Mana's Personal Name List
Zelda 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ZEHL-də
Rating: 85% based on 2 votes
Short form of
Griselda. This is the name of a princess in the
Legend of Zelda video games, debuting in 1986 and called
ゼルダ (Zeruda) in Japanese. According to creator Shigeru Miyamoto she was named after the American socialite Zelda Fitzgerald (1900-1948).
Winter
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: WIN-tər
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
From the English word for the season, derived from Old English winter.
Winona
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Sioux
Pronounced: wi-NO-nə(English)
Rating: 55% based on 2 votes
Means
"firstborn daughter" in Dakota or Lakota. According to folklore, this was the name of a daughter of a Dakota chief (possibly
Wapasha III) who leapt from a cliff to her death rather than marry a man she hated. Numerous places in the United States have been named after her. The actress Winona Ryder (1971-) was named after the city in Minnesota where she was born.
Willow
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: WIL-o
Rating: 83% based on 3 votes
From the name of the tree, which is ultimately derived from Old English welig.
Wilhelmina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Dutch, German (Rare), English
Pronounced: vil-hehl-MEE-na(Dutch, German) wil-ə-MEEN-ə(English) wil-hehl-MEEN-ə(English)
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Dutch and German feminine form of
Wilhelm. This name was borne by a queen of the Netherlands (1880-1962).
Whitney
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WIT-nee
Rating: 57% based on 3 votes
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "white island" in Old English. Its popular use as a feminine name was initiated by actress Whitney Blake (1925-2002) in the 1960s, and further boosted in the 1980s by singer Whitney Houston (1963-2012).
Wendy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: WEHN-dee
Rating: 60% based on 3 votes
In the case of the character from J. M. Barrie's play
Peter Pan (1904), it was created from the nickname
fwendy "friend", given to the author by a young friend. However, the name was used prior to the play (rarely), in which case it could be related to the Welsh name
Gwendolen and other names beginning with the element
gwen meaning "white, blessed". The name only became common after Barrie's play ran.
Virginia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Greek, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Βιργινία(Greek)
Pronounced: vər-JIN-yə(English) veer-JEE-nya(Italian) beer-KHEE-nya(Spanish)
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
Feminine form of the Roman family name
Verginius or
Virginius, which is of unknown meaning, but long associated with Latin
virgo "maid, virgin". According to a legend, it was the name of a Roman woman killed by her father so as to save her from the clutches of a crooked official.
This was the name of the first English baby born in the New World: Virginia Dare in 1587 on Roanoke Island. Perhaps because of this, the name has generally been more popular in America than elsewhere in the English-speaking world, though in both Britain and America it was not often used until the 19th century. The baby was named after the Colony of Virginia, which was itself named for Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. A more recent bearer was the English novelist Virginia Woolf (1882-1941).
Violet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: VIE-lit, VIE-ə-lit
Rating: 90% based on 4 votes
From the English word violet for the purple flower, ultimately derived from Latin viola. It was common in Scotland from the 16th century, and it came into general use as an English given name during the 19th century.
Victoria
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Romanian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Late Roman, Roman Mythology
Pronounced: vik-TAWR-ee-ə(English) beek-TO-rya(Spanish) vik-TO-rya(German) VEEK-TAW-RYA(French) week-TO-ree-a(Latin)
Rating: 33% based on 3 votes
Means
"victory" in Latin, being borne by the Roman goddess of victory. It is also a feminine form of
Victorius. This name was borne by a 4th-century
saint and martyr from North Africa.
Though in use elsewhere in Europe, the name was very rare in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when Queen Victoria began her long rule of Britain. She was named after her mother, who was of German royalty. Many geographic areas are named after the queen, including an Australian state and a Canadian city.
Ursula
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Swedish, Danish, German, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman
Pronounced: UR-sə-lə(English) UR-syoo-lə(English) UWR-zoo-la(German) OOR-soo-lah(Finnish)
Rating: 70% based on 3 votes
Means
"little bear", derived from a
diminutive form of the Latin word
ursa "she-bear".
Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin princess of the 4th century who was martyred by the Huns while returning from a pilgrimage. In England the saint was popular during the Middle Ages, and the name came into general use at that time.
Twila
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TWIE-lə
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Meaning unknown. Perhaps based on the English word
twilight, or maybe from a Cajun pronunciation of French
étoile "star"
[1]. It came into use as an American given name in the late 19th century.
Tia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TEE-ə
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
Short form of names ending with
tia. It has been suggested that its use since the 1950s is the result of the brand name for the coffee liqueur Tia Maria
[1]. In the brand name,
Tia is not a given name; rather, it means "aunt" in Spanish or Portuguese.
Terra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: TEHR-ə
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Variant of
Tara 1, perhaps influenced by the Latin word
terra meaning "land, earth".
Summer
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: SUM-ər
Rating: 100% based on 4 votes
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.
Sparrow
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SPAR-o, SPEHR-o
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.
Sophia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Greek, German, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Σοφία(Greek)
Pronounced: so-FEE-ə(English) sə-FIE-ə(British English) so-FEE-a(Greek) zo-FEE-a(German)
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
Means
"wisdom" in Greek. This was the name of an early, probably mythical,
saint who died of grief after her three daughters were martyred during the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Legends about her probably arose as a result of a medieval misunderstanding of the phrase
Hagia Sophia "Holy Wisdom", which is the name of a large basilica in Constantinople.
This name was common among continental European royalty during the Middle Ages, and it was popularized in Britain by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century. It was the name of characters in the novels Tom Jones (1749) by Henry Fielding and The Vicar of Wakefield (1766) by Oliver Goldsmith.
In the United States this name was only moderately common until the 1990s when it began rising in popularity, eventually becoming the most popular for girls from 2011 to 2013. A famous bearer is the Italian actress Sophia Loren (1934-).
