Browse Names

This is a list of names in which the gender is feminine; and the categories include modern English.
gender
usage
Kaylyn f English (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements kay and lyn.
Keanu m & f Hawaiian
Means "the cool breeze" from Hawaiian ke, a definite article, and anu "coolness". This name is now associated with Canadian actor Keanu Reeves (1964-).
Kehlani f English (Modern)
Variant of Kailani or Kalani. This spelling was popularized by the American singer Kehlani Parrish (1995-), who is known simply as Kehlani.
Keira f English (Modern)
Variant of Ciara 1. This spelling was popularized by British actress Keira Knightley (1985-).
Kelsea f English (Modern)
Variant of Kelsey, with the spelling influenced by Chelsea.
Keone m & f Hawaiian
Means "the homeland" from Hawaiian ke, a definite article, and one "sand, homeland".
Khloe f English (Modern)
Variant of Chloe. This particular variant was popularized by the television personality Khloé Kardashian (1984-) after she began appearing with her family on the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians in 2007.
Kiara f English (Modern)
Variant of Ciara 1 or Chiara. This name was brought to public attention in 1988 after the singing duo Kiara released their song This Time. It was further popularized by a character in the animated movie The Lion King II (1998).
Kierra f English (Modern)
Variant of Kiara influenced by the spelling of Sierra.
Kingsley m & f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "king's wood" in Old English. This name may have received a minor boost in popularity after the release of the 2007 movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, featuring the character Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Kinsley f English (Modern)
From a surname that was derived from an English place name, itself meaning "clearing belonging to Cyne". The Old English given name Cyne is a short form of longer names beginning with cyne meaning "royal".... [more]
Kourtney f English (Modern)
Variant of Courtney. Like Courtney this name declined in popularity in the 1990s, but it was briefly revived after 2007 by the television personality Kourtney Kardashian (1979-) when she began appearing on the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Krystle f English (Modern)
Variant of Crystal. This particular spelling was popularized by the character Krystle Carrington from the American soap opera Dynasty (1981-1989).
Kyrie 2 f English (Modern)
From the name of a Christian prayer, also called the Kyrie eleison meaning "Lord, have mercy". It is ultimately from Greek κύριος (kyrios) meaning "lord".
Layla f Arabic, English
Means "night" in Arabic. Layla was the love interest of the poet Qays (called Majnun) in an old Arab tale, notably retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in his poem Layla and Majnun. This story was a popular romance in medieval Arabia and Persia. The name became used in the English-speaking world after the 1970 release of the song Layla by Derek and the Dominos, the title of which was inspired by the medieval story.
Legacy f & m English (Modern)
From the English word, meaning "something inherited from a predecessor, heritage". It is derived from Old French legacie, itself from Latin legatum "bequest, legacy".
Leila f Persian, Arabic, Kurdish, English, French, Georgian
Variant of Layla, and the usual Persian transcription.... [more]
Leilani f & m Hawaiian
Means "heavenly flowers" or "royal child" from Hawaiian lei "flowers, lei, child" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Lennon m & f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, derived from the Irish byname Leannán meaning "lover". The surname was borne by musician and Beatle member John Lennon (1940-1980), and it may be used as a given name in his honour. In America it is now more common as a feminine name, possibly inspired in part by the singer Lennon Stella (1999-), who began appearing on the television series Nashville in 2012.
Leyla f Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, Persian, Arabic, English (Modern)
Variant of Leila, and the usual Turkish, Azerbaijani and Kurdish form.
Lin m & f Chinese
From Chinese (lín) meaning "forest" or (lín) meaning "fine jade, gem". Other characters can also form this name.
Lorelai f English (Modern)
Variant of Lorelei. This name featured on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) where it was borne by the two main characters (the younger one went by the nickname Rory).
Loyalty f English (Modern)
From the English word, which was originally borrowed from Old French loiauté, a derivative of loial "loyal", itself derived from Latin legalis "legal".
Lyanna f Literature
Created by author George R. R. Martin for a character in his series A Song of Ice and Fire, published beginning 1996, and the television adaptation Game of Thrones (2011-2019). In the story Lyanna was the sister of Ned Stark. Her abduction and subsequent death was the cause of the civil war that toppled the Targaryens.
Lyric f & m English (Modern)
Means simply "lyric, songlike" from the English word, ultimately derived from Greek λυρικός (lyrikos).
Maeva f Tahitian, French
Means "welcome" in Tahitian. It gained popularity in France during the 1980s.
Malani f English (Modern)
Possibly a variant of Melanie using the Hawaiian name element lani meaning "heaven, sky" (found in names such as Leilani and Kalani).
Malaysia f English (Modern)
From the name of the country in southeastern Asia, the home of the Malay people. Their ethnic name is of uncertain origin, though it is possibly from the name of a river, itself derived from Malay melaju or Javanese mlayu meaning "to run, to go fast".
