Browse Names

This is a list of names in which the gender is feminine; and the categories include rare English.
gender
usage
Leith m & f English (Rare)
From a surname, originally from the name of a Scottish town (now a district of Edinburgh), which is derived from Gaelic lìte "wet, damp". It is also the name of the river that flows though Edinburgh.
Leontyne f English (Rare)
Variant of Léontine. This name is borne by opera singer Leontyne Price (1927-).
Lilac f English (Rare)
From the English word for the shrub with purple or white flowers (genus Syringa). It is derived via Arabic from Persian.
Linnaea f English (Rare)
From the word for the type of flower, also called the twinflower (see Linnéa).
Linnet f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Lynette or else from the name of the small bird, a type of finch.
Lolicia f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Lola.
Lorrin m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Loren.
Lotus f English (Rare)
From the name of the lotus flower (species Nelumbo nucifera) or the mythological lotus tree. They are ultimately derived from Greek λωτός (lotos). In Greek and Roman mythology the lotus tree was said to produce a fruit causing sleepiness and forgetfulness.
Luanna f English (Rare)
Either a combination of Lou and Anna or a variant of Luana.
Luvenia f English
Possibly a form of Lavinia. It has been used in America since the 19th century.
Luvinia f English
Variant of Luvenia.
Lynna f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Lynn.
Mabella f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Mabel.
Madelina f English (Rare)
Latinate form of Madeline.
Maitland m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a Norman French place name possibly meaning "inhospitable".
Malandra f English (Rare)
Invented name using the popular name suffix andra, from names such as Sandra or Alexandra.
Malone m & f English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Maoil Eoin meaning "descendant of a disciple of Saint John".
Mariabella f English (Rare)
Combination of Maria and Bella.
Maris 2 f English (Rare)
Means "of the sea", taken from the Latin title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea".
Maybelline f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Mabel. This is an American cosmetics company, which was named after the founder's sister Mabel in 1915.
Meade m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that indicated one who lived on a meadow (from Middle English mede) or one who sold or made mead (an alcoholic drink made from fermented honey; from Old English meodu).
Melantha f English (Rare)
Probably a combination of Mel (from names such as Melanie or Melissa) with the suffix antha (from Greek ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower"). John Dryden used this name in his play Marriage a la Mode (1672).
Melesina f English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, perhaps a form of Millicent. It was borne by the Irish writer and socialite Melesina Trench (1768-1827).
Mercia f English (Rare)
Latinate form of Mercy. This was also the name of an old Anglo-Saxon kingdom, though it has a different origin.
Merit 1 m & f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Merritt or else simply from the English word merit, ultimately from Latin meritus "deserving".
Merletta f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Merle.
Mikhaila f English (Rare)
Variant of Michaela, possibly influenced by the spelling of Mikhail.
Minty f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Araminta.
Mirabelle f French (Rare), English (Rare)
Derived from Latin mirabilis meaning "wonderful". This name was coined during the Middle Ages, though it eventually died out. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.
Modesty f English (Rare)
From the English word modesty, ultimately from Latin modestus "moderate", a derivative of modus "measure".
Morgana f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Morgan 1.
Munroe m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Monroe.
Nakisha f African American (Modern)
Combination of the name prefix na and the name Kisha.
Neely m & f English (Rare)
From a Scottish surname, an Anglicized and reduced form of Gaelic Mac an Fhilidh (or McNeilly) meaning "son of the poet".
Nigella f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Nigel.
Noelene f English (Rare)
Feminine diminutive of Noel.
Nolene f Afrikaans
Elaborated form of Nola, most commonly found in South Africa.
Nona 2 f English, Ancient Roman (Rare)
Feminine form of Nonus. It was also used in 19th-century England, derived directly from Latin nonus "ninth" and traditionally given to the ninth-born child.
Normina f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Norma.
