200+ Romantic Girl Names That Sound Like Love Letters

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This list is all about names that feel like something you’d write by hand and seal with wax — full of longing, formality, and old-world softness. You’ll find French classics, vintage darlings, and picks pulled from flowers and moonlight, all carrying that same love-letter charm. Scroll through and see which one reads like a line you’d want to underline.

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Popularity below is calculated from Social Security Administration data through 2024, the most recent year on record.

Here’s what’s in store –

Names That Sound Like Poetry

Romance Language Names (French, Italian, Spanish)

Victorian and Edwardian Romantic Names

Names From Love Stories and Literature

Botanical and Nature Names With a Romantic Air

Names That Mean Love, Beauty, or Devotion

Soft and Dreamy Sound Names

Rare and Hidden Gem Romantic Names

If you’ve been scrolling Pinterest at midnight with a cup of tea getting cold beside you, mentally trying names against middle names and last names and hypothetical school roll calls, you’re in the right place. This list isn’t a grab-bag of every pretty name ever assembled. It’s organized by feeling — the texture of a name, what it evokes, the kind of story it seems to come from. Some sections lean classical and French, some lean vintage and candlelit, some lean straight into flowers and moonlight. You don’t have to love all of them to find the one.

One note before you dive in: romantic doesn’t mean fragile. Rosalind was a witty protagonist, not a wallflower. Valentina survived empires. Cecily argued her way through Oscar Wilde drawing rooms. The names on this list have weight and character behind the prettiness, and that matters.

Take your time. Read them aloud. Say them in the middle of a sentence, the way you’d use them a hundred times a day. The right one will land differently.

Jump to a Section

Names That Sound Like Poetry
Romance Language Names (French, Italian, Spanish)
Victorian and Edwardian Romantic Names
Names From Love Stories and Literature
Botanical and Nature Names With a Romantic Air
Names That Mean Love, Beauty, or Devotion
Soft and Dreamy Sound Names
Rare and Hidden Gem Romantic Names

Before you fall in love with a name — check if it’s already claimed. Our Baby Name Checker lets you see how popular a name really is, so you can decide if that matters to you.

Names That Sound Like Poetry

These are the names with natural rhythm built in — names that have the soft fall of a good line of verse. They tend to use liquid consonants (l, r, n, m) and open vowels, which is why they feel melodic rather than clipped. Say them slowly and you’ll hear it.

Seraphina

Origin: Late Latin (name of early Christian martyrs), from biblical Hebrew seraphim
Pronunciation: sair-ah-FEE-nah · ˌsɛrəˈfiːnə
Meaning: of the seraphim, a class of biblical angels
Popularity: #778 and rising (#971 → #778, 2024)

The name of angels, but also of Victorian heroines — it’s dramatic in the best way.

Araminta

Origin: Unknown
Pronunciation: air-ah-MIN-tah · ˌɛrəˈmɪntə
Meaning: possibly a literary invention, later used as a given name in England
Popularity: #8,975 and rising (#9,678 → #8,975, 2024)

Long and layered, with a charming antique quality that’s due for a comeback.

Rosalind

Origin: Germanic
Pronunciation: RAH-zuh-lind · ˈrɑːzəlɪnd
Meaning: from elements meaning roughly ‘horse’ and ‘soft/tender’ — something like ‘gentle horse’
Popularity: #1,475 and falling (#1,440 → #1,475, 2024)

Shakespeare gave it to one of his sharpest heroines; the name kept every bit of her wit.

Elowen

Origin: Cornish
Pronunciation: EL-oh-wen · ˈɛloʊwɛn
Meaning: elm tree
Popularity: #898 and rising (#1,060 → #898, 2024)

Rare enough to feel like a discovery, soft enough to feel romantic, earthy enough not to float away.

Thessaly

Origin: Greek (place name)
Pronunciation: THESS-uh-lee · ˈθɛsəli
Meaning: a region of Greece associated with magic and mythology
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Literary and unusual, with the rolling rhythm of a place name that sounds like it belongs in a novel.

Calliope

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: kuh-LY-uh-pee · kəˈlaɪəpi
Meaning: beautiful voice
Popularity: #499 and falling (#491 → #499, 2024)

The muse of epic poetry; a name that literally means what it sounds like.