Sinclair
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: sin-KLEHR
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
From a Scottish surname that was derived from a Norman French town called "
Saint Clair". A notable bearer was the American author Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951).
Silver
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: SIL-vər
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.
Sibylla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Late Roman, German
Other Scripts: Σίβυλλα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: zee-BI-la(German)
Rating: 80% based on 3 votes
Scout
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SKOWT
Rating: 53% based on 3 votes
From the English word scout meaning "one who gathers information covertly", which is derived from Old French escouter "to listen". Harper Lee used this name in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960).
Scarlet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: SKAHR-lit
Rating: 83% based on 4 votes
Either a variant of
Scarlett or else from the English word for the red colour (both of the same origin, a type of cloth).
Ruby
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ROO-bee
Rating: 77% based on 3 votes
Simply from the name of the precious stone (which ultimately derives from Latin
ruber "red"), which is the traditional birthstone of July. It came into use as a given name in the 16th century
[1].
Roslyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAHZ-lin
Rating: 90% based on 2 votes
Rose
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: ROZ
Rating: 90% based on 4 votes
Originally a Norman French form of the Germanic name
Hrodohaidis meaning
"famous type", composed of the elements
hruod "fame" and
heit "kind, sort, type". The
Normans introduced it to England in the forms
Roese and
Rohese. From an early date it was associated with the word for the fragrant flower
rose (derived from Latin
rosa). When the name was revived in the 19th century, it was probably with the flower in mind.
Rosamond
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RO-zə-mənd, RAHZ-ə-mənd
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Variant of
Rosamund, in use since the Middle Ages.
Robin
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Czech
Pronounced: RAHB-in(American English) RAWB-in(British English) RAW-BEHN(French) RAW-bin(Dutch) RO-bin(Czech)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Medieval English
diminutive of
Robert, now usually regarded as an independent name. Robin Hood was a legendary hero and archer of medieval England who stole from the rich to give to the poor. In modern times it has also been used as a feminine name, and it may sometimes be given in reference to the red-breasted bird.
River
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: RIV-ər
Rating: 80% based on 2 votes
From the English word that denotes a flowing body of water. The word is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Latin ripa "riverbank".
Rian
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Old Irish [1][2], English
Pronounced: REEN(Irish) RIE-ən(English)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Irish form of
Ryan, as well as an English variant.
Ravenna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: rə-VEHN-ə
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Either an elaboration of
Raven, or else from the name of the city of Ravenna in Italy.
Raven
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: RAY-vən
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English
hræfn. The raven is revered by several Native American groups of the west coast. It is also associated with the Norse god
Odin.
Raine
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: RAYN
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
From a surname derived from the Old French nickname
reine meaning
"queen". A famous bearer was the British socialite Raine Spencer (1929-2016), the stepmother of Princess Diana. In modern times it is also considered a variant of
Rain 1.
Quinn
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KWIN
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Cuinn, itself derived from the given name
Conn. In the United States it was more common as a name for boys until 2010, the year after the female character Quinn Fabray began appearing on the television series
Glee.
Primrose
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: PRIM-roz
Rating: 80% based on 2 votes
From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin prima rosa "first rose".
Piper
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: PIE-pər
Rating: 25% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that was originally given to a person who played on a pipe (a flute). It was popularized as a given name by a character from the television series
Charmed, which debuted in 1998
[1].
Phoenix
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: FEE-niks
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
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".
Philomena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Φιλουμένη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: fil-ə-MEE-nə(English)
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
From Greek
Φιλουμένη (Philoumene) meaning
"to be loved", an inflection of
φιλέω (phileo) meaning "to love". This was the name of an obscure early
saint and martyr. The name came to public attention in 1802 after a tomb seemingly marked with the name
Filumena was found in Rome, supposedly belonging to another martyr named Philomena. This may have in fact been a representation of the Greek word
φιλουμένη, not a name.
Philippa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (British), German
Pronounced: FI-li-pə(British English)
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
Latinate feminine form of
Philip. As an English name, it is chiefly British.
Pearl
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: PURL
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
From the English word pearl for the concretions formed in the shells of some mollusks, ultimately from Late Latin perla. Like other gemstone names, it has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century. The pearl is the traditional birthstone for June, and it supposedly imparts health and wealth.
Paislee
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: PAYZ-lee
Rating: 50% based on 3 votes
Ophelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Literature, Ancient Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Ὠφελία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: o-FEEL-ee-ə(English) o-FEEL-yə(English)
Rating: 40% based on 3 votes
Derived from Greek
ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning
"help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem
Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play
Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of
Polonius and the potential love interest of
Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.
Morgana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: mawr-GAN-ə
Rating: 70% based on 3 votes
Moira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, Scottish, English
Pronounced: MOI-rə(English)
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Anglicized form of
Máire. It also coincides with Greek
Μοῖρα (Moira) meaning "fate, destiny", the singular of
Μοῖραι, the Greek name for the Fates. They were the three female personifications of destiny in Greek
mythology.
Miriam
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Portuguese, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Biblical
Other Scripts: מִרְיָם(Hebrew)
Pronounced: MIR-ee-əm(English) MI-ryam(German) MI-ri-yam(Czech) MEE-ree-am(Slovak)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Form of
Mary used in the
Old Testament, where it belongs to the elder sister of
Moses and
Aaron. She watched over the infant Moses as the pharaoh's daughter drew him from the Nile. The name has long been popular among Jews, and it has been used as an English Christian name (alongside
Mary) since the
Protestant Reformation.
Minerva
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Roman Mythology, English, Spanish
Pronounced: mee-NEHR-wa(Latin) mi-NUR-və(English) mee-NEHR-ba(Spanish)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Possibly derived from Latin
mens meaning
"intellect", but more likely of Etruscan origin. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and war, approximately equivalent to the Greek goddess
Athena. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since after the Renaissance.
