen.

Nell

Introduced to the American public by actress Neve Campbell; it was her Dutch-born mother's maiden name. Neve is an interesting and fresh new possibility, one which Conan O'Brien chose for his daughter.
Neve Campbell pronounces her name nehv, to rhyme with Bev or Lev. If taken to represent the Italian and Portuguese word for snow, the pronunciation would change to nehv-ay. As an Anglicized form of the Irish Niamh, the correct pronunciation would be neev.
New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern chose the name Neve for her daughter, born while she was in office.

Neve

Noelle is the feminine variation of Noël, a masculine given name derived from the French word for "Christmas." As a word, Noël originated as a variant of nael, which evolved from the Latin natalis, meaning "birth." Noelle and Noel have traditionally been given to children born around Christmastime, particularly in the Middle ages.
 
Feminissima, with a French gloss. Noelle and her usually-male counterpart Noel can make perfect <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/577/names-for-december-babies">names for December babies</a> and of course are also traditional <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/412/christmas-baby-names">names for Christmas babies</a>. For extra French flair, add the diaeresis over the first E to get Noëlle.

Noelle

Nora is a lovely, refined name that conjures up images of Belle Epoch ladies in fur-trimmed coats skating in Central Park. Long seen as a quintessentially Irish name though its roots are not in Ireland, Nora is a quietly stylish favorite that's tiptoed to the top of the popularity ladder.
 
Nora has two separate origin stories, as a derivative of both Honora and Eleanor. The Irish and Anglo-Norman version derives from Honora, based on the Latin word honor. The Hungarians spawned Nora as a short form of Eleonora, a variation of Eleanor.
 One of Nora's most prominent contemporary namesakes is the late witty writer Nora Ephron. Other notable Noras are the independent Ibsen heroine of A Doll's House, and the female half of the witty Nick and Nora Charles duo, adding up to a most desirable choice. 
 It can also be spelled Norah, as in Norah Jones.

Nora

Noreen's in limbo, especially now that Nora has made a comeback. 

Noreen

Nova has the feel of both newness, from its meaning, and great energy as an astronomical term for a star that increases suddenly in brightness before fading. 
 Nova had some reasonable degree of popularity at the turn of the last century, only to disappear for more than 70 years before making a, well, astronomical comeback. Nova now ranks in the US Top 50 for baby girls and also entered the UK Top 100 in 2022. 
 Nova Pilbeam, the star of one of Hitchcock's early British films, had family ties to Nova Scotia. Other Nova ties: the long-running science TV show and the finest kind of lox. 
Given to more than 5000 girls in the US each year - and to a not insubstantial 240 boys - Nova is a current star that doesn't look as though it will be fading any time soon.

Nova

Pearl, like Ruby, has begun to be polished up for a new generation of fashionable children after a century of jewelry box storage. The birthstone for the month of June, Pearl could also make a fresher middle name alternative to the overused Rose. Cool couple Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson named their daughter Pearl Minnie, followed by Jack Osbourne, and several celebs have put it in the middle spot, as in Busy Philipps's Cricket Pearl, Jake Owen's Olive Pearl and Caleb Followill's Dixie Pearl .
After being a Top 25 name in the late nineteenth century, Pearl went into a long slide, but is showing signs of a strong comeback -- it reentered the Top 1000 in 2010.
 In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is the illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne, who gives her the name because she is 'her mother's only treasure.'
 Pearl was also the alter ego name of Janis Joplin, tied to singer Pearl Bailey, and---hmm--the birth name of western writer Zane Gray.
 Variations are PERLE and PERLA.

Pearl

Penelope is an unlikely 21st century baby name success story. Off the Top 1000 for 25 years, Penelope jumped back on in 2001 and has been heading uphill ever since, propelled by the trend for mythological names, Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, and some high-profile celebrity babies. 
 
In Greek mythology, Penelope was the wife of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey. It has two possible origin stories—Penelope was either derived from the Greek pēnē, meaning "thread of a bobbin", or from penelops, a type of duck. Mythological Penelope was cared for by a duck as an infant, and later was known for fending off would-be suitors by pretending to weave a garment.
 
