Clunky and Eccentric Feminizations
- Arkadina
Origin:
Feminine variation of ArkadyMeaning:
"from Arcadia"Description:
Arkadina was thrust into the limelight as one of the (many) middle names of Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson's little girl. The Slavic or Russian feminine form of Arkady, which is derived from the ancient Greek name Arkadios, is the equivalent of the English Arcadia -- a heavenly place. For most English speakers, the Arcadia form would be more compatible.
- Arna
Origin:
German, SanskritMeaning:
"eagle; river"Description:
Truly a cross-cultural name, with usage in Germany, Scandinavia, India, France, and Iceland.
- Arthurina
Origin:
Feminine form of Arthur, CelticMeaning:
"bear"Description:
If you're looking for a girl's name that honors an ancestral Arthur, try Artis.
- Arthurine
Origin:
Feminine form of Arthur, CelticMeaning:
"bear"Description:
If you're looking for a girl's name that honors an ancestral Arthur, try Artis.
- Augusta
Origin:
Feminine variation of AugustusMeaning:
"great, magnificent"Description:
Augusta is a dignified name reminiscent of wealthy great-aunts, but with the fashion for both August and Gus for boys, Augusta could get some fresh energy.
- Augustina
Origin:
Feminine variation of Augustus, LatinMeaning:
"the exalted one"Description:
While Augusta is the more traditional feminine form of the name, tacking on the -ina ending makes Augustina more feminine and contemporary sounding.
- Abrahamina
- Adolfine
- Adolphina
- Adolphine
- Aemiliane
- Antoinetta
- Arnaude
- Baptista
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"the baptized one"Description:
Probably too evangelical for mass importation.
- Basilia
Origin:
Greek, feminine variation of BasilDescription:
Rare but attractive female form of Basil.
- Benedicta
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"blessed"Description:
Saintly, and a Mother Superior to boot.
- Benjamina
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"daughter of the right hand"Description:
The kind of feminized male name that never caught on.
- Bente
Origin:
Danish feminine form of BenedictMeaning:
"blessed"Description:
Bente, pronounced ben-tah, is a popular girls' name in both The Netherlands and Denmark though largely unknown in the English-speaking world. It suffers by being a near-homonym of the English word bent, not the best dictionary equivalent for a first name. Still, if you're looking for a girls' name that equates to Ben or Benjamin or Benedict, this may be one of your best bets.
- Berengaria
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"bear spear"Description:
Berengaria was one of the medieval queens of England - married to Richard I (also known as Richard the Lionheart). She was originally from Navarre (in modern northern Spain) and despite being the Queen of England, she only lived in England after her husband had died. Despite its royal roots, Berengaria is one of the less attractive medieval names, although it gets points for having an unusually strong meaning for a feminine name.
- Bernadette
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"brave as a bear"Description:
Although feminizations ending in "ette" are not particularly popular now, Bernadette is a pleasant, feminine, but strong name that doesn't feel prohibitively dated. And though strongly associated with the saint who saw visions of the Virgin Mary—Saint Bernadette of Lourdes—it is now no longer strictly inhabiting the Catholic diocese.