Millie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MIL-ee
Rating: 80% based on 4 votes
Millicent
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MIL-i-sənt
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
From the Gothic name *
Amalaswinþa, composed of the elements
amals "unceasing, vigorous, brave" and
swinþs "strong". Amalaswintha was a 6th-century queen of the Ostrogoths. The
Normans introduced this name to England in the form
Melisent or
Melisende. Melisende was a 12th-century queen of Jerusalem, the daughter of Baldwin II.
Mildred
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MIL-drid
Rating: 40% based on 2 votes
From the Old English name
Mildþryð meaning
"gentle strength", derived from the elements
milde "gentle" and
þryþ "strength".
Saint Mildred was a 7th-century abbess, the daughter of the Kentish princess Saint Ermenburga. After the
Norman Conquest this name became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.
Merry 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MEHR-ee
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
From the English word
merry, ultimately from Old English
myrige. This name appears in Charles Dickens' novel
Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), where it is a
diminutive of
Mercy.
Merrill
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MEHR-əl
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that was derived either from the given name
Muriel or from place names meaning "pleasant hill".
Meriwether
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: MEHR-i-wedh-ər
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
From a surname meaning "happy weather" in Middle English, originally belonging to a cheery person. A notable bearer of the name was Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), who, with William Clark, explored the west of North America.
Meredith
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Welsh, English
Pronounced: MEHR-ə-dith(English)
Rating: 87% based on 3 votes
From the Welsh name
Maredudd or
Meredydd, from Old Welsh forms such as
Margetud, possibly from
mawredd "greatness, magnificence" combined with
iudd "lord". The Welsh forms of this name were well used through the Middle Ages. Since the mid-1920s it has been used more often for girls than for boys in English-speaking countries, though it is still a masculine name in Wales. A famous bearer of this name as surname was the English novelist and poet George Meredith (1828-1909).
Mercy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MUR-see
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
From the English word
mercy, ultimately from Latin
merces "wages, reward", a derivative of
merx "goods, wares". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the
Puritans in the 17th century.
Meadow
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: MEHD-o
Rating: 50% based on 3 votes
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).
McKenna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: mə-KEHN-ə
Rating: 50% based on 3 votes
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 [1].
Maya 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MIE-ə, MAY-ə
Rating: 85% based on 2 votes
Variant of
Maia 1. This name can also be given in reference to the Maya, an indigenous people of southern Mexico and parts of Central America whose civilization flourished between the 3rd and 8th centuries. A famous bearer was the American poet and author Maya Angelou (1928-2014).
Marnie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-nee
Rating: 45% based on 2 votes
Possibly a
diminutive of
Marina. This name was brought to public attention by Alfred Hitchcock's movie
Marnie (1964), itself based on a 1961 novel by Winston Graham.
Marlowe
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: MAHR-lo
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
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).
Marley
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: MAHR-lee
Rating: 40% based on 2 votes
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).
Marjorie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-jə-ree
Personal remark: 'Margie'.
Rating: 40% based on 2 votes
Medieval variant of
Margery, influenced by the name of the herb
marjoram. After the Middle Ages this name was rare, but it was revived at the end of the 19th century.
Maris 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: MEHR-is, MAR-is
Personal remark: By itself, or short for 'Maristela'.
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Means
"of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin
Mary,
Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".
Marion 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: MA-RYAWN(French) MEHR-ee-ən(English) MAR-ee-ən(English)
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
Marina
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Greek, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Georgian, Ancient Roman
Other Scripts: Μαρίνα(Greek) Марина(Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian) მარინა(Georgian)
Pronounced: ma-REE-na(Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Macedonian) mə-REE-nə(Catalan) mə-REEN-ə(English) mu-RYEE-nə(Russian) MA-ri-na(Czech)
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Feminine form of
Marinus. This name was borne by a few early
saints. This is also the name by which Saint
Margaret of Antioch is known in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Marianne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish
Pronounced: MA-RYAN(French) mar-ee-AN(English) ma-RYA-nə(German) ma-ree-YAH-nə(Dutch) MAH-ree-ahn-neh(Finnish)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Combination of
Marie and
Anne 1, though it could also be considered a variant of
Mariana or
Mariamne. Shortly after the formation of the French Republic in 1792, a female figure by this name was adopted as the symbol of the state.
Margot
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: MAR-GO
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Marcie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAHR-see
Rating: 55% based on 2 votes
Maple
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAY-pəl
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
From the English word for the tree (comprising the genus Acer), derived from Old English mapul. This is the name of a girl in Robert Frost's poem Maple (1923) who wonders about the origin of her unusual name.
Mamie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAY-mee
Personal remark: Short for 'Margaret'.
Rating: 35% based on 2 votes
Maisie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: MAY-zee(English)
Rating: 55% based on 2 votes
Scottish
diminutive of
Mairead. It was long used in the United Kingdom and Australia, becoming popular at the end of the 20th century. In the United States it was brought to public attention by the British actress Maisie Williams (1997-), who played Arya Stark on the television series
Game of Thrones beginning 2011. Her birth name is Margaret.
Maggie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAG-ee
Personal remark: By itself, or short for 'Marjorie' or 'Margaret'.
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Macy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAY-see
Rating: 57% based on 3 votes
From an English surname that was from various towns called
Massy in France. The towns themselves were originally derived from a Gallo-Roman personal name that was Latinized as
Maccius. The name was brought to public attention in 1989 when the character Macy Alexander was introduced to the soap opera
The Bold and the Beautiful [1]. It is also notable as the name of a chain of American department stores founded by Rowland Hussey Macy in 1858.
Mabel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: MAY-bəl
Rating: 80% based on 2 votes
Medieval feminine form of
Amabilis. This spelling and
Amabel were common during the Middle Ages, though they became rare after the 15th century. It was revived in the 19th century after the publication of C. M. Yonge's 1854 novel
The Heir of Redclyffe [1], which featured a character named Mabel (as well as one named Amabel).
