Animal Names for Girls

Rarely heard but pleasing feminissima name for a baby girl.

Anokhi is a beautiful Indian name largely unknown but easily translated in English-speaking cultures. Ani or Noki make adorable short forms.

A modern Cornish word name with a sturdy natural namesake. Derwa is a related Cornish saint's name.

Abyssinia is the ancient name of the Ethiopian Empire, no longer found on any map but with a possible future as a melodic girls' name in the ever-expanding place-name category. Among African names for girls, this one is undiscovered.

This beautiful celestial Indian name had a rise in 2022, following in the trends of other "-ani" ending names like Leilani and Imani. The character Devi from the hit show "Never Have I Ever" familiarized the world with another beautiful name of the same root.

Best associated with the Judy Blume novel of the same name, Deenie is a retro feeling nickname choice.

Historically a diminutive of Wilhelmina, Elma's parent name and soundalike sisters are slowly stirring back to life as the trend for vintage baby names continues. With Alma on the rise in the US, Thelma chic in France, and Selma hot in Scandinavia, Elma could be in with a shot at a revival – especially given the popularity of Emma and Ella. But Muppet Elmo and Looney Tune Elmer Fudd may cast a long shadow.

Akudo is an Igbo-Nigerian name stemming from the Igbo word 'udo' meaning peace. Unlike other names containing the name "Udo", Akudo is a feminine name.

A rarely used play on Amber, making it more feminine and both more modern and old-fashioned at the same time.

A modern word and virtue name which first appeared on the US baby name charts in 2013, when it was given to 6 boys. Usage peaked in 2019, with 18 boys and seven baby girls, no doubt thanks to the enigmatic Credence Barebone from the Fantastic Beasts film franchise.

Xya first popped into the American baby name charts in 2000, and has been used used every year, though in low numbers, from 2013 onwards. Modern and almost unique — and with a high Scrabble score — Xya fits easily into the trend for mini-names with plenty of vowels, like Mia and Kaya.

Spelling variation of Erin invented for a character on the science fiction TV show Farscape.

There are not one but two notable modern women with this name: journalist Christiane Amanpour and physician/author Christiane Northrup. In Germany, the pronunciation is kris-tee-AH-na while in France, it's kris-tee-AHN — and in the U.S., there's sure to be confusion. While Christiane is not stylish, it's a strong, attractive, unusual-though-familiar name.

This pretty Turkish nature name is borne by actress Almila Bagriacik, who has appeared in various German films and TV series.

Not yet on the place-name map, this name has Shakespearean ties via the Duke Of Albany character in King Lear.

Ashura is an Arabic name used predominantly among Swahili speakers in East Africa. It is traditionally given to baby girls born on the holiday Ashura. The holiday is considered celebratory among Sunni Muslims, but a day of mourning — marking the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson — among Shia Muslims.