Browse Names

This is a list of names in which the gender is feminine; and the usage is rare.
gender
usage
Lala f Bulgarian (Rare)
From Bulgarian лале (lale) meaning "tulip" (of Persian origin).
Lalia f English (Rare)
Short form of Eulalia.
Lallie f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Lalage.
Lally f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Lalage.
Lark f English (Rare)
From the English word for the type of songbird.
Lauraine f English (Rare)
Variant of Lorraine influenced by the spelling of Laura.
Laurena f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Lauren.
Laurentine f French (Rare)
French feminine form of Laurentinus.
Lauressa f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Laura.
Laurissa f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Laura.
Lawahiz f Arabic (Rare)
Means "glances" in Arabic.
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.
Leocádia f Portuguese (Rare)
Portuguese form of Leocadia.
Léonide m & f French (Rare)
French masculine and feminine form of Leonidas.
Léonne f French (Rare)
Feminine form of Léon.
Leontyne f English (Rare)
Variant of Léontine. This name is borne by opera singer Leontyne Price (1927-).
Líadan f Irish (Rare)
Possibly from Old Irish líath meaning "grey". According to an Irish tale this was the name of a poet who became a nun, but then missed her lover Cuirithir so much that she died of grief. The name was also borne by a 5th-century saint, the mother of Saint Ciarán the Elder.
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.
Lile f Irish (Rare)
Irish form of Lily.
Lillemor f Swedish, Norwegian (Rare)
Means "little mother", from Swedish and Norwegian lille, an inflected form of liten meaning "little", combined with mor meaning "mother". This name was first recorded in Norway and Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century.
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.
Livie f French (Rare), Czech (Rare)
French and Czech feminine form of Livius.
Lolicia f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Lola.
Lorita f Italian (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Loreto.
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.
Lucinde f French (Rare)
French form of Lucinda.
Luus f Dutch (Rare)
Dutch variant of Lucia.
Lynna f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Lynn.
Lys f French (Rare)
Diminutive of Élisabeth. It is also the French word for "lily".
Lyydia f Finnish (Rare)
Finnish variant of Lydia.
Lyyti f Finnish (Rare)
Finnish diminutive of Lydia.
Mabella f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Mabel.
Mädchen f Various (Rare)
Means "girl" in German. It is not used as a name in Germany itself.
Madelina f English (Rare)
Latinate form of Madeline.
Madelon f French (Rare), Dutch
French diminutive of Madeleine, now more common as a Dutch name.
Madicken f Literature, Swedish (Rare)
Used by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren for the heroine of her series of books of the same name, first published in 1960. She is called Maggie, Meg or Mardie in English translations. In the books the name is a diminutive of Margareta, though the inspiration for the character was Lindgren's childhood friend Anne-Marie, whose nickname was Madicken.
Magdaleena f Finnish (Rare), Estonian (Rare)
Finnish and Estonian form of Magdalene.
Maimunah f Arabic (Rare), Malay, Indonesian
Alternate transcription of Arabic ميمونة (see Maymuna), as well as the usual Malay and Indonesian form.
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.
Mallaidh f Irish (Rare)
Irish form of Molly.
Malone m & f English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Maoil Eoin meaning "descendant of a disciple of Saint John".
Marcellette f French (Rare)
French feminine diminutive of Marcellus.
Margareeta f Finnish (Rare), Estonian (Rare)
Finnish and Estonian variant form of Margaret.
Mariabella f English (Rare)
Combination of Maria and Bella.
Marijse f Dutch (Rare)
Dutch form of Marise.
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".
Maristela f Portuguese, Spanish (Rare)
From the title of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, meaning "star of the sea" in Latin. It can also be a combination of Maria and Estela.
Martirio f Spanish (Rare)
Means "martyrdom" in Spanish. It is taken from the title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Martirio, the patron saint of the Spanish town of Ugíjar.
Matrona 1 f Russian (Rare), Late Roman
Means "lady" in Late Latin, a derivative of Latin mater "mother". This was the name of three early saints.
Matryona f Russian (Rare)
Russian variant of Matrona 1.
Mave f Irish (Rare)
Variant of Maeve.
Mavourneen f Irish (Rare)
Derived from the Irish phrase mo mhúirnín meaning "my darling".
Maximilienne f French (Rare)
French feminine form of Maximilian.
Maybelline f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Mabel. This is an American cosmetics company, which was named after the founder's sister Mabel in 1915.
Maymuna f Arabic (Rare)
Means "auspicious, blessed, favourable" in Arabic, from the root يمن (yamana) meaning "to be lucky, to go to the right".