Lydia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1]
Other Scripts: Λυδία(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: LID-ee-ə(English) LUY-dya(German) LEE-dee-ya(Dutch)
Rating: 77% based on 3 votes
Means
"from Lydia" in Greek. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor, said to be named for the legendary king
Lydos. In the
New Testament this is the name of a woman converted to Christianity by
Saint Paul. In the modern era the name has been in use since the
Protestant Reformation.
Louisa
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: loo-EEZ-ə(English) loo-EE-za(German)
Rating: 77% based on 3 votes
Latinate feminine form of
Louis. A famous bearer was the American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), the author of
Little Women.
Louella
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: loo-EHL-ə
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
Combination of
Lou and the popular name suffix
ella.
Lorena 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian
Pronounced: lo-REH-na(Spanish, Italian)
Personal remark: 'Lori', maybe.
Rating: 55% based on 2 votes
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian form of
Lorraine.
Liv 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LIV
Personal remark: By itself, or short for 'Olivia'.
Rating: 45% based on 2 votes
Linnet
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: li-NEHT, LIN-it
Rating: 55% based on 2 votes
Either a variant of
Lynette or else from the name of the small bird, a type of finch.
Lindsie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LIN-zee
Rating: 40% based on 2 votes
Lilly
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish
Pronounced: LIL-ee(English)
Personal remark: 'Lily' and 'Lillie' are good spellings too.
Rating: 98% based on 4 votes
Lilac
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LIE-lək
Rating: 77% based on 3 votes
From the English word for the shrub with purple or white flowers (genus Syringa). It is derived via Arabic from Persian.
Leslie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LEHZ-lee, LEHS-lee
Rating: 63% based on 3 votes
From a Scottish surname that was derived from a place in Aberdeenshire, probably from Gaelic leas celyn meaning "garden of holly". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century. In America it was more common as a feminine name after the 1940s.
Leighton
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LAY-tən
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
Variant of
Layton. It jumped in popularity as a feminine name after 2007, when actress Leighton Meester (1986-) began appearing on the television series
Gossip Girl.
Lavender
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LAV-ən-dər
Personal remark: Maybe just a middle name.
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
From the English word for the aromatic flower or the pale purple colour.
Laurel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LAWR-əl
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
From the name of the laurel tree, ultimately from Latin laurus.
Lauraine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Personal remark: 'Laurie' or 'Rainey'.
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
Lark
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LAHRK
Personal remark: Maybe just a middle name.
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
From the English word for the type of songbird.
Lana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Russian, Croatian, Slovene, Georgian
Other Scripts: Лана(Russian) ლანა(Georgian)
Pronounced: LAHN-ə(English)
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
Short form of
Alana (English) or
Svetlana (Russian). In the English-speaking world it was popularized by actress Lana Turner (1921-1995), who was born Julia Jean Turner.
Lake
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: LAYK
Personal remark: Maybe just a middle name.
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
From the English word lake, for the inland body of water. It is ultimately derived from Latin lacus.
Lacey
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: LAY-see
Rating: 67% based on 3 votes
Variant of
Lacy. This is currently the most popular spelling of this name.
Kyrie 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: African American (Modern)
Pronounced: KIE-ree
Personal remark: From 'valkyrie' instead.
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Invented name, based on the sounds found in names such as
Tyree and
Kyle. It was popularized as a masculine name by American basketball player Kyrie Irving (1992-).
Kylee
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KIE-lee
Personal remark: 'Kyleigh' is a nice spelling too.
Rating: 60% based on 3 votes
Kit
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KIT
Rating: 43% based on 3 votes
Kimbra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: KIM-brə
Rating: 53% based on 3 votes
Kestrel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: KEHS-trəl
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
From the name of the bird of prey, ultimately derived from Old French crecelle "rattle", which refers to the sound of its cry.
Kennedy
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English, Irish
Pronounced: KEHN-ə-dee(English)
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Cinnéidigh, itself derived from the given name
Cennétig. The name has sometimes been given in honour of assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963). It was popularized as a name for girls by Lisa Kennedy Montgomery (1972-), known simply as Kennedy, the host of the television program
Alternative Nation on MTV from 1992 to 1997.
Kendal
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KEHN-dəl
Rating: 60% based on 3 votes
From a surname that was a variant of
Kendall.
Keira
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KEER-ə
Rating: 47% based on 3 votes
Variant of
Ciara 1. This spelling was popularized by British actress Keira Knightley (1985-).
Kehlani
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Rating: 80% based on 3 votes
Variant of
Kailani or
Kalani. This spelling was popularized by the American singer Kehlani Parrish (1995-), who is known simply as Kehlani.
Justice
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JUS-tis
Rating: 45% based on 2 votes
From an occupational surname meaning "judge, officer of justice" in Old French. This name can also be given in direct reference to the English word justice.
June
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JOON
Personal remark: 'Junebug' is an adorable nickname.
Rating: 73% based on 3 votes
From the name of the month, which was originally derived from the name of the Roman goddess
Juno. It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
Juliette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: ZHUY-LYEHT
Personal remark: 'Juliet' works too. 'Jules' or 'Julie'.
Rating: 73% based on 3 votes
Jules 2
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JOOLZ
Personal remark: Short for 'Juliette' or 'Julia'.
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Journey
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: JUR-nee
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
From the English word, derived via Old French from Latin diurnus "of the day".
Josephine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch
Pronounced: JO-sə-feen(English) yo-zeh-FEE-nə(German)
Personal remark: 'Jo' or 'Sophie'.
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
Johanna
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Hungarian, Finnish, Estonian, English, Late Roman
Pronounced: yo-HA-na(German) yuw-HAN-na(Swedish) yo-HAHN-nah(Danish) yo-HAH-na(Dutch) YO-hawn-naw(Hungarian) YO-hahn-nah(Finnish) jo-HAN-ə(English) jo-AN-ə(English)
Personal remark: 'Jo'.