Isabeau

Origin: French (variant of Isabelle)
Pronunciation: iz-ah-BOH
Meaning: pledged to God
Popularity: #11,464 and rising (#14,088 → #11,464, 2024)

Less common than Isabella but equally beautiful, with a slightly wilder quality.

Corinna

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: kuh-RIN-uh · kəˈrɪnə
Meaning: Greek for ‘girl’ or ‘maiden’ (from kore), a name popularized partly through the ancient Greek poet Corinna and Ovid’s use of it in the Amores
Popularity: #3,972 and falling (#3,716 → #3,972, 2024)

Sophronia

Origin: Greek (via Latin Sophronius)
Pronunciation: soh-FROH-nee-uh · səˈfroʊniə
Meaning: self-controlled, level-headed
Popularity: #17,289 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Sounds wildly romantic despite its serious meaning — proof that sound carries its own weight.

Elspeth

Origin: Scottish (variant of Elizabeth, ultimately Hebrew)
Pronunciation: EL-speth · ˈɛlspəθ
Meaning: God is my oath (via Elizabeth, from Hebrew Elisheva)
Popularity: #6,215 and rising (#8,614 → #6,215, 2024)

Quietly beautiful, a little rugged, Scottish in the best highland-novel way.

Thessalonica

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: thes-uh-luh-NY-kuh · ˌθɛsələˈnaɪkə
Meaning: Thessalian victory
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Grand and unusual; carries the weight of ancient cities.

Celestine

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SEL-es-teen · ˈsɛləstiːn
Meaning: heavenly, of the sky
Popularity: #3,968 and rising (#4,896 → #3,968, 2024)

A papal name and a feminine name with enough celestial warmth to feel romantic rather than cold.

Verity

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: VER-ih-tee · ˈvɛrəti
Meaning: truth (a Puritan virtue name)
Popularity: #1,875 and falling (#1,706 → #1,875, 2024)

A virtue name with a musical quality — the -ity ending gives it a gentleness that Justice and Honor don’t quite have.

Morwenna

Origin: Cornish/Welsh
Pronunciation: mor-WEN-uh · mɔːrˈwɛnə
Meaning: maiden (from Cornish/Welsh morwyn)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rare outside Wales, melodic and ancient, the kind of name that sounds like it came from a folk song.

Evangeline

Origin: Greek (literary coinage)
Pronunciation: ee-VAN-jeh-leen · ɪˈvændʒəliːn
Meaning: good news
Popularity: #174 and rising (#212 → #174, 2024)

Longfellow turned this into one of the great romantic poems; the name still carries that legacy.

Isolde

Origin: Germanic or Celtic/Brythonic (disputed)
Pronunciation: ih-ZOHL-dah · ɪˈzoʊldə
Meaning: uncertain — literally ‘ice’ + ‘battle’ in the Germanic reading, or ‘she who is gazed upon’ in the Celtic/Brythonic reading
Popularity: #7,721 and falling (#5,458 → #7,721, 2024)

The Germanic elements are literally ‘ice’ (is) and ‘battle’ (hiltja), not ‘ruler’ — ‘ice ruler’ is a popular mistranslation, and a separate Celtic theory (‘she who is gazed upon’) is equally plausible per current scholarship.

Amaryllis

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: am-ah-RIL-iss · ˌæməˈrɪlɪs
Meaning: to sparkle or shine
Popularity: #2,689 and falling (#2,442 → #2,689, 2024)

Spenser and Virgil used it for their shepherdesses; it’s been quietly beautiful ever since.

Saoirse

Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: SEER-shah · ˈsɪərʃə
Meaning: freedom
Popularity: #1,036 and falling (#959 → #1,036, 2024)

The sound of it is pure poetry even before you know what it means.

Ianthe

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: eye-AN-thee · aɪˈænθi
Meaning: violet flower
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Percy Bysshe Shelley used it as a dedication name; it has that quiet jewel quality.

Melisande

Origin: uncertain (possibly Germanic, via Old French)
Pronunciation: mel-i-ZAHND · ˌmɛlɪˈzɑːnd
Meaning: possibly “strong worker” (Germanic) or a variant of Millicent
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The operatic heroine Mélisande is mysterious, gentle, and otherworldly — the name fits.

Calanthe

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: kuh-LAN-thee · kəˈlænθi
Meaning: beautiful flower (tentative)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

An orchid genus and a rare given name, elegant and almost forgotten.