Penelope's status as a Kardashian baby name -- Kourtney's daughter Penelope was born in 2012 -- brought the ancient name to widespread attention. The most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/p">girls' name starting with P</a>, Penelope was also picked for their girls by Tina Fey, by Anna Chlumsky, and by Natalie and Taylor Hanson, of the group Hanson. 
 Penelope has several British novelists as namesakes—Penelopes Fitzgerald, Mortimer, Gilliatt, and Lively. And yes, she's also a Harry Potter character: Penelope "Penny" is a student at Hogwarts.
 A perennial Nameberry favorite, Penelope can be shortened to the traditional Penny or -- Berry style -- the fresher Nell or Poppy.

Penelope

Rebecca is a name representing beauty in the Bible, an Old Testament classic that reached the heights of revived popularity in the seventies but is still a well-used choice. It derives from the Hebrew name Rivkah, from the verb ribbqah, meaning "noose." The biblical Rebecca was the wife of Isaac and the mother of Esau and Jacob. Rebekah was a common spelling of the name in the Bible. 
 The Becca short form is more stylish now than homespun Becky. Nickname Becky is a staple in such classics as A Little Princess, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Vanity Fair, while the full form features in the eponymous Daphne du Maurier novel, in Ivanhoe, and in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
 
Rebecca remains one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/r">girls' names starting with R</a>.

Rebecca

Reece is a less popular respelling of Reese, made famous by actress Witherspoon. Reese is the most popular spelling for girls and Rhys for boys, with Reece given to about four times as many boys as girls.

Reece has ranked in the Top 1000 for boys in the US since the late 1980s, while it made the girls' Top 1000 only once.

Reece

Old-style creative name of the Greek mythological earth mother of all the gods. A lot better than the Roman equivalent: Ops. Rhea reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015. Its only previous appearance on the list since 1968 was 2004.
 Rhea Perlman is an American actress known for her role as Carla Tortelli on Cheers and as the wife of Danny DeVito.

Rhea

Austrian actress Romy Schneider seemed to be the singular bearer of this international nickname name until it found new style currency in the past decade. 
 Like other Ro-names Roman, Rowan, and Romeo, Romy has gained favor with the celebrity set. Matt Lauer has a daughter named Romy, as do director Sofia Coppola and Phoenix frontman Thomas Mars and others. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and wife Carrie named their daughter Romy in 2021.
 Some might remember the 1997 comedy Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, with Mira Sorvino as Romy.
 Romy hasn't entered the US Top 1000 as yet, but it's a Top 100 name in several European countries, and especially popular in France. In Spanish-speaking countries, Romy is also a diminutive of Romina, and was very popular in the eighties and early nineties.

Romy

Rory is a buoyant, spirited name for a redhead with Celtic roots. The name Rory is getting more popular overall, but for the past few years has been trending decidedly toward the boys' side -- however, it's been rising to new heights for girls in recent years. 
 It's worth noting, however, that while Rory is used a third of the time for girls in the US, in Britain it's never used as a girls' name. In London or Liverpool, naming your daughter Rory is like naming her....Roger.
 Rory (or Rori) might also be a nickname for Aurora. In the TV series Gilmore Girls, Rory was the nickname of Lorelai Leigh, the daughter character played by Alexis Biedel whose mother, played by Lauren Graham, was also named (and called) Lorelai.
 Robert Kennedy's youngest daughter, born after his assassination and now a respected documentary filmmaker, is named Rory. Actress Melora Hardin named her daughter Rory Melora.

Rory

As sweet-smelling as Rose but with an international flavour, Rosa is one of the most classic Portuguese, Spanish and <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/166/italian-names">Italian names</a>, which is also favored by upper-class Brits, having an ample measure of vintage charm. Rosa has been on the popularity charts for every year that's been counted, especially popular from the 1880s through the beginning of the twentieth century. 
 The name of a thirteenth century saint, Rosa has several other notable namesakes. In literature, she was a character in David Copperfield. Rosa Parks is a Civil Rights icon, Rosa (born Marie-Rosalie) Bonheur was a noted nineteenth century French artist, Rosa Ponselle an American operatic soprano and Rosa Luxemburg a left-wing activist. In the modern world there have been several Rosas in video games, including Final Fantasy IV.