Rating: 45% based on 2 votes
Latinate form of Greek
Ioanna (see
Joanna).
Jess
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: JEHS
Rating: 57% based on 3 votes
Jade
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: JAYD(English) ZHAD(French)
Rating: 70% based on 4 votes
From the name of the precious stone that is often used in carvings. It is derived from Spanish (piedra de la) ijada meaning "(stone of the) flank", relating to the belief that jade could cure renal colic. As a given name, it came into general use during the 1970s. It was initially unisex, though it is now mostly feminine.
Isolde
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Arthurian Cycle
Pronounced: ee-ZAWL-də(German) i-SOL-də(English) i-ZOL-də(English) i-SOLD(English) i-ZOLD(English) EE-ZAWLD(French)
Personal remark: 'Iseult' is also a beautiful spelling.
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
German form of
Iseult, appearing in the 13th-century German poem
Tristan by Gottfried von Strassburg. In 1865 the German composer Richard Wagner debuted his popular opera
Tristan und Isolde and also used the name for his first daughter.
Isadora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Portuguese
Pronounced: iz-ə-DAWR-ə(English)
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Variant of
Isidora. A famous bearer was the American dancer Isadora Duncan (1877-1927).
Indigo
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: IN-di-go
Rating: 73% based on 3 votes
From the English word
indigo for the purplish-blue dye or the colour. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ἰνδικόν (Indikon) meaning "Indic, from India".
Honora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Irish, English
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Variant of
Honoria. It was brought to England and Ireland by the
Normans.
Henrietta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Hungarian, Finnish, Swedish
Pronounced: hehn-ree-EHT-ə(English) HEHN-ree-eht-taw(Hungarian) HEHN-ree-eht-tah(Finnish)
Personal remark: 'Etta', 'Henri', or 'Hattie', maybe.
Rating: 45% based on 2 votes
Latinate form of
Henriette. It was introduced to England by Henriette Marie, the wife of the 17th-century English king Charles I. The name
Henriette was also Anglicized as
Harriet, a form that was initially more popular.
Helena
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Portuguese, Catalan, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Finnish, Estonian, Slovene, Croatian, Sorbian, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἑλένη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: HEH-leh-na(German, Czech) heh-LEH-na(German, Dutch) heh-LEH-nah(Swedish, Danish, Norwegian) i-LEH-nu(European Portuguese) eh-LEH-nu(Brazilian Portuguese) ə-LEH-nə(Catalan) kheh-LEH-na(Polish) HEH-leh-nah(Finnish) HEHL-ə-nə(English) hə-LAYN-ə(English) hə-LEEN-ə(English)
Personal remark: 'Ela' or 'Hela', maybe.
Rating: 75% based on 2 votes
Latinate form of
Helen. This is the name of the heroine of William Shakespeare's play
All's Well That Ends Well (1603).
Hazel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAY-zəl
Personal remark: Hazel Alice.
Rating: 77% based on 3 votes
From the English word hazel for the tree or the light brown colour, derived ultimately from Old English hæsel. It was coined as a given name in the 19th century and quickly became popular, reaching the 18th place for girls in the United States by 1897. It fell out of fashion in the second half of the 20th century, but has since recovered.
Haven
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAY-vən
Rating: 60% based on 2 votes
From the English word for a safe place, derived ultimately from Old English hæfen.
Harriette
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAR-ee-it, HEHR-ee-it
Personal remark: 'Hattie', maybe.
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
Harlow
Gender: Feminine & Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: HAHR-lo
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
From an English surname derived from a place name, itself derived from Old English
hær "rock, heap of stones" or
here "army", combined with
hlaw "hill". As a name for girls, it received some attention in 2008 when the American celebrity Nicole Richie used it for her daughter.
Greta
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Italian, Swedish, Lithuanian, Polish, English
Pronounced: GREH-ta(German, Italian, Swedish, Polish) GREHT-ə(English)
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Short form of
Margareta. A famous bearer of this name was the Swedish actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990).
Gracie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GRAY-see
Personal remark: By itself or a nickname for 'Grace'.
Rating: 75% based on 4 votes
Georgia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Greek
Other Scripts: Γεωργία(Greek)
Pronounced: JAWR-jə(English) yeh-or-YEE-a(Greek)
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
Latinate feminine form of
George. This is the name of an American state, which was named after the British king George II. The country of Georgia has an unrelated etymology. A famous bearer was the American painter Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986).
Gemma
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Catalan, English (British), Dutch
Pronounced: JEHM-ma(Italian) ZHEHM-mə(Catalan) JEHM-ə(British English) GHEH-ma(Dutch)
Rating: 40% based on 2 votes
Medieval Italian nickname meaning "gem, precious stone". It was borne by the wife of the 13th-century Italian poet Dante Alighieri.
Garnet 1
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: GAHR-nət
Rating: 45% based on 2 votes
From the English word garnet for the precious stone, the birthstone of January. The word is derived from Middle English gernet meaning "dark red".
Freya
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Norse Mythology, English (Modern), German
Pronounced: FRAY-ə(English) FRAY-a(German)
Personal remark: I also like its variant, 'Freyja'.
Rating: 80% based on 3 votes
From Old Norse
Freyja meaning
"lady". This is the name of a goddess associated with love, beauty, war and death in Norse
mythology. She claims half of the heroes who are slain in battle and brings them to her realm of Fólkvangr. Along with her brother
Freyr and father
Njord, she is one of the Vanir (as opposed to the Æsir). Some scholars connect her with the goddess
Frigg.
This is not the usual spelling in any of the Scandinavian languages (in Sweden and Denmark it is Freja and in Norway it is Frøja) but it is the common spelling of the goddess's name in English. In the 2000s it became popular in Britain.