Elara

Origin: Greek (mythological name)
Pronunciation: eh-LAR-ah · ɛˈlɑːrə
Meaning: one of Jupiter’s moons, from Greek mythology
Popularity: #1,156 and rising (#1,381 → #1,156, 2024)

Modern but mythological, with a clean softness.

Sonnambula

Origin: Italian (word/opera title, not a traditional name)
Pronunciation: sohn-NAHM-boo-lah · sɒnˈnɑːmbʊlə
Meaning: sleepwalker
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Unusual to the point of boldness, but for a certain kind of parent, exactly right.

Alethea

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: al-uh-THEE-uh · ælɪˈθiːə
Meaning: Represents ‘truth’ — tied to Aletheia, the personification of truth in ancient Greek thought.
Popularity: #2,649 and falling (#2,414 → #2,649, 2024)

More lyrical than Alethia; the -ea ending gives it a finishing breath.

Rosamund

Origin: Germanic (Frankish/Lombardic)
Pronunciation: ROZ-ah-mund · ˈrɑːzəmənd
Meaning: horse protection (folk-reinterpreted as ‘rose of the world’)
Popularity: #7,858 and falling (#6,353 → #7,858, 2024)

Medieval, botanical, romantic — three things at once.

Love a name from this section? Use our Baby Name Checker to see how rare it is in your country — some of these beauties are practically undiscovered.

Romance Language Names (French, Italian, Spanish)

French, Italian, and Spanish names carry a built-in romanticism — not because of cliché, but because these languages evolved from Latin with an ear for vowel flow and soft consonants. A name in any of these languages has been worn smooth by centuries of love letters, opera libretti, and poems written by firelight.

Amélie

Origin: French (from Germanic Amalia)
Pronunciation: ah-may-LEE · ɑːmeɪˈliː
Meaning: industrious/hardworking (traditional gloss for Amalia, the precise Germanic root is debated)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The film gave it a whimsical, Paris-apartment-window quality that it will wear for generations.

Valentina

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: val-en-TEE-nah · vælənˈtiːnə
Meaning: strong, healthy
Popularity: #47 and rising (#49 → #47, 2024)

The most unabashedly romantic name on any list; it contains the word love without needing to say it.

Céleste

Origin: French (from Latin caelestis)
Pronunciation: suh-LEST · səˈlɛst
Meaning: heavenly, of the sky
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Lighter and airier than Celestine, with the same celestial meaning but a softer silhouette.

Rosaria

Origin: Italian (feminine form of Rosario, from Latin rosarium)
Pronunciation: roh-ZAH-ree-uh · roʊˈzɑːriə
Meaning: rosary / rose garden (feminine form of Rosario)
Popularity: #5,103 and rising (#5,518 → #5,103, 2024)

Used throughout Southern Italy and Latin America; unexpectedly rare in English-speaking countries.

Marisol

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: mah-ree-SOL · mɑːriˈsoʊl
Meaning: popularly ‘sea and sun’; possibly from Maria de la Soledad
Popularity: #739 and rising (#784 → #739, 2024)

Vivienne

Origin: Latin (via Old French, variant of Vivian)
Pronunciation: VIV-ee-en · ˈvɪviɛn
Meaning: living, full of life
Popularity: #184 and rising (#235 → #184, 2024)

Worn by Merlin’s fairy and Vivien Leigh; elegant and a bit dangerous.

Fleur

Origin: French
Pronunciation: FLUR · ˈflɜːr
Meaning: The French word for “flower,” used directly as a feminine given name.
Popularity: #8,592 and rising (#10,581 → #8,592, 2024)

Perfectly spare, romantic without effort, unmistakably French.

Catalina

Origin: Spanish (form of Catherine/Katherine)
Pronunciation: kat-uh-LEE-nuh · ˌkætəˈliːnə
Meaning: “pure”
Popularity: #128 and rising (#147 → #128, 2024)

Catherine is stately; Catalina is sun-drenched and slightly wild.

Aurore

Origin: French
Pronunciation: aw-ROR · ɔːˈrɔːr
Meaning: dawn
Popularity: #15,607 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Bianca

Origin: Italian
Pronunciation: bee-AHN-kuh · biˈɑːŋkə
Meaning: white, pure
Popularity: #460 and rising (#467 → #460, 2024)

Shakespeare used it twice; it’s been a name for luminous women ever since.