Rosa

Rosy-cheeked and cheery, Rosie (also spelled Rosy) has been standing on her own for many decades, back to the days of 1943 musical Sweet Rosie O'Grady. She's one of the perky nickname-names that are filling the popularity lists of other English-speaking countries. In the US, she came back to the Top 1000 in 2013, after a 30 year hiatus.
 A hobbit character in Lord of the Rings, Rosie's current representatives include Rosie (born Roseann) O'Donnell, Rosie Perez (born Rosa), and British-born pregnancy guru Rosie Pope. The Rosie Project is a 2013 bestselling novel by Graeme Simsion.

Rosie

Vibrant, sassy, and bubbly, Ruby is a vintage gem that hasn’t lost any of its sparkle. Currently popular in a number of English-speaking countries, Ruby is proof of the 100 Year Rule, trending again for the first time since its heyday in the 1910s. 
The name of a precious stone, Ruby was ultimately derived from the Latin ruber meaning “red”. Despite its sweet, shiny contemporary feel, Ruby has in fact been used as a given name since the 1500s, though it really took off in the Victorian era, alongside Pearl and Opal. 
Many cultures consider rubies to be the stone of kings, and the gem is surrounded by symbolism of wealth, power, life blood, success, and protection. It is also the birthstone for July, which could make it a discreet honor for a July-born relation or just right for a July-born baby. 
In the US, Ruby was a popular choice in the early 20th century, and it peaked at #22 in 1911. By the 1940s however, it was falling down the charts, and while it never left the Top 400, parents turned away from Ruby and to the likes of Judy, Crystal, Rebecca, and Robin instead. 
Then, in the mid-2000s, Ruby made big moves in the UK, leaping to #1 in 2007. Propelled upwards by the catchy song by The Kaiser Chiefs which was released the same year and influenced by celebs such as Tobey Maguire and Charlotte Church choosing it for their daughters, Ruby moved back into the US Top 100 in 2013. 
A truly musical name, Ruby has featured in hits by The Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens, and Kenny Rogers, while namesakes of the fictional and famous variety including Rue from “Euphoria”, Ruby from “Steven Universe”, and Ruby Rose of “Orange is the New Black”, have kept the name in the public eye. 
Given to more than 3000 babies in the US every year and continuing to climb the charts, Ruby is one of those <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/339/vintage-baby-names">vintage baby names</a> that feels totally modern and full of life. 
Love Ruby but want to beat the trends? You could try another vintage gem like Edith, Lula, Twila, Betsy, or Fern, or perhaps something with a similar sound, like Thisbe, Prue, Billie, or Rumi.

Ruby

Ruth, with its air of calm and compassion, was the third most popular name in the 1890s, remaining in the Top 10 through the 1920s. It's still in use today as some parents tiring of Rachel and Rebecca are giving Ruth a second thought. Some see such Old Testament <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> as Ruth and Esther rising on the heels of boy equivalents Abel and Moses.
 The biblical Ruth was the loyal and devoted daughter-in-law of Naomi who, when electing to leave her people and stay with the older woman, speaks the famous lines, "Whither thou goest, I will go."
 Ruth has had numerous notable namesakes, from Supreme Court justice Ginsburg to crime writer Rendell to sexologist Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

Ruth

Roslyn

Sienna has been a Top 100 choice in England & Wales since 2005, the year after Sienna Miller's acting breakthrough in the hit movies Alfie and Layer Cake. In the US, it also got a big boost in the early noughties, before dropping slightly then rebounding to reach an all-time high in 2022.

 Now the name Sienna has gotten maybe its biggest boost of all when it was announced as the name of the daughter of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The royal baby, born in 2021, is named Sienna Elizabeth. Cable newsperson Campbell Brown also chose Sienna for her daughter, as did Kevin James. 
 
The historic Tuscan city is spelled Siena, but the Sienna spelling is the one used recently by Princess Beatrice for her daughter. Sienna, also the spelling used by American-born English actress Miller, is more popular than Siena in the English-speaking world. 


 The city of Siena is said to have been founded by Senius and Aschius, two sons of Remus. The name of the city may derive from Senius, although other possibilities include Roman or Etruscan family names, a Gaulish tribe name, or a Latin root meaning "old". 

 The English color word "sienna" ultimately comes from the name of the iron-rich clay in the Italian city, brownish yellow when raw and reddish brown when burnt, making this a vibrant color name as well as a romantic place name.

Sienna

In the 1950s and 60s, Susie was the name every little girl wanted for her very own. 

Susie, which might be short for Susan or Susannah, might be off its fashion peak but it's still cute and perky.