Maymunah f Arabic (Rare)
Alternate transcription of Arabic ميمونة (see Maymuna).
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).
Melánie f Czech (Rare)
Czech form of Melanie.
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).
Meliora f Various (Rare)
Derived from Latin melior meaning "better".
Mélisande f French (Rare)
French form of Millicent used by Maurice Maeterlinck in his play Pelléas et Mélisande (1893). The play was later adapted by Claude Debussy into an opera (1902).
Melissza f Hungarian (Rare)
Hungarian form of Melissa.
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".
Merit 2 f Estonian, Swedish (Rare)
Variant of Maret (Estonian) or Marit (Swedish).
Merletta f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Merle.
Midha f Arabic (Rare)
Feminine form of Midhat.
Mikhaila f English (Rare)
Variant of Michaela, possibly influenced by the spelling of Mikhail.
Minato m & f Japanese (Rare)
From Japanese (minato) meaning "harbour", as well as other combinations of kanji having the same pronunciation.
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.
Mirele f Yiddish (Rare)
Yiddish diminutive of Miriam.
Modesty f English (Rare)
From the English word modesty, ultimately from Latin modestus "moderate", a derivative of modus "measure".
Moema f Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Means "lies" in Tupí. This name appears in the poem Caramuru (1781) by the Brazilian poet Santa Rita Durão.
Móirín f Irish (Rare)
Diminutive of Mór 1.
Monat f Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Muadhnait.
Monifa f Yoruba (Rare)
Means "I am lucky" in Yoruba.
Moon 2 f & m English (Rare)
From the English word for Earth's natural satellite, ultimately from Old English mona.
Morgana f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Morgan 1.
Muadhnait f Irish (Rare)
Means "little noble one", derived from the Old Irish poetic word muad meaning "noble, good" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 6th-century saint, a sister of Saint Mo Laisse.
Muirgheal f Irish (Rare)
Modern form of Muirgel.
Muirín f Irish (Rare)
Modern form of Muirgen.
Munroe m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Monroe.
Murna f Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Muirne.
Myrna f Irish (Rare), English
Anglicized form of Muirne. The popularity of this name spiked in the United States in the 1930s due to the fame of the actress Myrna Loy (1905-1993).
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".
Neonilla f Late Greek, Russian (Rare)
From a Greek name derived from νέος (neos) meaning "new". This was the name of an Orthodox Christian saint, a 3rd-century Syrian woman martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Decius.
Nes f Dutch (Rare)
Dutch short form of Agnes.
Nessa 2 f Hebrew (Rare)
Means "miracle" in Hebrew.
Nigella f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Nigel.
Noelene f English (Rare)
Feminine diminutive of Noel.
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.
Nousha f Persian (Rare)
Means "sweet, pleasant" in Persian.
Noyabrina f Russian (Rare)
Derived from Russian ноябрь (noyabr) meaning "November". It was coined by communist parents in order to commemorate the October Revolution of 1917, which according to the Gregorian calendar (not in use in Russia at the time) actually took place in November 1917.
Nyala f Various (Rare)
From the name of a type of African antelope, ultimately derived from the Bantu word nyálà.
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".
Nyssa f Various (Rare)
From the name of an ancient town of Asia Minor where Saint Gregory was bishop in the 4th century. Nyssa is also the genus name of a type of tree, also called the Tupelo.
Octávia f Portuguese (Rare)
Portuguese form of Octavia.
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.
Odharnait f Irish (Rare)
Derived from odar "dun-coloured, greyish brown, tan" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an early Irish saint.
Ofeliya f Azerbaijani, Russian (Rare), Ukrainian (Rare), Bulgarian (Rare)
Azerbaijani, Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian form of Ophelia.
Ogechukwukamma f Igbo (Rare)
Means "God's time is greater" in Igbo.
Oktyabrina f Russian (Rare)
Derived from Russian октябрь (oktyabr) meaning "October". This name was created by communist parents who were eager to reject traditional names and commemorate the October Revolution of 1917.
Olimpiada f Russian (Rare), Ukrainian (Rare)
Russian and Ukrainian form of Olympias.
Oluwakanyinsola f Yoruba (Rare)
Means "God has dropped honey into wealth" in Yoruba.
Olwin f Welsh (Rare)
Variant of Olwen.
Opaline f English (Rare), French (Rare)
Elaborated form of Opal. This is also an English and French word meaning "resembling an opal".
Oprah f Various (Rare)
In the case of television personality Oprah Winfrey (1954-), it was a childhood mispronunciation of her real name Orpah that became permanent.
Oralee f English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Aurélie.
Oralie f English (Rare)
Possibly a variant of Aurélie.
Oria f Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Aurea.