Solange

Origin: French (from Latin sollemnis, ‘solemn’); name of a 9th-century French saint
Pronunciation: soh-LAHNZH · soʊˈlɑːnʒ
Meaning: solemn
Popularity: #7,192 and falling (#5,926 → #7,192, 2024)

Beyoncé’s sister made it visible; it’s an unusual romantic name with real backbone.

Margaux

Origin: French
Pronunciation: mar-GOH · mɑːrˈɡoʊ
Meaning: French variant of Margaret; ‘pearl’
Popularity: #1,211 and rising (#1,217 → #1,211, 2024)

The -aux ending is very French; a wine and a name both worth knowing.

Fiamma

Origin: Italian (from Latin ‘flamma’)
Pronunciation: FYAHM-mah · ˈfjam.ma
Meaning: flame
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

For the girl who will burn brightly — rare in English but instantly comprehensible.

Inesita

Origin: Spanish (diminutive of Inés)
Pronunciation: ee-neh-SEE-tah · ineˈsita
Meaning: little Inés (pure/chaste, via Agnes)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Inés is already lovely; Inesita has the softness of a nickname worn long enough to become a name.

Théodore

Origin: Greek (via French)
Pronunciation: THEE-oh-dor · ˈθiːədɔːr
Meaning: gift of God
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Geneviève

Origin: Frankish/Gaulish (French)
Pronunciation: JEN-eh-veev · ˈdʒɛnəviːv
Meaning: possibly ‘woman of the family/tribe’ (uncertain)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The patron saint of Paris; stately and romantic simultaneously.

Élise

Origin: Hebrew (via French, form of Elizabeth)
Meaning: God is my oath (form of Elizabeth)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Beethoven wrote for her; the name has been quietly music ever since.

Lourdes

Origin: Spanish (from the French place name)
Pronunciation: LOOR-dez · ˈlʊrdɛz
Meaning: a place name from the French Pyrenees
Popularity: #2,754 and falling (#2,455 → #2,754, 2024)

Unusual, deeply felt, with a spiritual weight that isn’t heavy.

Anais

Origin: French/Provençal (form of Anna)
Pronunciation: ah-nah-EES · ɑːnɑːˈiːs
Meaning: grace, favor
Popularity: #854 and falling (#849 → #854, 2024)

Anaïs Nin gave it a literary reputation that still holds.

Ximena

Origin: Spanish/Basque (origin uncertain)
Pronunciation: hee-MAY-nah · hiˈmeɪnə
Meaning: “hearkening”
Popularity: #173 and falling (#158 → #173, 2024)

The heroine of El Cid; a name with genuine historical romance behind it.

Fabienne

Origin: French (feminine form of Fabien)
Pronunciation: fah-bee-EN · faˈbjɛn
Meaning: possibly “bean” (via the Roman clan name Fabius, traditionally linked to Latin faba)
Popularity: #13,939 as of 2010 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The meaning is wonderfully unglamorous; the name itself is effortlessly chic.

Luciana

Origin: Italian (feminine of Lucius)
Pronunciation: loo-see-AH-nuh · luːsiˈɑːnə
Meaning: light
Popularity: #291 and rising (#329 → #291, 2024)

Fuller and warmer than Lucia; it feels like late afternoon sun.

Coraline

Origin: French (elaboration of Coralie/Coral, literary coinage)
Pronunciation: KOR-uh-lyne · ˈkɔːrəlaɪn
Meaning: little coral / an elaboration of Coral
Popularity: #720 and falling (#719 → #720, 2024)

Delicately eerie and romantic.

Silvie

Origin: Latin (French-spelled variant of Sylvia)
Pronunciation: SIHL-vee · ˈsɪlvi
Meaning: of the forest
Popularity: #6,583 and rising (#8,899 → #6,583, 2024)

Lighter than Sylvia, with a French shrug that makes it feel very cool.

Mathilde

Origin: French (Germanic, form of Matilda)
Pronunciation: mah-TEELD · mɑˈtiːld
Meaning: mighty in battle
Popularity: #7,806 and falling (#4,826 → #7,806, 2024)

Roseline

Origin: French
Pronunciation: ROHZ-leen · ˈroʊzliːn
Meaning: ‘rose’ (the flower) plus the common French feminine name-suffix ‘-line’ (as in Caroline, Adeline)
Popularity: #4,851 and falling (#4,344 → #4,851, 2024)

A saint’s name and a Juliet character’s name; less used than Rosalind but equally beautiful.