Florence
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: FLAWR-əns(English) FLAW-RAHNS(French)
Rating: 75% based on 2 votes
From the Latin name
Florentius or the feminine form
Florentia, which were derived from
florens "prosperous, flourishing".
Florentius was borne by many early Christian
saints, and it was occasionally used in their honour through the Middle Ages. In modern times it is mostly feminine.
This name can also be given in reference to the city in Italy, as in the case of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), who was born there to British parents. She was a nurse in military hospitals during the Crimean War and is usually considered the founder of modern nursing.
Felicia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Dutch, Swedish, Late Roman
Pronounced: fə-LEE-shə(English) feh-LEE-cha(Italian) feh-LEE-thya(European Spanish) feh-LEE-sya(Latin American Spanish) feh-LEE-chee-a(Romanian) feh-LEE-see-a(Dutch) feh-LEE-see-ah(Swedish)
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
Feminine form of the Latin name
Felicius, a derivative of
Felix. As an English name, it has occasionally been used since the Middle Ages.
Faithe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: FAYTH
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
Evie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EE-vee, EHV-ee
Personal remark: Short for 'Evelyn' or 'Everleigh'.
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
Everleigh
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: EHV-ər-lee
Personal remark: 'Evie'.
Rating: 45% based on 2 votes
Evelyn
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German
Pronounced: EHV-ə-lin(English) EEV-lin(British English) EEV-ə-lin(British English) EH-və-leen(German)
Personal remark: 'Evie'.
Rating: 80% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that was derived from the given name
Aveline. In the 17th century when it was first used as a given name it was more common for boys, but it is now regarded as almost entirely feminine, probably in part because of its similarity to
Eve and
Evelina.
This name was popular throughout the English-speaking world in the early 20th century. It staged a comeback in the early 21st century, returning to the American top ten in 2017.
Ethel
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ETH-əl
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
Short form of names beginning with the Old English element
æðele meaning
"noble". It was coined in the 19th century, when many Old English names were revived. It was popularized by the novels
The Newcomes (1855) by William Makepeace Thackeray and
The Daisy Chain (1856) by C. M. Yonge. A famous bearer was American actress and singer Ethel Merman (1908-1984).
Esther
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: אֶסְתֵר(Hebrew) Ἐσθήρ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: EHS-tər(English, Dutch) EHS-TEHR(French) ehs-TEHR(Spanish) EHS-tu(German)
Personal remark: Esther Alice.
Rating: 65% based on 2 votes
From the Hebrew name
אֶסְתֵר (ʾEsṯer), which possibly means
"star" in Persian. Alternatively it could be a derivative of the name of the Near Eastern goddess
Ishtar. The Book of Esther in the
Old Testament tells the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the king of Persia. The king's advisor
Haman persuaded the king to exterminate all the Jews in the realm. Warned of this plot by her cousin
Mordecai, Esther revealed her Jewish ancestry and convinced the king to execute Haman instead. Her original Hebrew name was
Hadassah.
This name has been used in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. In America it received a boost in popularity after the birth of Esther Cleveland (1893-1980), the daughter of President Grover Cleveland [1].
Ellery
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EHL-ə-ree
Rating: 50% based on 2 votes
From an English surname that was originally derived from the medieval masculine name
Hilary.
Elisabeth
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
Pronounced: eh-LEE-za-beht(German) eh-LEE-sa-beht(Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian) eh-LEE-sa-behd(Danish) i-LIZ-ə-bəth(English)
Personal remark: 'Effie', 'Liz', or 'Beth'.
Rating: 77% based on 3 votes
German and Dutch form of
Elizabeth. It is also a variant English form, reflecting the spelling used in the Authorized Version of the
New Testament.
Effie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Scottish
Pronounced: EHF-ee(English)
Personal remark: By itself, or short for 'Elisabeth'.
Rating: 63% based on 3 votes
Edith
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch
Pronounced: EE-dith(English) EH-dit(German, Swedish)
Personal remark: 'Edie', maybe.
Rating: 45% based on 4 votes
From the Old English name
Eadgyð, derived from the elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
guð "battle". It was popular among Anglo-Saxon royalty, being borne for example by
Saint Eadgyeth;, the daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful. It was also borne by the Anglo-Saxon wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. The name remained common after the
Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 15th century, but was revived in the 19th century.
Edie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: EE-dee
Personal remark: By itself, or short for 'Eden'/'Edith'.
Rating: 53% based on 4 votes
Eden
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Hebrew, English (Modern), French (Modern)
Other Scripts: עֵדֶן(Hebrew)
Pronounced: EE-dən(English)
Personal remark: 'Edie', maybe.
Rating: 86% based on 5 votes
From the biblical place name, itself possibly from Hebrew
עֵדֶן (ʿeḏen) meaning "pleasure, delight"
[1], or perhaps derived from Sumerian
𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the
Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people,
Adam and
Eve, lived before they were expelled.
Dove
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DUV
Rating: 80% based on 3 votes
From the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.
Diana
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Armenian, Georgian, Roman Mythology
Other Scripts: Диана(Russian, Bulgarian) Діана(Ukrainian) Դիանա(Armenian) დიანა(Georgian)
Pronounced: die-AN-ə(English) DYA-na(Spanish, Italian, Polish) dee-U-nu(European Portuguese) jee-U-nu(Brazilian Portuguese) dee-A-nə(Catalan) dee-A-na(German, Dutch, Latin) dyee-A-nu(Ukrainian) DI-ya-na(Czech) DEE-a-na(Slovak)
Rating: 95% based on 2 votes
Means
"divine, goddesslike", a derivative of Latin
dia or
diva meaning
"goddess". It is ultimately related to the same Indo-European root *
dyew- found in
Zeus. Diana was a Roman goddess of the moon, hunting, forests and childbirth, often identified with the Greek goddess
Artemis.
