Clunky and Eccentric Feminizations
- Bernadine
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"brave as a bear"Description:
As dated as the old Pat Boone song.
- Bernarda
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"brave as a bear"Description:
Too close in sound to the so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out Bernard.
- Bertha
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"bright, glorious"Description:
Ever since the enormous German cannon was dubbed by Allied soldiers "Big Bertha" in World War I, this name hasn't worked for a sweet little baby girl. But this was not always so. Hard as it might be to imagine now, Bertha was a Top 100 name until the 1930s, and in the 1880s was the seventh most popular name in the land--the equal of Joseph.
- Bruna
Origin:
ItalianMeaning:
"brown"Description:
Possibility for a dark-haired babe.
- Balthazara
- Balthesare
- Bartholomae
- Bartolomea
- Benigna
- Bernadeta
- Bernardina
- Bernhardine
- Calvina
Origin:
Latin, feminine form of CalvinDescription:
There are several better Cal- names that don't simply echo a male form.
- Carla
Origin:
Feminine variation of CarlDescription:
While Charlotte and Caroline are considered stylish and classic members of the Charles family, this somewhat severe Germanic form is fading. It reached its apex at Number 76 in 1965.
- Cesaria
Origin:
Feminization of Cesar, LatinMeaning:
"head of hair"Description:
Cesaria, a modern feminine form of Caesar or the Latinate Cesar, has been obscure in the Western World but may stir to life along with other names that have their roots in ancient Rome. Cesarina, Cesarie, and Cesarea are other options.
- Claudine
Origin:
French feminine variation of ClaudeDescription:
There are much chicer versions of this name today, such as Claudie, Claudia, or Claude itself. Claudine is a name wobbling on the edge of extinction.
- Colombine
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"dove"Description:
A beautiful English and French flower name deriving from the Latin word for dove. Sadly, in America this name is now forever linked with a tragic terrorist attack on a Colorado high school.
- Cosima
Origin:
Italian feminine variation of Cosmo, GreekMeaning:
"order, beauty, universe"Description:
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.
- Cyrilla
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"lordly"Description:
Cyrilla is an obscure feminization of Cyril that's a bit buttoned-up but also intriguingly unique, with an authentic pedigree. Spelling Cirilla is more visible thanks to The Witcher series, in which its the name of the heroine Princess Cirilla, nicknamed Ciri. 40 baby girls were named Cirilla in the US in 2021, vs. only 10 called Cyrilla.
- Caesaria