Animal Names for Girls

A genus of birds in the flycatcher family, Elaenia is one of the many unique baby names in the Elena family. But that spelling is sure to trip up some people.

Although Ashala is steadily yet quietly used as a name in its own right, it seems to be an invention derived from either Asha, a Sanskrit word and name meaning "hope" and also sometimes a variant of the Arabic Aisha, or the 1990s megapopular Ashley, an English name meaning "dweller near the ash tree mountain." Ashala has a rhythmic, euphonic sound but not much authentic heft. There was a minor character in Star Wars named Ashala.

Dimity is fairly common in Australia, but unheard of outside of it, which is surprising given its similarity to names like Amity, Verity, and Cassidy.

A little-known Callie name, belonging to a naiad in Greek mythology – a daughter of the god of the Nile. She was one of the wives of Aegyptus.

This Corey variation is getting a fresh shot of style juice thanks to young It Girl Cory Kennedy (not to be confused with RFK daughter, filmmaker Rory Kennedy).

The Latin word for love. Amor has strong potential for the middle name position.

A slimmed down spelling of the more traditional Aiobheann. It's a beautiful name, but the spelling might throw some non-Irish natives off.

A combination name and an English surname, Brynleigh has trendy sounds and two possible nature meanings. Less popular than its counterparts, Brinley and Brynlee, it is nevertheless still in the US Top 1000.

A sweet and simple nature name that could also be short for the surname name Odell, the vintage name Della, or the obscure saint's name Endellion.

There is a Hindi name for boys Aroon, for the mythic charioteer of the dawn, but for girls the name Aroon relates to the Irish word for darling. Aroon is the name of the heroine of Molly Keane's classic novel of the Anglo-Irish gentry, Good Behaviour.

This Arabic name, which can be used for either boys or girls, can also mean "wide-eyed" in the sense of someone who is studious and perceptive. Ayaan is most familiar to people in the West from its connection to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali women's right activist.

Former Miss Universe and former Mrs. Marc Anthony, Dayanara Torres has made a more lasting success of her name.

Dolce is the Italian word for "sweet," derived from the Latin word dulcis of the same meaning. It's a rare feminine first name in Italy, more often seen as a surname, as in that of Domenico Dolce, co-founder of fashion house Dolce & Gabbana. The luxury fashion brand has inspired a number of baby girls to be given the name since D&G's launch in 1985.

Athens the city takes its name from Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and courage. If you prefer place names to mythological names and like gender neutral names better than those that are gender distinct, Athens may be a good alternative to Athena.

A form of Adelaide (and therefore related to Alice, too) used in the Netherlands. The country's first female physician was Aletta Jacobs. In the USA, Aletta is rare, but on a slight upward trend. It fits perfectly into the sweet spot of being deep-rooted and straightforward, yet barely used, and has Etta and Lettie as potential nicknames.