As a given name, Diana has been regularly used since the Renaissance. It became more common in the English-speaking world following Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy (1817), which featured a character named Diana Vernon. It also appeared in George Meredith's novel Diana of the Crossways (1885). A notable bearer was the British royal Diana Spencer (1961-1997), the Princess of Wales.
Daphne
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Greek Mythology, English, Dutch
Other Scripts: Δάφνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: DA-PNEH(Classical Greek) DAF-nee(English) DAHF-nə(Dutch)
Rating: 63% based on 3 votes
Means
"laurel" in Greek. In Greek
mythology she was a nymph turned into a laurel tree by her father in order that she might escape the pursuit of
Apollo. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the end of the 19th century.
Dakota
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: də-KO-tə
Rating: 53% based on 3 votes
From the name of the Native American people of the northern Mississippi Valley, or from the two American states that were named for them: North and South Dakota (until 1889 unified as the Dakota Territory). The tribal name means
"allies, friends" in the Dakota language.
It was rare as an American given name before 1975. In the mid-1980s it began growing in popularity for boys after a character by this name began appearing on the soap opera Ryan's Hope. It is now more common as a feminine name, probably due to the fame of the actress Dakota Fanning (1994-).
Daisy
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: DAY-zee
Rating: 87% based on 3 votes
Simply from the English word for the white flower, ultimately derived from Old English
dægeseage meaning "day eye". It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.
This name was fairly popular at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th. The American author F. Scott Fitzgerald used it for the character of Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby (1925). The Walt Disney cartoon character Daisy Duck was created in 1940 as the girlfriend of Donald Duck. It was at a low in popularity in the United States in the 1970s when it got a small boost from a character on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard in 1979.
Cordelia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Literature, English
Pronounced: kawr-DEE-lee-ə(English) kawr-DEEL-yə(English)
Rating: 90% based on 3 votes
From
Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles
[1] of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King
Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. Geoffrey possibly based her name on that of
Creiddylad, a character from Welsh legend.
The spelling was later altered to Cordelia when Geoffrey's story was adapted by others, including Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590) and Shakespeare in his tragedy King Lear (1606).
Clover
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KLO-vər
Personal remark: Maybe just as a middle name...
Rating: 73% based on 4 votes
From the English word for the wild flower, ultimately deriving from Old English clafre.
Claudia
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Ancient Roman
Pronounced: KLAW-dee-ə(English) KLOW-dya(German, Italian, Romanian) KLOW-dee-a(Dutch, Latin) KLOW-dhya(Spanish)
Rating: 80% based on 3 votes
Feminine form of
Claudius. It is mentioned briefly in the
New Testament. As a Christian name it was very rare until the 16th century.
Chloe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek [1], Ancient Greek [2], Greek Mythology
Other Scripts: Χλόη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: KLO-ee(English)
Rating: 70% based on 3 votes
Means
"green shoot" in Greek, referring to new plant growth in the spring. This was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Demeter. The name is also mentioned by
Paul in one of his epistles in the
New Testament.
As an English name, Chloe has been in use since the Protestant Reformation. It started getting more popular in the 1980s in the United Kingdom and then the United States. It was the most popular name for girls in England and Wales from 1997 to 2002. This is one of the few English-language names that is often written with a diaeresis, as Chloë.
Charlotte
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch
Pronounced: SHAR-LAWT(French) SHAHR-lət(English) shar-LAW-tə(German) sha-LOT(Swedish) shahr-LAW-tə(Dutch)
Personal remark: "Charlie", maybe.
Rating: 53% based on 3 votes
French feminine
diminutive of
Charles. It was introduced to Britain in the 17th century. It was the name of a German-born 18th-century queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland. Another notable bearer was Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855), the eldest of the three Brontë sisters and the author of
Jane Eyre and
Villette. A famous fictional bearer is the spider in the children's novel
Charlotte's Web (1952) by E. B. White.
This name was fairly common in France, England and the United States in the early 20th century. It became quite popular in France and England at the end of the 20th century, just when it was at a low point in the United States. It quickly climbed the American charts and entered the top ten in 2014.
Celeste
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, English
Pronounced: cheh-LEH-steh(Italian) theh-LEHS-teh(European Spanish) seh-LEHS-teh(Latin American Spanish) sə-LEST(English)
Rating: 47% based on 3 votes
Italian feminine and masculine form of
Caelestis. It is also the Portuguese, Spanish and English feminine form.
Catherine
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French, English
Pronounced: KA-TU-REEN(French) KA-TREEN(French) KATH-ə-rin(English) KATH-rin(English)
Personal remark: "Cat", maybe.
Rating: 53% based on 3 votes
French form of
Katherine, and also a common English variant.
Cassandra
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Κασσάνδρα(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: kə-SAN-drə(English) kə-SAHN-drə(English)
Personal remark: 'Cass' or 'Cassie'.
Rating: 87% based on 3 votes
From the Greek name
Κασσάνδρα (Kassandra), possibly derived from
κέκασμαι (kekasmai) meaning "to excel, to shine" and
ἀνήρ (aner) meaning "man" (genitive
ἀνδρός). In Greek
myth Cassandra was a Trojan princess, the daughter of
Priam and
Hecuba. She was given the gift of prophecy by
Apollo, but when she spurned his advances he cursed her so nobody would believe her prophecies.
In the Middle Ages this name was common in England due to the popularity of medieval tales about the Trojan War. It subsequently became rare, but was revived in the 20th century.
Cass
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAS
Personal remark: By itself, or short for 'Cassandra'.
Rating: 78% based on 4 votes
Carrie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KAR-ee, KEHR-ee
Personal remark: Short for 'Carolyn'.
Rating: 67% based on 3 votes
Diminutive of
Caroline. This name declined in use shortly after the 1976 release of the horror movie
Carrie, which was based on a 1974 novel by Stephen King.
