Animal Names for Girls

With its C spelling, Cayley is softer than its more popular counterpart, Kayley. It's never ranked in the US Top 1000 and at this point probably never will, now that the -aylee, -ayley, and -aylie names are starting to dip.

The further you move away from the original Briana, the feminine form of Brian first used by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queen, the more invented and less authentic you get. But many parents want the distance from Brian as Breanna -- or Breana or Breeanna or any of the other variations -- feels more like its own name.

Corky is an old-fashioned nickname, historically used more often for boys with names like Courtney, Corwin, or surnames with the "cor" element.

Originating as a Breton diminutive of Anne, Annick has a long history of use as a standalone name in its native region of Brittany and elsewhere. It was a Top 100 name in France from 1929 to 1970, spending several years in the Top 20 in the 1940s and 50s. It would make for a fresh twist on classic Ann or Anna.

With the growing popularity for girls of such names as Aubrey and Audrey, Auberon feels like a fresh and viable option.

This feminine form of Ambrose has not seem much use in the United States, but it does sometimes appear on the birth certificates of those from Cajun or Creole backgrounds.

In the Top 100 in Poland, this is probably the most flowery and feminine version of Agnes making the rounds.

Belisama is a goddess in Celtic mythology often associated as the equivalent to the Roman Minerva and Greek Athena.

Edris was used occasionally for baby girl 100 years ago, but one can't help but wonder whether those girls might really have been named Edie but with bad handwriting. Edrie is cute, though, and unusual.

Chic and lively Afrikaans variant of Elizabeth.

Softer version of hot Harley or Marley.

A Quranic name used for Muslim children of both sexes.

A name with an international sound, similar to Diana and Dana, used very commonly in Latvia in the 20th century.

An ancient elfin name borne by a granddaughter of Alfred the Great. The name appeared on a character in The Lost Kingdom, a ruler of Mercia.

An edible plant used in seed and spice form.

This musical surname, associated with Bing Crosby and David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, & Nash could easily be used for girls, as names like Jagger and Bowie have been.