Orinda f English (Rare)
Probably an elaboration of Spanish oro "gold". This was the pseudonym of the English poet Katherine Philips (1631-1664).
Orlanda f Italian (Rare)
Feminine form of Orlando.
Ornat f Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Odharnait.
Orsina f Italian (Rare)
Feminine form of Orsino.
Ortrun f German (Rare), Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements ort "point" and runa "secret lore, rune". In the medieval German epic Kudrun this is the name of Hartmut's sister.
Osanne f French (Rare)
French form of Osanna.
Otávia f Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Brazilian Portuguese form of Octavia.
Ottoline f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Ottilie. A famous bearer was the British socialite Lady Ottoline Morrell (1873-1938).
Otýlie f Czech (Rare)
Czech form of Odilia.
Ovidia f Ancient Roman, Spanish (Rare), Romanian (Rare)
Feminine form of Ovidius (see Ovid).
Øydis f Norwegian (Rare)
Norwegian form of Eydís.
Ozana f Romanian (Rare), Croatian (Rare)
Romanian and Croatian form of Osanna.
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.
Pacífica f Spanish (Rare)
Spanish feminine form of Pacificus.
Paget f & m English (Rare)
From a French and English surname that meant "little page" (see Paige).
Päivä f Finnish (Rare)
Means "day" in Finnish.
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).
Patritsiya f Bulgarian (Rare), Russian (Rare)
Bulgarian and Russian feminine form of Patricius (see Patrick).
Pelagia f Ancient Greek, Greek, Polish (Rare)
Feminine form of Pelagius. This was the name of a few early saints, including a young 4th-century martyr who threw herself from a rooftop in Antioch rather than lose her virginity.
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.
Perpétua f Portuguese (Rare)
Portuguese form of Perpetua.
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.
Philippina f German (Rare)
Elaborated form of Philippa.
Phillipa f English (Rare)
Feminine variant 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.
Plácida f Spanish (Rare)
Spanish feminine form of Placidus (see Placido).
Placida f Late Roman, Italian (Rare)
Feminine form of Placidus (see Placido).
Placide m & f French
French masculine and feminine form of Placidus (see Placido).
Priita f Finnish (Rare)
Finnish form of Brita.
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.
Quanna f African American (Rare)
Elaboration of the phonetic element quan.
Quin m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Quinn.
Quincey m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Quincy.
Quinlan m & f English (Rare)
From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Caoindealbháin, itself from the given name Caoindealbhán (Old Irish Caíndelbán).
Quintella f English (Rare)
Feminine diminutive of Quintus.
Quiteria f Spanish (Rare), Late Roman
Meaning uncertain, possibly a form of Kythereia. Saint Quiteria was a semi-legendary 2nd-century Iberian martyr.
Radomiła f Polish (Rare)
Polish feminine form of Radomil.
Radomila f Czech (Rare)
Feminine form of Radomil.
Radovana f Czech (Rare)
Feminine form of Radovan.
Raelene f English (Rare)
Combination of Rae and the popular name suffix lene.
Raffaela f German (Rare)
German feminine form of Raphael.
Raimunde f German (Rare)
German feminine form of Raymond.
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.
Raisel f Yiddish (Rare)
Diminutive of Raisa 2.
Rathnait f Irish (Rare)
Derived from Old Irish rath "grace, prosperity" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an early Irish saint.
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.
Raziela f Hebrew (Rare)
Feminine form of Raziel.
Rebekka f German, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Finnish, Dutch (Rare)
Form of Rebecca used in various languages.
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.
Rhosyn f Welsh (Rare)
Means "rose" in Welsh. This is a modern Welsh name.
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 "stripped 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.
Rīta f Latvian (Rare)
Possibly derived from Latvian rīts meaning "morning". Alternatively it could be a Latvian variant of Rita.
Robena f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Robin.
Robertina f Spanish, Italian (Rare)
Feminine diminutive of Roberto.
Robina f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Robin. It originated in Scotland in the 17th century.
Robynne f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Robin.
Róis f Irish (Rare)
Irish form of Rose, or directly from the Irish word rós meaning "rose" (genitive róis; of Latin origin).
Romána f Hungarian (Rare)
Hungarian feminine form of Romanus (see Roman).
Romée f French (Rare), Dutch (Modern)
French feminine form of Romeo.
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.
Romola f Italian (Rare)
Italian feminine form of Romulus.
Ronit 1 f Irish (Rare)
Anglicized form of Rathnait.
Ronnette f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Ronald.
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.
Rossa f Italian (Rare)
Means "red" in Italian.
Rowanne f English (Rare)
Feminine variant of Rowan.