Camilla
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, German, Ancient Roman, Roman Mythology
Pronounced: kə-MIL-ə(English) ka-MEEL-la(Italian) kah-MEEL-lah(Danish) KAH-meel-lah(Finnish) ka-MI-la(German)
Rating: 60% based on 3 votes
Feminine form of
Camillus. This was the name of a legendary warrior maiden of the Volsci, as told by
Virgil in the
Aeneid. It was popularized in the English-speaking world by Fanny Burney's novel
Camilla (1796).
Caitlyn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: KAYT-lin
Personal remark: "Katie", maybe.
Rating: 40% based on 2 votes
Bonnie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BAHN-ee
Rating: 30% based on 2 votes
Means "pretty" from the Scottish word bonnie, which was itself derived from Middle French bon "good". It has been in use as an American given name since the 19th century, and it became especially popular after the movie Gone with the Wind (1939), in which it was the nickname of Scarlett's daughter.
Blythe
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Rare)
Pronounced: BLIEDH
Rating: 70% based on 2 votes
From a surname meaning "cheerful" in Old English.
Blair
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Scottish, English
Pronounced: BLEHR(English)
Rating: 70% based on 3 votes
From a Scottish surname that was derived from Gaelic
blàr meaning
"plain, field, battlefield". In Scotland this name is typically masculine.
In the United States it became more common for girls in the early 1980s, shortly after the debut of the television sitcom The Facts of Life (1979-1988), which featured a character named Blair Warner. The name left the American top 1000 rankings two decades later, but was resurrected by another television character, this time Blair Waldorf from the series Gossip Girl (2007-2012).
Bev
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: BEHV
Personal remark: NOT short for Beverly, just Bev.
Rating: 35% based on 2 votes
Averie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English (Modern)
Pronounced: AY-və-ree, AYV-ree
Rating: 30% based on 3 votes
Autumn
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AW-təm
Rating: 72% based on 5 votes
From the name of the season, ultimately from Latin autumnus. This name has been in general use since the 1960s.
Aurora
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Romanian, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Roman Mythology
Pronounced: ow-RAW-ra(Italian) ow-RO-ra(Spanish, Latin) ə-RAWR-ə(English) OW-ro-rah(Finnish)
Personal remark: Aurora Rose.
Rating: 73% based on 4 votes
Means "dawn" in Latin. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the morning. It has occasionally been used as a given name since the Renaissance.
Aurélie
Gender: Feminine
Usage: French
Pronounced: O-REH-LEE
Rating: 50% based on 3 votes
Audra 2
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AWD-rə
Personal remark: Audra Mae.
Rating: 27% based on 3 votes
Variant of
Audrey, used since the 19th century. It jumped in popularity in the United States after the debut of the television series
The Big Valley (1965-1969), which featured the character Audra Barkley.
Ash
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ASH
Personal remark: By itself, or short for 'Ashley'.
Rating: 60% based on 4 votes
Short form of
Ashley. It can also come directly from the English word denoting either the tree or the residue of fire.
Ariel
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Polish, Biblical, Biblical Greek
Other Scripts: אֲרִיאֵל(Hebrew) Ἀριήλ(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: a-ree-EHL(Hebrew) EHR-ee-əl(English) AR-ee-əl(English) A-RYEHL(French) a-RYEHL(Spanish) A-ryehl(Polish)
Rating: 43% based on 3 votes
Means
"lion of God" in Hebrew, from
אֲרִי (ʾari) meaning "lion" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the
Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Shakespeare utilized it for a spirit in his play
The Tempest (1611) and Alexander Pope utilized it for a sylph in his poem
The Rape of the Lock (1712), and one of the moons of Uranus bears this name in his honour. As an English name, it became more common for females in the 1980s, especially after it was used for the title character in the Disney film
The Little Mermaid (1989).
Arden
Gender: Masculine & Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AHR-dən
Personal remark: Middle name only.
Rating: 40% based on 4 votes
From an English surname, originally taken from various place names, which were derived from a Celtic word meaning "high".
Alice
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Czech, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch
Pronounced: AL-is(English) A-LEES(French) u-LEE-si(European Portuguese) a-LEE-see(Brazilian Portuguese) a-LEE-cheh(Italian) a-LEES(German) A-li-tseh(Czech)
Rating: 62% based on 5 votes
From the Old French name
Aalis, a short form of
Adelais, itself a short form of the Germanic name
Adalheidis (see
Adelaide). This name became popular in France and England in the 12th century. It was among the most common names in England until the 16th century, when it began to decline. It was revived in the 19th century.
This name was borne by the heroine of Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1871).
Agnes
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Estonian, Late Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἅγνη(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AG-nis(English) AK-nəs(German) AHKH-nehs(Dutch) ANG-nehs(Swedish) OW-nes(Danish)
Personal remark: "Aggie", maybe.
Rating: 38% based on 4 votes
Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἅγνη (Hagne), derived from Greek
ἁγνός (hagnos) meaning
"chaste".
Saint Agnes was a virgin martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. The name became associated with Latin
agnus "lamb", resulting in the saint's frequent depiction with a lamb by her side. Due to her renown, the name became common in Christian Europe.
As an English name it was highly popular from the Middle Ages until the 17th century. It was revived in the 19th century and was common into the 20th, but it fell into decline after the 1930s. It last appeared on the American top 1000 rankings in 1972.
Agatha
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Other Scripts: Ἀγαθή(Ancient Greek)
Pronounced: AG-ə-thə(English) a-GHA-ta(Dutch)
Personal remark: "Aggie", maybe.
Rating: 28% based on 4 votes
Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἀγαθή (Agathe), derived from Greek
ἀγαθός (agathos) meaning
"good".
Saint Agatha was a 3rd-century martyr from Sicily who was tortured and killed after spurning the advances of a Roman official. The saint was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). The mystery writer Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was a famous modern bearer of this name.
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