Soledad

Origin: Spanish
Pronunciation: soh-leh-DAHD · soʊləˈdɑːd
Meaning: solitude
Popularity: #4,356 and rising (#5,106 → #4,356, 2024)

A name for the quality of beautiful loneliness; deeply romantic in the Spanish tradition.

Violette

Origin: French
Pronunciation: vee-oh-LET · viːoʊˈlɛt
Meaning: violet (the flower)
Popularity: #964 and rising (#983 → #964, 2024)

Inès

Origin: French (from Spanish Inés)
Pronunciation: ee-NESS · iˈnɛs
Meaning: pure, holy — via Spanish Inés, ultimately from the Greek word for ‘pure’ through Agnes
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Elegant, simple, and slightly mysterious — it belongs in a Paris apartment.

Blanche

Origin: French
Pronunciation: BLANCH · ˈblæntʃ
Meaning: white or pale — likely originally a descriptive nickname for someone fair-skinned or fair-haired
Popularity: #11,242 and falling (#10,439 → #11,242, 2024)

A Tennessee Williams name and a medieval queen’s name; old enough to be new again.

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Victorian and Edwardian Romantic Names

The Victorians and Edwardians understood romantic names the way they understood romantic novels: with full commitment and absolutely no irony. These names were written into wills, embroidered on handkerchiefs, and carved into churchyard stones. They’ve been quiet for a hundred years. They’re ready.

Arabella

Origin: Latin (disputed, possibly a variant of Annabel)
Pronunciation: air-ah-BEL-ah · ɛrəˈbɛlə
Meaning: yielding to prayer (one of two competing theories)
Popularity: #206 and rising (#227 → #206, 2024)

Victorian without being stiff; it has a natural elegance that wears well across centuries.

Lavinia

Origin: Latin (place name Lavinium, Latium)
Pronunciation: luh-VIN-ee-ah · ləˈvɪniə
Meaning: “woman of Latium”
Popularity: #2,139 and rising (#2,346 → #2,139, 2024)

Clementine

Origin: French (from Latin Clemens)
Pronunciation: KLEM-en-teen · ˈklɛmənˌtiːn
Meaning: merciful, mild
Popularity: #477 and rising (#542 → #477, 2024)

Churchill named his daughter this; it was the romantic standard of a whole era.

Cordelia

Origin: uncertain (Shakespeare’s spelling of a historical British name, Cordeilla, possibly linked to the obscure saint’s name Cordula)
Pronunciation: kor-DEEL-yah · kɔːrˈdiːljə
Meaning: possibly “heart” or “daughter of the sea”
Popularity: #1,065 and rising (#1,117 → #1,065, 2024)

Shakespeare gave King Lear his most loyal daughter this name; it’s been quietly noble ever since.

Millicent

Origin: Germanic (via Old French Melisende)
Pronunciation: MIL-ih-sent · ˈmɪlɪsənt
Meaning: strong worker
Popularity: #1,639 and rising (#1,789 → #1,639, 2024)

The feminist leader Millicent Fawcett; the name has both romance and spine.

Winifred

Origin: Old English / Welsh (conflated names)
Pronunciation: WIN-ih-fred · ˈwɪnɪfrɪd
Meaning: joy and peace (Old English), merged with the separate Welsh name Gwenfrewi
Popularity: #1,031 and falling (#963 → #1,031, 2024)

The Victorian revival version was sometimes shortened to Freddie, which is charming; Winnie is warmly familiar.

Honoria

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: hoh-NOR-ee-uh · hɒˈnɔːriə
Meaning: honor
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A less common feminine form; the Edwardians loved virtue names with long vowels.

Dorothea

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: dor-uh-THEE-uh · ˌdɔːrəˈθiːə
Meaning: gift of God
Popularity: #2,066 and rising (#2,759 → #2,066, 2024)

Mabel

Origin: English (from Latin amabilis via Amabel)
Pronunciation: MAY-bel · ˈmeɪbəl
Meaning: lovable
Popularity: #222 and rising (#278 → #222, 2024)

Antique, warm, and now distinctly fashionable among parents who love vintage names.