Nydia f English (Rare), Spanish, Literature
Used by British author Edward Bulwer-Lytton for a blind flower-seller in his novel The Last Days of Pompeii (1834). He perhaps based it on Latin nidus "nest".
Ocean f & m English (Modern)
Simply from the English word ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.
October f English (Rare)
From the name of the tenth month. It is derived from Latin octo meaning "eight", because it was originally the eighth month of the Roman year.
Odetta f English (Rare)
Latinate form of Odette.
Opaline f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Opal. This is also an English word meaning "resembling an opal".
Oralee f English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Aurélie.
Oralie f English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Aurélie.
Orinda f English (Rare)
Probably an elaboration of Spanish oro "gold". This was the pseudonym of the English poet Katherine Philips (1631-1664).
Ottoline f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Ottilie. A famous bearer was the British socialite Lady Ottoline Morrell (1873-1938).
Pacey m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the French place name Pacy, itself derived from Gaulish given name of unknown meaning.
Paget f & m English (Rare)
From a French and English surname that meant "little page" (see Paige).
Parris m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that originally denoted a person who came from the French city of Paris (see Paris 2).
Peace f English (African)
From the English word peace, ultimately derived from Latin pax. This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Pene f English (Rare)
Short form of Penelope.
Peony f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of flower. It was originally believed to have healing qualities, so it was named after the Greek medical god Pæon.
Perlie f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Pearl.
Permelia f English (Archaic)
Meaning unknown, possibly an early American alteration of Pamela.
Petal f English (Rare)
From the English word for the flower part, derived from Greek πέταλον (petalon) meaning "leaf".
Petrina f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Petra.
Petula f English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, created in the 20th century. The name is borne by the British singer Petula Clark (1932-), whose name was invented by her father.
Petunia f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, derived ultimately from a Tupi (South American) word.
Philadelphia f English (Rare)
From the name of a city in Asia Minor mentioned in Revelation in the New Testament. The name of the city meant "brotherly love" from Greek φιλέω (phileo) meaning "to love" and ἀδελφός (adelphos) meaning "brother". It is also the name of a city in the United States.
Philipa f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Philip.
Phyllida f English (Rare)
From Φυλλίδος (Phyllidos), the genitive form of Phyllis. This form was used in 17th-century pastoral poetry.
Piety f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "piety, devoutness". This was a rare virtue name used by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Praise f & m English (African)
From the English word praise, which is ultimately derived (via Old French) from Late Latin preciare, a derivative of Latin pretium "price, worth". This name is most common in English-speaking Africa.
Primrose f English (Rare)
From the English word for the flower, ultimately deriving from Latin prima rosa "first rose".
Primula f English (Rare), Italian (Rare)
From the name of a genus of several species of flowers, including the primrose. It is derived from the Latin word primulus meaning "very first".
Prunella f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of flower, also called self-heal, ultimately a derivative of the Latin word pruna "plum".
Purdie m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the Norman French expression pur die "by God". It was perhaps originally a nickname for a person who used the oath frequently.
Quin m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Quinn.
Quintella f English (Rare)
Feminine diminutive of Quintus.
Raelene f English (Rare)
Combination of Rae and the popular name suffix lene.
Rain 1 f & m English (Rare)
Simply from the English word rain, derived from Old English regn.
Rainbow f English (Rare)
From the English word for the arc of multicoloured light that can appear in a misty sky.
Raine f & m English (Rare)
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.
Ravenna f English (Rare)
Either an elaboration of Raven, or else from the name of the city of Ravenna in Italy.
Raylene f English (Rare)
Combination of Rae and the popular name suffix lene.
Reenie f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Renée or a diminutive of names ending in reen.
Regana f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Regan, influenced by Regina.
Renie f English (Rare)
Possibly a diminutive of Renee.
Reverie f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "daydream, fanciful musing", derived from Old French resverie, itself from resver meaning "to dream, to rave".
Rexanne f English (Rare)
Variant of Roxane influenced by Rex.
