Anissa f EnglishThis name was first brought to public attention in 1966 by the child actress Anissa Jones (1958-1976). In her case it was a transcription of the Arabic name
أنيسة (see
Anisa), given to honour her Lebanese heritage. Other parents who have since used this name may view it simply as an elaboration of
Anna using the popular name suffix
issa.
Annabel f English, DutchVariant of
Amabel, with the spelling altered as if it were a combination of
Anna and French
belle "beautiful". This name appears to have arisen in Scotland in the Middle Ages.
Belphoebe f LiteratureCombination of Old French
bele "beautiful" and the name
Phoebe. This name was first used by Edmund Spenser in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590).
Celinda f English (Rare)Probably a blend of
Celia and
Linda. This is also the Spanish name for a variety of shrub with white flowers, known as sweet mock-orange in English (species Philadelphus coronarius).
Charmaine f EnglishMeaning unknown, perhaps a combination of
Charmian or the English word
charm with the
aine suffix from
Lorraine. It was (first?) used for a character in the play
What Price Glory (1924), which was made into a popular movie in 1926.
Christabel f English (Rare)Combination of
Christina and the name suffix
bel (inspired by Latin
bella "beautiful"). This name occurs in medieval literature, and was later used by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his 1816 poem
Christabel.
Claribel f EnglishCombination of
Clara and the common name suffix
bel, from Latin
bella "beautiful". This name was used by Edmund Spenser in his poem
The Faerie Queene (1590; in the form
Claribell) and by Shakespeare in his play
The Tempest (1611). Alfred Tennyson also wrote a poem entitled
Claribel (1830).
Clarinda f EnglishCombination of
Clara and the popular name suffix
inda. It was first used by Edmund Spenser in his epic poem
The Faerie Queene (1590).
Darlene f EnglishFrom the English word
darling combined with the common name suffix
lene. This name has been in use since the beginning of the 20th century.
Dorinda f English, GalicianCombination of
Dora and the name suffix
inda. It was apparently coined by the English writers John Dryden and William D'Avenant for their play
The Enchanted Island (1667). In the play, a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's
The Tempest, Dorinda is the sister of Miranda.
Ingalill f SwedishCombination of
Inga and Swedish
lilla, an inflected form of
liten meaning "little".
Jaslene f English (Modern)Combination of the popular phonetic elements
jaz and
lene. It was brought to some public attention in 2007 by Puerto Rican-born model Jaslene Gonzalez (1986-), the eighth winner of the reality television series
America's Next Top Model.
Kayla f EnglishCombination of the popular phonetic elements
kay and
la. Use of the name greatly increased after 1982 when the character Kayla Brady began appearing on the American soap opera
Days of Our Lives.
Kaylee f English (Modern)Combination of the popular phonetic elements
kay and
lee. This name, in various spellings, steadily rose in popularity starting in the 1980s. This particular spelling peaked in America in 2009, ranked 26th, and has since declined.
Leatrice f EnglishPossibly a combination of
Leah and
Beatrice. This name was first brought to public attention by the American actress Leatrice Joy (1893-1985).
Lilou f FrenchEither a diminutive of French names containing the sound
lee or a combination of
Lili and
Louise.
Luann f EnglishEither a combination of
Lou and
Ann or a variant of
Luana. It was popularized in the 1950s by the singer Lu Ann Simms (1933-2003).
Maider f BasqueFrom the name of the goddess
Mari 3 combined with Basque
eder meaning "beautiful".
Marian 1 f EnglishVariant of
Marion 1. This name was borne in English legend by Maid Marian, Robin Hood's love. It is sometimes considered a combination of
Mary and
Ann.
... [more] Marianna f Italian, Hungarian, Slovak, Polish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Russian, Greek, EnglishCombination of
Maria and
Anna. It can also be regarded as a variant of the Roman name
Mariana, or as a Latinized form of
Mariamne.
Marilyn f EnglishCombination of
Mary and the common name suffix
lyn. It was very rare before the start of the 20th century. It was popularized in part by the American stage star Marilyn Miller (1898-1936), who was born Mary Ellen Reynolds and took her stage name from a combination of her birth name and her mother's middle name
Lynn. It became popular in the United States during the 1920s, reaching a high point ranked 13th in 1936. Famous bearers include American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962; real name Norma Jeane Mortenson) and American opera singer Marilyn Horne (1934-).
Marlene f German, EnglishBlend of
Maria and
Magdalene. It refers, therefore, to Mary Magdalene, a character in the New Testament. The name was popularized by the German actress and singer Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992), whose real name was Maria Magdalene Dietrich.
Maylis f FrenchFrom the name of a town in southern France, said to derive from Occitan
mair "mother" and French
lys "lily". It is also sometimes considered a combination of
Marie and
lys.
Milena f Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovene, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, ItalianFeminine form of
Milan. It began to be used in Italy in honour of Milena Vukotić (1847-1923), mother of Helen of Montenegro, the wife of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III. In Italy it can also be considered a combination of
Maria and
Elena.
Milou f DutchShort form of
Marie-Louise. This is the name of a (male) dog in the French-language Belgian comic series
The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé, first appearing in 1929. He is named
Snowy in the English version and
Bobbie in the Dutch version.
Nichelle f African AmericanCombination of
Nicole and
Michelle. This name spiked in popularity in the late 1960s when the actress Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022) portrayed Nyota Uhura on the
Star Trek television series. Nichols was given the name Grace at birth but it was changed at a young age.
Novalee f English (Modern)Elaboration of
Nova using the popular name suffix
lee. It was used for the central character in the novel
Where the Heart Is (1995), as well as the 2000 film adaptation.
Richmal f English (Rare)Meaning uncertain, possibly a combination of
Richard and
Mary. This name has been used since at least the late 18th century, mainly confined to the town of Bury in Lancashire.
Rosabel f English (Rare)Combination of
Rosa 1 and the common name suffix
bel, inspired by Latin
bella "beautiful". This name was created in the 18th century.
Rosalba f ItalianItalian name meaning
"white rose", derived from Latin
rosa "rose" and
alba "white". A famous bearer was the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757).
Rosemary f EnglishCombination of
Rose and
Mary. This name can also be given in reference to the herb, which gets its name from Latin
ros marinus meaning "dew of the sea". It came into use as a given name in the 19th century.
Suellen f EnglishContraction of
Susan and
Ellen 1. Margaret Mitchell used this name in her novel
Gone with the Wind (1936), where it belongs to Scarlett's sister.