Susie

The musical, sylvan Sylvia seems poised to join former friends Frances and Beatrice and Dorothy back in the nursery.
 Sylvia has been consistently on the popularity list since records started being kept. She was a Top 100 name from 1932 to 1948, reaching a high of Number 48 in 1932.
 Spelled Silvia, she was the mother of the twins Remus and Romulus, who were the mythological founders of Rome, and was a character in Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona. The Bard also penned the immortal lines "Who is Silvia? what is she, that all our swains admire her?" -- words echoed in the Edward Albee play The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?
 Sylvias have also played major roles in Clare Booth Luce's classic play The Women and the Fellini film La Dolce Vita.
 Sylvia Plath was the Tragic Heroine of modern poetry.
 The French Sylvie is an appealing alternative.

Sylvia

Vera was the height of fashion in 1910, then was for a long time difficult to picture embroidered on a baby blanket. Now, though, it has come back into style along with other old-fashioned simple names such as Ada and Iris. 
 Vera was barely known in the English-speaking world until it appeared in the 1860 novel by Ouida, Moths, and Vera Rostov is a character in War and Peace, published nine years later.
 Vern Yip has a young daughter called Vera, and Vera Wang and Vera Famiga have modernized it. Vera Lynn was an iconic British World War II singer, Vera Miles was a Hitchcock star best known for her role as Lila Crane in Psycho and Vera-Ellen (born without the hyphen) was a dancing partner of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.

Vera

It is popularly claimed that the name Wendy was invented by Sir James Barrie in 1904 for the big sister character in his play Peter Pan, which was followed by the classic novel in 1911. Barrie supposedly took it from the nickname "fwendy-wendy", that he was called by a young girl acquaintance. 

 Although the character of Wendy Darling undoubtedly popularized the name across the English-speaking world – peaking in the Top 10 in several countries in the 1950s and 60s – it did actually appear rarely before that. It was likely derived from the Welsh name Gwendolen and its variants.

 Wendy's heyday was once upon a time, but it's starting to undergo a style revolution. With other bouncy and peppy retro nicknames, like Sadie and Edie, rising, Wendy could be part of the next wave.

Wendy

Willa has become increasingly fashionable, with its combination of Willa (born Wilella) Cather-like pioneer strength and the graceful beauty of the willow tree. 
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are the latest celebrities to welcome a daughter named Willa. Other stars who used this name include actress Keri Russell, who named her daughter Willa Lou and the late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who used Willa for the youngest of his three children. David Mamet and Brian De Palma also have daughters named Willa, plus it's the middle name of Meryl Streep's actress daughter Mary (called Mamie.) Young Willa characters have appears on Six Feet Under and True Blood.
 Willa originated as a short form of Wilhelmina. After a half-century hiatus, it reentered the U.S. Top 1000 in 2010 and soared to the Top 500, for the first time since 1949, in 2015. Willa might also work as an honor name for an ancestral William.

Willa

One of the few remaining unrestored vintage gems, with a choice of two winning nicknames--the girlish Winnie and the tomboyish Freddie. Winifred, the name of a legendary Welsh saint, was a Top 200 name into the mid-1920's.
 Winifred was one of the Forsytes in The Forsyte Saga, Winifred Foster was the heroine of Tuck Everlasting, and another appeared in Joss Wheden's Angel; in Once Upon a Mattress, Princess Winnifred (two n's) sings the song 'A Girl Named Fred'. The Disney folks seem to have been fond of the name--they used it in Jungle Book, Mary Poppins and Hocus Pocus. 
 Actress Jacqueline Bisset was born a Winifred and notable Winnies include Mrs. Mandela and the young girlfriend on The Wonder Years. Formerly considered old and fusty, Winifred is back in, featured amongst the newest additions to the US Top 1000 in 2023.

Winifred

Wynn is an attractive Welsh name, originally male but now also used for girls outside of Wales. The authentic feminine version would be Gwen, which derives from the same very productive gwyn element, making it a relative of all Welsh names ending -wyn or -wen, as well as the Irish Fin- names. 

 Wynn is a soft and gentle yet sturdy choice which lends itself to sweet nickname Winnie or Wynnie.

Wynn

eboges's list "Baby Girl Bogenpohl" of 81 great name ideas: Agnes - Wynn!

Baby Girl Bogenpohl

First born due in February 2015 more words to meet the requirements of the blah