Rhetta f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Rhett.
Rica f English (Rare)
Short form of Frederica and other names ending in rica.
Richardine f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Richard.
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.
Ridley m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was originally derived from various place names meaning either "reed clearing" or "channel clearing" in Old English.
Ripley f & m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the name of various English towns, from Old English rippel "grove, thicket" and leah "clearing". A famous fictional bearer is the character Ellen Ripley (usually only called by her surname) from the Alien series of movies, beginning 1979.
Robina f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Robin. It originated in Scotland in the 17th century.
Robynne f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Robin.
Romey f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Rosemary.
Romilly m & f English (British, Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of various Norman towns, themselves from the given name Romilius.
Ronnette f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Ronald.
Rorie f & m English
Variant of Rory.
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.
Rosaleen f English (Rare), Irish
Variant of Rosaline. James Clarence Mangan used it as a translation for Róisín in his poem Dark Rosaleen (1846).
Rosalin f English (Rare)
Medieval variant of Rosalind.
Rosamund f English (Rare)
Derived from the Old German elements hros "horse" and munt "protection". This name was borne by the wife of the Lombard king Alboin in the 6th century. The Normans introduced it to England. It was subsequently interpreted as coming from Latin rosa munda "pure rose" or rosa mundi "rose of the world". This was the name of the mistress of Henry II, the king of England in the 12th century. According to legends she was murdered by his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Rowanne f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Rowan.
Royale f & m English (Rare)
Variant of Royal.
Ryanne f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Ryan.
Saffron f English (Rare)
From the English word that refers either to a spice, the crocus flower from which it is harvested, or the yellow-orange colour of the spice. It is derived via Old French from Arabic زعفران (za'faran), itself probably from Persian meaning "gold leaves".
Salome f English (Rare), German (Rare), Georgian, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From an Aramaic name that was related to the Hebrew word שָׁלוֹם (shalom) meaning "peace". According to the historian Josephus this was the name of the daughter of Herodias (the consort of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee). In the New Testament, though a specific name is not given, it was a daughter of Herodias who danced for Herod and was rewarded with the head of John the Baptist, and thus Salome and the dancer have traditionally been equated.... [more]
Sammi f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Samantha.
Seanna f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Seán.
Sela f English (Rare)
From the name of a city, the capital of Edom, which appears in the Old Testament. It means "rock" in Hebrew.
Selby m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "willow farm" in Old Norse.
September f English (Rare)
From the name of the ninth month (though it means "seventh month" in Latin, since it was originally the seventh month of the Roman year), which is sometimes used as a given name for someone born in September.
Sequoia f & m English (Rare)
From the name of huge trees that grow in California. The tree got its name from the 19th-century Cherokee scholar Sequoyah (also known as George Guess), the inventor of the Cherokee writing system.
Sera f English (Rare)
Either a variant of Sarah or a short form of Seraphina.
Seraphina f English (Rare), German (Rare), Late Roman
Feminine form of the Late Latin name Seraphinus, derived from the biblical word seraphim, which was Hebrew in origin and meant "fiery ones". The seraphim were an order of angels, described by Isaiah in the Bible as having six wings each.... [more]
Sevyn f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Seven.
Shanene f English (Rare)
Combination of the phonetic elements sha and neen.
Sharona f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Sharon.
Shaye f & m English (Rare)
Variant of Shea.
Shaylyn f English (Rare)
Invented name, based on Shayla and using the popular name suffix lyn.
Shelena f African American (Rare)
Combination of the phonetic prefix sha and the name Lena.
Silver m & f English (Rare)
From the English word for the precious metal or the colour, ultimately derived from Old English seolfor.
Sinclair m & f English (Rare)
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).
Skylynn f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Sky using the popular name suffix lyn.
Sophy f English (Rare)
Variant of Sophie or a diminutive of Sophia.
Sorrel f English (Rare)
From the name of the sour tasting plant, derived from Old French sur "sour", a word of Frankish origin.