Malia f Hawaiian, English (Modern)
Hawaiian form of Maria. This name experienced a spike in popularity in 2009, due to the eldest daughter (born 1998) of the new American president Barack Obama.
Mallory f English (Modern)
From an English surname was derived from Old French maleüré meaning "unfortunate". It first became common in the 1980s due to the American sitcom Family Ties (1982-1989), which featured a character by this name.
Margareta f German, Swedish, Romanian, Slovene, Finnish, Croatian
Form of Margaret in several languages.
Margot f French
French short form of Margaret.
Marley f & m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was taken from a place name meaning either "pleasant wood", "boundary wood" or "marten wood" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the Jamaican musician Bob Marley (1945-1981).
Marlowe f & m English (Modern)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "remnants of a lake" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the English playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593).
Marvel f English
From the English word meaning "a miracle, a wonder", derived from Old French merveille, from Latin mirabilis meaning "wonderful".
Mckayla f English (Modern)
Variant of Michaela, often spelled as McKayla with the third letter capitalized, as if it were an Irish or Scottish surname beginning with Mc.
McKenna f English (Modern)
From an Irish and Scottish surname, an Anglicized form of Mac Cionaodha, itself derived from the given name Cionaodh. As a given name, it was very rare before 1980. It rapidly increased in popularity during the 1990s, likely because it was viewed as an even more feminine alternative to Mackenzie.
Meadow f English (Modern)
From the English word meadow, ultimately from Old English mædwe. Previously very rare, it rose in popularity after it was used as the name of Tony Soprano's daughter on the television series The Sopranos (1999-2007).
Memphis m & f English (Modern)
From the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it. It is derived from a Greek form of Egyptian mn-nfr meaning "enduring beauty".
Midori f Japanese
From Japanese (midori) meaning "green", as well as other kanji or kanji combinations that have the same pronunciation.
Mikaela f Swedish, Finnish
Feminine form of Michael.
Milani f English (Modern)
From the name of the Italian city of Milan, as in the name of the American cosmetics company founded in 2002. It could also a variant of Melanie.
Miracle f English (Modern)
From the English word miracle for an extraordinary event, ultimately deriving from Latin miraculum "wonder, marvel".
Mittens m & f Pet
From the plural of the English word mitten. This is a common name for cats, given because of a distinctive colouration of the paws.
Montana f & m English (Modern)
From the name of the American state, which is derived from Latin montanus "mountainous".
Moriah f English (Modern)
From Hebrew מֹרִיָה (Moriya) possibly meaning "seen by Yahweh". This is a place name in the Old Testament, both the land where Abraham is to sacrifice Isaac and the mountain upon which Solomon builds the temple. They may be the same place. Since the 1980s it has occasionally been used as a feminine given name in America.
Myla f English (Modern)
Possibly a feminine form of Miles, influenced by similar-sounding names such as Kyla.
Nakeisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic prefix na and the name Keisha.
Nakisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the name prefix na and the name Kisha.
Nālani f & m Hawaiian
Means "the heavens" or "the chiefs" from Hawaiian , a definite article, and lani "heaven, sky, chief".
Navy f & m English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "sea force, fleet, armed forces of the sea". It is derived from Old French navie, from Latin navigia, the plural of navigium "boat, vessel". It also refers to a shade of dark blue, a colour traditionally associated with naval uniforms.
Nevaeh f English (Modern)
The word heaven spelled backwards. It became popular after the musician Sonny Sandoval from the rock group P.O.D. gave it to his daughter in 2000. Over the next few years it rapidly climbed the rankings in America, peaking at the 25th rank for girls in 2010.
Oakleigh f English (Modern)
Strictly feminine variant of Oakley.
Oaklyn f English (Modern)
Variant of Oakley using the popular name suffix lyn.
Paisley f English (Modern)
From a Scots surname, originally from the name of a town near Glasgow, maybe ultimately derived from Latin basilica "church". This is also a word (derived from the name of that same town) for a type of pattern commonly found on fabrics.
Payton f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Peyton.
Phoenix m & f English (Modern)
From the name of a beautiful immortal bird that appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology. After living for several centuries in the Arabian Desert, it would be consumed by fire and rise from its own ashes, with this cycle repeating every 500 years. The name of the bird was derived from Greek φοῖνιξ (phoinix) meaning "dark red".
Porsche f English (Modern)
From the name of the German car company, which was founded by Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951).
Precious f English (African), African American (Modern)
From the English word precious, ultimately derived from Latin pretiosus, a derivative of Latin pretium "price, worth".
Princess f English (Modern)
Feminine equivalent of Prince.
Qiana f African American (Modern)
From the word for the silk-like material, introduced by DuPont in 1968 and popular in the fashions of the 1970s.
