Baby Girl Names That Are Both Beautiful & Meaningful
If you’re preparing to welcome a baby girl and are brainstorming baby names, you may want to consider a moniker that not only sounds beautiful but one that holds a special meaning too. The names we have in mind only sound ethereal and uplifting, but they all represent traits, objects, or adjectives that will empower any little girl.
And, believe it or not, the name you give your child matters more than you might think. A 2010 study published in 2010 by Northwestern University in Illinois found that a person’s name can influence how others perceive them and how they perceive themselves, even in adulthood.
“There is a reason why baby name books are extremely popular,” study author David Figlio told LiveScience. “We’re always trying to think about the first bit of a child’s identity and so if we as a society pay a lot of attention to names it makes a lot of sense that people’s names might influence how they think about themselves and the way in which people might think about them.”
And so we’ve compiled a list of gorgeous-sounding baby girl names that represent love, light, happiness, miracles, peace, and more wonderful things so that your baby girl can associate themselves with beautiful ideals right from the start.
- Mabel: Lovable
- Sophia: Wise, wisdom
- Celesse: Heavenly
- Emma: Whole, complete
- Olivia: Olive, a symbol of peace
- Hannah: Favor or grace
- Mia: A wished-for child
- Chloe: Fresh-blooming
- Victoria: Victory or triumphant
- Darlene: Tenderly loved, darling
- Adeeba: Literary woman, authoress, cultured, polite
- Kalila: Dearly loved, sweetheart, beloved
- Milada: My love
- Grania: Love
- Kennocha: Lovely
- Adrasteia: Unyielding
- Cher: Dear one, darling
- Violet: Flower
- Aphrodite: Goddess of love
- Vida: Dearly loved, beloved, friend
- Bentley: From the meadow
- Carina: Beloved, little darling, pure
- Davina: Cherished, beloved
- Farrah: Happy
- Gwyneth: Happiness, blessed
- Adolphine: Noble wolf
- Carolina: Song of happiness, joy
- Ziska: Free
- Luana: Content, happy, graceful battle maiden
- Allegra: Cheerful, lively
- Halona: Of happy fortune
- Joy: Happy, rejoicing
- Beatrix: She who brings joy
- Damara: Gentle
- Aponi: Butterfly
- Lana: Light, afloat
- Jolie: Cheerful
- Rosaleen: Rose, noted protector
- Elle: Beautiful fairy
- Rabab: White cloud
- Ellie: Shining light
- Kachina: Spirit
- Cadis: Sparking
- Norah: Light, honor
- Karamat: Miracle
- Badra: Full moon
- Divya: Divine
- Abigail: Brings joy, father’s joy
- Charity: Benevolent goodwill and love
- Faith: Faithful, confidence, trust, belief
- Judith: Praised
- Delia: Pleasant, noble, goddess of fire and poetry
- Phoebe: The shining one, goddess of the moon
- Tabitha: Gazelle, beauty, grace
- Amity: Friendly, friendship
- Nadia: Hope
- Angelica: Angelic
- Irene: Peace
- Aadalia: Just, honest, equal
- Zyta: Strong
A version of this article was originally published in February 2011.
See the meaning of our favorite royal baby names from around the world.