Imogene

Origin: uncertain (probably Gaelic, via a misprint of ‘Innogen’)
Pronunciation: IM-oh-jeen · ˈɪməˌdʒiːn
Meaning: uncertain; possibly from Gaelic ‘inghean’ (girl) via a misprint of ‘Innogen’
Popularity: #2,464 and rising (#2,911 → #2,464, 2024)

Eugenia

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: yoo-JEE-nee-ah · juːˈdʒiːniə
Meaning: well-born, noble
Popularity: #3,762 and falling (#2,858 → #3,762, 2024)

A Victorian royal name; Queen Eugénie of France made it fashionable across Europe.

Theodora

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: thee-oh-DOR-ah · ˌθiːəˈdɔːrə
Meaning: God’s gift
Popularity: #812 and falling (#776 → #812, 2024)

The Byzantine empress and the fictional daughter of several novels; it’s grand and unexpectedly wearable.

Cecily

Origin: Latin (English medieval form of Cecilia)
Pronunciation: SES-il-ee · ˈsɛsɪli
Meaning: possibly ‘blind’ (inherited from Cecilia)
Popularity: #1,595 and rising (#1,816 → #1,595, 2024)

The meaning has never mattered less.

Ida

Origin: Germanic
Pronunciation: EYE-dah · ˈaɪdə
Meaning: from a Germanic word for ‘work’; industrious
Popularity: #1,143 and rising (#1,189 → #1,143, 2024)

Small and strong; it was very fashionable in the 1880s and is finding its way back.

Adelaide

Origin: Germanic (Old High German, via French)
Pronunciation: AD-el-ayd · ˈædəleɪd
Meaning: of noble character
Popularity: #271 and rising (#284 → #271, 2024)

The queen consort of William IV; now the name of an Australian city and of many beloved grandmothers.

Etta

Origin: English/German (diminutive suffix name)
Pronunciation: ET-ah · ˈɛtə
Meaning: ruler of the home (inherited sense, from Henrietta)
Popularity: #973 and falling (#935 → #973, 2024)

Etta James gave it soul; as a standalone it’s crisp and romantic.

Hermione

Origin: Ancient Greek (feminine form related to Hermes)
Pronunciation: her-MY-uh-nee · hərˈmaɪəni
Meaning: “messenger”
Popularity: #1,672 and rising (#1,949 → #1,672, 2024)

Constance

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: KAHN-stanss · ˈkɑːnstəns
Meaning: steadfast, constant
Popularity: #1,645 and rising (#1,656 → #1,645, 2024)

Beatrice

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: BEE-uh-tris · ˈbiːətrɪs
Meaning: one who brings happiness (also glossed “blessed one”)
Popularity: #579 and rising (#588 → #579, 2024)

Dante wrote the Commedia for Beatrice Portinari; Shakespeare gave her the best lines in *Much Ado*. The name is the most romantic in Western literature.

Edith

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: EE-dith · ˈiːdɪθ
Meaning: rich/blessed in war
Popularity: #528 and falling (#503 → #528, 2024)

Small, complete, and antique; Edith Piaf, Edith Wharton — women who shaped their century.

Florence

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FLOR-ens · ˈflɔːrəns
Meaning: flourishing, blooming (from florens, related to flos ‘flower’)
Popularity: #435 and rising (#522 → #435, 2024)

The city, the nurse, the name; it carries warmth and purpose simultaneously.

Harriet

Origin: English (from French Henriette, feminine of Henri/Henry)
Pronunciation: HAIR-ee-ut · ˈhæriət
Meaning: home ruler, ruler of the household
Popularity: #1,157 and falling (#1,130 → #1,157, 2024)

Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman — a name with moral clarity and warmth.

Letitia

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: lə-TISH-ə · ləˈtɪʃə
Meaning: gladness, joy
Popularity: #12,852 and rising (#16,667 → #12,852, 2024)

A Victorian formal name; Lettice and Letty were the fond shortenings.

Agatha

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: AG-uh-thuh · ˈæɡəθə
Meaning: good (from Greek agathos ‘good’)
Popularity: #1,618 and rising (#1,670 → #1,618, 2024)

Dame Agatha Christie turned it into a mystery-writer’s name; it’s vintage and sharp.

