Jocelynf & mEnglish, French From a Frankish masculine name, variously written as Gautselin, Gauzlin, along with many other spellings. It was derived from the Germanic element *gautaz, which was from the name of the Germanic tribe the Geats, combined with a Latin diminutive suffix. The Normans brought this name to England in the form Goscelin or Joscelin, and it was common until the 14th century. It was revived in the 20th century primarily as a feminine name, perhaps an adaptation of the surname Jocelyn (a medieval derivative of the given name). In France this is a masculine name only.
KumarifHinduism, Hindi, Telugu Feminine form of Kumara. In the Hindu epic the Mahabharata Kumari is the wife of the warrior Bhima. This is also another name of the Hindu goddess Durga.
KylafEnglish Feminine form of Kyle, or a combination of the popular phonetic elements ky and la.
KyliefEnglish This name arose in Australia, where it is said to mean "boomerang" in the Australian Aboriginal language Nyungar. An early bearer was the author Kylie Tennant (1912-1988). It was among the most popular names in Australia in the 1970s and early 80s. It can also be considered a feminine form of Kyle, or a combination of the popular sounds ky and lee, and it is likely in those capacities that it began to be used in America in the late 1970s. A famous bearer is the Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue (1968-).
LaeliafAncient Roman Feminine form of Laelius, a Roman family name of unknown meaning. This is also the name of a type of flower, an orchid found in Mexico and Central America.
LaudinefArthurian Cycle Possibly a derivative of Lot 2 (or derived from the same place name). It was used by the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes for a character in his romance Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. Also called the Lady of the Fountain, Laudine married Yvain after he killed her husband.
Laurenf & mEnglish Variant or feminine form of Laurence 1. Originally a masculine name, it was first popularized as a feminine name by actress Betty Jean Perske (1924-2014), who used Lauren Bacall as her stage name.
LeocadiafSpanish, Late Roman Late Latin name that might be derived from the name of the Greek island of Leucadia or from Greek λευκός (leukos) meaning "bright, clear, white" (which is also the root of the island's name). Saint Leocadia was a 3rd-century martyr from Spain.
LleucufWelsh Meaning unknown, possibly derived from Lleu. This name appears in the 14th-century poem Marwnad Lleucu Llwyd, written by Llywelyn Goch ap Meurig Hen for his deceased lover Lleucu Llwyd.
LorettafEnglish, Italian Perhaps a variant of Lauretta or Loreto, or a diminutive of names beginning with Lor. A famous bearer was the American actress Loretta Young (1913-2000), whose birth name was Gretchen.
LuciafItalian, German, Dutch, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Romanian, Slovak, Ancient Roman Feminine form of Lucius. Saint Lucia was a 4th-century martyr from Syracuse. She was said to have had her eyes gouged out, and thus she is the patron saint of the blind. She was widely revered in the Middle Ages, and her name has been used throughout Christian Europe (in various spellings). It has been used in the England since the 12th century, usually in the spellings Lucy or Luce.
LucretiafAncient Roman, Roman Mythology Feminine form of the Roman family name Lucretius, possibly from Latin lucrum meaning "profit, wealth". According Roman legend Lucretia was a maiden who was raped by the son of the king of Rome. This caused a great uproar among the Roman citizens, and the monarchy was overthrown. This name was also borne by a 4th-century saint and martyr from Mérida, Spain.
LudivinefFrench Possibly from a feminine form of Leutwin. It was popularized in the 1970s by a character from the French miniseries Les Gens de Mogador.
Lynnf & mEnglish From an English surname that was derived from Welsh llyn meaning "lake". Before the start of the 20th century it was primarily used for boys, but it has since come to be more common for girls. In some cases it may be thought of as a short form of Linda or names that end in lyn or line.
MarciafEnglish, Spanish, Ancient Roman Feminine form of Marcius. It was borne by a few very minor saints. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 18th century.
MenesafTurkish (Modern) From the biblical name Manasseh. This name became popular in Turkey after it appeared on the Turkish version of the popular Iranian television series Prophet Joseph (2008). In the series Menesa is the daughter of Joseph and Asenath, whereas in the biblical account Manasseh was their son.
MichellefFrench, English, Dutch French feminine form of Michel. It has been common in the English-speaking world since the middle of the 20th century. A famous bearer is the former American first lady Michelle Obama (1964-).
MileyfEnglish (Modern) In the case of actress and singer Miley Cyrus (1992-), it is a shortened form of the nickname Smiley, given to her by her father because she often smiled. Although it was not at all common before she brought it to public attention, there are some examples of its use before her time, most likely as a diminutive of Miles.
MineafFinnish Created by the Finnish writer Mika Waltari for a character in his historical novel The Egyptian (1945). He may have based it on the name Minos, as the character is herself of Cretan origin.
NailafArabic, Urdu Feminine form of Nail. This was the name of the wife of Uthman, the third caliph of the Muslims. She tried in vain to prevent a mob from murdering her husband, and had several fingers cut off in the process.
NereafBasque, Spanish Possibly from Basque nere, a dialectal variant of nire meaning "mine". Alternatively, it could be a feminine form of Nereus. This name arose in Basque-speaking regions of Spain in the first half of the 20th century, though it is now popular throughout the country.
NerinafItalian Probably from Greek Νηρηΐδες (see Nereida). This name was used by Torquato Tasso for a character in his play Aminta (1573), and subsequently by Giacomo Leopardi in his poem Le Ricordanze (1829).
Nicola 2fGerman, English Feminine form of Nicholas. In the English-speaking world this name is more common outside of America, where Nicole is more usual.