Sparrow m & f English (Rare)
From the name of the bird, ultimately from Old English spearwa.
Spirit f English (Rare)
From the English word spirit, ultimately from Latin spiritus "breath, energy", a derivative of spirare "to blow".
Stacee f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Stacy.
Symphony f English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, ultimately deriving from Greek σύμφωνος (symphonos) meaning "concordant in sound".
Tallulah f English (Rare)
This is the name of waterfalls in Georgia. Popularly claimed to mean "leaping waters" in the Choctaw language, it may actually mean "town" in the Creek language. It was borne by American actress Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968), who was named after her grandmother, who may have been named after the waterfalls.
Tansy f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which is derived via Old French from Late Latin tanacita.
Tarina f English (Rare)
Perhaps an elaborated form of Tara 1.
Teal f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of duck or the greenish-blue colour.
Tempest f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "storm". It appears in the title of William Shakespeare's play The Tempest (1611).
Temple m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that originally belonged to a person who was associated with the Knights Templar, a medieval religious military order.
Tennyson m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that meant "son of Tenney", Tenney being a medieval form of Denis. A notable bearer of the surname was the British poet Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), commonly called Lord Tennyson after he became a baron in 1884.
Tigerlily f English (Rare)
From tiger lily, a name that has been applied to several orange varieties of lily (such as the species Lilium lancifolium). Tiger Lily is also the name of the Native American princess in J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904).
Timotha f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Timothy.
Topaz f English (Rare)
From the English word for the yellow precious stone, the traditional birthstone of November, ultimately derived from Greek τόπαζος (topazos).
Topsy f English (Rare)
From a nickname that is of unknown meaning, perhaps deriving from the English word top. This is the name of a young slave in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852).
Tressa f English (Rare)
Contracted form of Theresa. It may also be associated with the English word tress meaning "long lock of hair".
Tria f English (Rare)
Perhaps a short form of Demetria and other names ending in a similar sound.
Trini f Spanish
Short form of Trinidad.
Tuesday f English (Rare)
From the English word for the day of the week, which derives from Old English tiwesdæg meaning "Tiw's day".
Tylar m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Tyler.
Ulyssa f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Ulysses.
Unity f English (Rare)
From the English word unity, which is ultimately derived from Latin unitas.
Vale f English (Rare)
From the English word meaning "wide river valley".
Venetia f English (Rare), Greek
From the Latin name of the Italian region of Veneto and the city of Venice (see the place name Venetia). This name was borne by the celebrated English beauty Venetia Stanley (1600-1633), though in her case the name may have been a Latinized form of the Welsh name Gwynedd. Benjamin Disraeli used it for the heroine of his novel Venetia (1837).
Veva f Spanish, Portuguese
Short form of Genoveva.
Vianne f English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, perhaps a combination of Vi and Anne 1 or a short form of Vivianne.
Viona f English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Fiona influenced by Viola.
Viviette f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Vivienne. William John Locke used this name for the title character in his novel Viviette (1910).
Wallis m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Wallace. Wallis Simpson (1895-1986) was the divorced woman whom Edward VIII married, which forced him to abdicate the British throne.
Wilfreda f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Wilfred.
Willoughby m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "willow town" in Old English.
Windsor m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was from a place name meaning "riverbank with a windlass" in Old English (a windlass is a lifting apparatus). This has been the surname of the royal family of the United Kingdom since 1917.
Winslow m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "hill belonging to Wine". A famous bearer of this name was American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910).
Wisdom f & m English (Rare)
Simply from the English word, a derivative of Old English wis "wise".
Wisteria f English (Rare)
From the name of the flowering plant, which was named for the American anatomist Caspar Wistar.
Wynne 2 m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Wine.
Xaviera f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Xavier.
Zavia f English (Rare)
Modern feminine form of Xavier.
Zinnia f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower, which was itself named for the German botanist Johann Zinn.