Animal Names for Girls

This 1950s Welsh bird name sounds less dated than our fifties Robin.

Alair is a lighter, more unusual form of Hilary.

Akila, which can also be spelled Akilah, is a sleek, modern-feeling name with a strong meaning. Some sources say the name Akila may also be Egyptian or Swahili.

For a boy, Dash is usually short for Dashiell, but as a girl's name it just stands for energetic--and also the stores run by the Kardashian sisters..

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.

Unisex name from the Old Testament, which is very in-keeping with current naming trends for girls.

One of the most girlish offshoots of Braeden.

Rarely heard as a name; Chiara might be preferable.

A rare and warmer version of Clotilde, in combination with the Greek name Cleo. The first recorded use of Cleotilde was in 1894. It peaked in 1924 when 16 baby girls were named Cleotilde.

Asherah is probably one of the most ancient of mother goddess symbols, recorded in the pantheons of several civilisations from the tenth century BCE. As the mother to innumerable gods and goddesses, she is often depicted as having the capacity to walk on water, which makes Asherah an excellent choice for a baby born under one of the water signs of the zodiac, including names for Scorpio babies, as well as those born under Pisces and Cancer.

Crescent is an intriguing word name with a pretty sound and links to the moon. Cressie could make for a cute nickname, as used in the Worst Witch children's TV series, short for Crescentmoon.

A compound name made up of Aubrey and Brielle, this modern invention blends fresh, stylish sounds, with a nod to more traditional elegance. It entered the US Top 1000 in 2012 and remained there for a decade, and though 2023 saw it drop from the ranks, it is still given to around 240 girls each year.

Lovely entry into the tree name genre, joining Juniper, Oak, and Willow.

One of the designer baby names -- Chanel and Gucci are others -- that have appeared in this era of branding everything from your purse to your offspring. It helps that the name is similar to more established choices, such as Amani, Marnie, Amy, and Aria.

Ashley alternative climbing up the baby names charts, probably due to the trendy ley/leigh ending and its similar-but-different status to the more popular Ainsley.

This Danielle/Monique hybrid offers a new twist on an old favorite.

Elvi is one of those elusive names that fit in yet stand out. It's similar to currently trendy girl names such as Ellie and Evie but maintains distinction.

Most names that start with Cam- are on the upswing, so why not this obscure term for Wales as well as for a prehistoric time period.

Earthier version of the name of England's first female professional writer, Aphra Behn.