Reagan f & m English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Riagáin, derived from the given name Riagán. This surname was borne by American actor and president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004).... [more]
Reign f & m English (Modern)
From the English word reign, derived from Latin regnum "royal power".
Reilly m & f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Raghailligh, derived from the given name Raghailleach, meaning unknown.
Remy m & f English (Modern)
English form of Rémy, occasionally used as a feminine name.
Rhianna f English (Modern)
Probably a variant of Rhiannon.
Rihanna f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic ريحانة (see Rayhana). This name is borne by the Barbadian singer Robyn Rihanna Fenty (1988-), known simply as Rihanna. In the United States it jumped in popularity between the years 2005 and 2008, when Rihanna was releasing her first albums. It quickly declined over the next few years.
Rikki f & m English (Modern)
Variant and feminine form of Ricky.
River m & f English (Modern)
From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin ripa "riverbank".
Rowan m & f Irish, English (Modern)
Anglicized form of the Irish name Ruadhán. As an English name, it can also be derived from the surname Rowan, itself derived from the Irish given name. It could also be given in reference to the rowan tree, a word of Old Norse origin (coincidentally sharing the same Indo-European root meaning "red" with the Irish name).
Rowen m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Rowan.
Royalty f English (Modern)
From the English word royalty, derived (via Old French) from Latin regalitas, a derivative of rex "king".
Ryann f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Ryan.
Rylee f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Riley.
Ryleigh f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Riley.
Ryley m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Riley.
Rylie f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Riley.
Sable f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "black", derived from the name of the black-furred mammal native to northern Asia, ultimately of Slavic origin.
Sage f & m English (Modern)
From the English word sage, which denotes either a type of spice or else a wise person.
Salena f English (Modern)
Perhaps an invented name based on similar-sounding names such as Selina.
Samara f English (Modern), Portuguese (Brazilian)
Possibly derived from the name of the city of Samarra (in Iraq) or Samara (in Russia). The former appears in the title of the novel Appointment in Samarra (1934) by John O'Hara, which refers to an ancient Babylonian legend about a man trying to evade death. Alternatively, this name could be derived from the word for the winged seeds that grow on trees such as maples and elms.... [more]
Sarina f German, Dutch, English (Modern)
Diminutive of Sara, or sometimes a variant of Serena.
Sawyer m & f English (Modern)
From an English surname meaning "sawer of wood". Mark Twain used it for the hero in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).... [more]
Saylor f English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from Old French sailleor meaning "acrobat, dancer". As a modern English given name it could also come from the homophone vocabulary word sailor.
Scarlet f English (Modern)
Either a variant of Scarlett or else from the English word for the red colour (both of the same origin, a type of cloth).
Seven m & f English (Modern)
From the English word for the number, derived from Old English seofon (from an Indo-European root shared by Latin septem and Greek ἑπτά (hepta)).
Shae f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Shea.
Shamika f African American (Modern)
An invented name, blending the popular phonetic prefix sha and the name Tamika.
Shanae f English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements sha and nay.
Shanice f African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha and nees.
Shanika f African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements sha, nee and ka.
Shaniqua f African American (Modern)
An invented name using the popular phonetic elements sha, nee and qua.
Shawnee f English (Modern)
Means "southern people" in the Algonquin language. The Shawnee were an Algonquin tribe who originally lived in the Ohio valley.
Sherlyn f English (Modern)
Recently created name, probably based on the sounds found in other names like Sharon, Sherry and Charlene.
Siena f English (Modern)
Variant of Sienna, with the spelling perhaps influenced by that of the Italian city.
Sienna f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "orange-red". It is ultimately from the name of the city of Siena in Italy, because of the colour of the clay there.
Sierra f English (Modern)
Means "mountain range" in Spanish, referring specifically to a mountain range with jagged peaks.
Sincere m & f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning genuine or heartfelt.
Sky f & m English (Modern)
Simply from the English word sky, which was ultimately derived from Old Norse ský "cloud".
Skye f English (Modern)
From the name of the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland. It is sometimes considered a variant of Sky.
Skyla f English (Modern)
Feminine variant of Skyler, formed using the popular name suffix la.
Skylar f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Skyler. Originally more common for boys during the 1980s, it was popularized as a name for girls after it was used on the American soap opera The Young and the Restless in 1989 and the movie Good Will Hunting in 1997. Its sharp rise in the United States in 2011 might be attributed to the character Skyler White from the television series Breaking Bad (2008-2013) or the singer Skylar Grey (1986-), who adopted this name in 2010 after previously going by Holly Brook.
Skyler m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Schuyler, based on the pronunciation of the surname but respelled as if it was a blend of the English word sky with names such as Tyler. It was rare before 1980, and first gained popularity as a name for boys. It is now more common for girls, though it is more evenly unisex than the mostly feminine variant Skylar.
Sloan f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Sloane.
Sloane f English (Modern)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Sluaghadháin, itself derived from the given name Sluaghadhán.
Sofie f German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech
Form of Sophie in several languages.
Sommer f English (Modern)
Variant of Summer, coinciding with the German word for summer.
Sophea f & m Khmer
Means "judge, lawyer" in Khmer.
Sora f & m Japanese
From Japanese (sora) or (sora) both meaning "sky". Other kanji with the same pronunciations can also form this name.
Soraya f Persian, Spanish, French, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Persian form of Thurayya. It became popular in some parts of Europe because of the fame of Princess Soraya (1932-2001), wife of the last Shah of Iran, who became a European socialite.
Storm m & f English (Modern), Dutch (Modern), Danish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)
From the vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English or Old Dutch storm, or in the case of the Scandinavian name, from Old Norse stormr. It is unisex as an English name, but typically masculine elsewhere.
Stormy f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English stormig.
Tamiko f Japanese
From Japanese (ta) meaning "many", (mi) meaning "beautiful" and (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Tatum f & m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Tata's homestead" in Old English. It was brought to public attention by the child actress Tatum O'Neal (1963-) in the 1970s, though it did not catch on. It attained a modest level of popularity after 1996, when it was borne by a character in the movie Scream.
Tayla f English (Modern)
Probably a feminine form of Taylor influenced by similar-sounding names such as Kayla.
Tayler f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Taylor.
Teagan f English (Modern)
Variant of Tegan. It also coincides with a rare Irish surname Teagan. This name rose on the American popularity charts in the 1990s, probably because of its similarity to names like Megan and Reagan.
Tiara f English (Modern)
From the English word for a semicircle crown, ultimately of Greek origin.
Tiare f Tahitian
Means "flower" in Tahitian, also specifically referring to the species Gardenia taitensis.
Tierra f Various
Means "earth" in Spanish.
Tristen m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Tristan, sometimes used as a feminine form.
Tristin m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Tristan, sometimes used as a feminine form.
Tyla f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Tyler, or a combination of the popular phonetic elements ty and la.
Uʻilani f & m Hawaiian
Means "heavenly beauty" or "royal beauty" from Hawaiian uʻi "youth, beauty" and lani "heaven, sky, royal, majesty".
Vanesa f Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian
Form of Vanessa in several languages.
Véronique f French
French form of Veronica.
Vienna f English (Modern)
From the name of the capital city of Austria, Vienna.
Viviane f French, Portuguese
French form of Viviana, as well as a Portuguese variant. It is also the French form of Vivien 2.
Vivianne f French
Variant of Viviane.
Vivien 2 f Literature, Hungarian
Used by Alfred Tennyson as the name of the Lady of the Lake in his Arthurian epic Idylls of the King (1859). Tennyson may have based it on Vivienne, but it possibly arose as a misreading of Ninian. A famous bearer was British actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), who played Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.
Vivienne f French
French form of Viviana.
Willow f English (Modern)
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.
Winter f English (Modern)
From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.
Wren f English (Modern)
From the English word for the small songbird. It is ultimately derived from Old English wrenna.
Wrenley f English (Modern)
Elaboration of Wren using the popular name suffix ley.
Xavia f English (Rare)
Modern feminine form of Xavier.
Yasmin f Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu, English (Modern), Spanish (Modern), Portuguese (Modern)
Means "jasmine" in Arabic and Hebrew, derived from Persian یاسمین (yāsamīn). In modern times it has been used in the western world, as an Arabic-influenced variant of Jasmine.
Yasmine f Arabic, French (Modern), English (Modern)
Alternate transcription of Arabic ياسمين (see Yasmin).
Yūki m & f Japanese
From Japanese () meaning "excellence, superiority, gentleness" or () meaning "permanence" combined with (ki) meaning "hope", (ki) meaning "brightness" or (ki) meaning "living". Other combinations of kanji can form this name as well.
Yuki f & m Japanese
From Japanese (yuki) meaning "happiness" or (yuki) meaning "snow". It can also come from (yu) meaning "reason, cause" combined with (ki) meaning "valuable" or (ki) meaning "chronicle". Other kanji or kanji combinations are also possible.
Yuuki m & f Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 優希 or 悠希 or 優輝 or 悠生 (see Yūki).
Zara 1 f Literature, English
Used by William Congreve for a character in his tragedy The Mourning Bride (1697), where it belongs to a captive North African queen. Congreve may have based it on the Arabic name Zahra 1. In 1736 the English writer Aaron Hill used it to translate Zaïre for his popular adaptation of Voltaire's French play Zaïre (1732).... [more]
Zaria f English (Modern)
Possibly based on Zahra 2 or the Nigerian city of Zaria.
Zavia f English (Rare)
Modern feminine form of Xavier.