Augusta

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: aw-GUS-tuh · ɔːˈɡʌstə
Meaning: venerable, majestic (feminine form of Augustus)
Popularity: #3,076 and rising (#3,917 → #3,076, 2024)

Isadora

Origin: Greek (variant of Isidora)
Pronunciation: iz-uh-DOR-uh · ɪzəˈdɔːrə
Meaning: gift of the goddess Isis
Popularity: #1,223 and rising (#1,438 → #1,223, 2024)

Isadora Duncan made it a dancer’s name; it’s passionate and slightly wild.

Louisa

Origin: Germanic (Latinized form of Louise)
Pronunciation: loo-EE-zah · luːˈiːzə
Meaning: famous warrior
Popularity: #733 and rising (#807 → #733, 2024)

Louisa May Alcott wrote herself into this name; it’s warm, literary, and lovely.

Names From Love Stories and Literature

Some names carry an entire story inside them — you say the name and the love story arrives with it. These names come from novels, poems, operas, plays, and myths that have shaped what we understand romantic love to mean. You don’t have to have read all of them for the names to work.

Juliet

Origin: English (from Italian Giulietta/French Juliette, ultimately Latin Julia)
Pronunciation: JOO-lee-et · ˈdʒuːliɛt
Meaning: youthful
Popularity: #283 and rising (#292 → #283, 2024)

Shakespeare’s most famous heroine; the name contains all of it — the balcony, the garden, the tragedy.

Jane

Origin: Hebrew (via Old French Jehanne, Latin Johanna)
Pronunciation: JAYN · ˈdʒeɪn
Meaning: God is gracious
Popularity: #269 and rising (#281 → #269, 2024)

Jane Eyre is one of the great romantic heroines because she refuses to be less than she is; the name is perfectly direct.

Cathy

Origin: English (pet form)
Pronunciation: KATH-ee · ˈkæθi
Meaning: affectionate short form of Catherine
Popularity: #5,968 and falling (#5,153 → #5,968, 2024)

Wuthering Heights — Cathy Earnshaw is the romantic ideal and the cautionary tale at once.

Heloise

Origin: French/Germanic (disputed)
Pronunciation: HEL-oh-eez · ˈhɛloʊiːz
Meaning: disputed: possibly ‘the chosen one’ (via St. Eligius) or ‘holy/whole’ plus ‘wood’ (Germanic)
Popularity: #11,444 and falling (#7,388 → #11,444, 2024)

Héloïse and Abélard wrote one of the great real-life love stories; the name is rare and beautiful.

Scheherazade

Origin: Persian
Pronunciation: shuh-HAIR-uh-zahd · ʃəˌhɛərəˈzɑːd
Meaning: of noble lineage, or child of the city (two competing derivations)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Lara

Origin: Russian (pet form of Larissa)
Pronunciation: LAHR-ah · ˈlɑːrə
Meaning: pet form of Larissa, ultimately from a Greek place name meaning ‘citadel/fortress’
Popularity: #740 and falling (#731 → #740, 2024)

The film’s theme alone made this name romantic forever.

Eloise

Origin: French (from Old German Helewidis, via medieval Latin/French forms, doublet of Héloïse)
Pronunciation: EL-oh-eez · ˈɛloʊiːz
Meaning: healthy and wide/broad (from Germanic Helewidis)
Popularity: #64 and rising (#81 → #64, 2024)

The girl who lived at the Plaza and the medieval scholar’s beloved; two very different romantic archetypes.

Guinevere

Origin: Welsh (via Gwenhwyfar)
Pronunciation: GWIN-eh-veer · ˈɡwɪnəvɪr
Meaning: white/fair + a debated second element (‘phantom’ or ‘smooth’)
Popularity: #947 and rising (#1,009 → #947, 2024)

The Arthurian queen; her story is love at the highest cost.

Cressida

Origin: Greek (via medieval literary tradition)
Pronunciation: KRESS-ih-dah · ˈkrɛsɪdə
Meaning: golden
Popularity: #12,408 and falling (#10,569 → #12,408, 2024)

Shakespeare’s *Troilus and Cressida*; a name that belongs to the classical world and to the stage.

Andromeda

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: an-DROM-uh-duh · ænˈdrɒmɪdə
Meaning: ruler of men (Greek mythological name)
Popularity: #2,300 and rising (#2,397 → #2,300, 2024)

Lyra

Origin: Ancient Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: LY-rah · ˈlaɪrə
Meaning: a lyre, the stringed musical instrument
Popularity: #482, holding steady (2024)

Philip Pullman’s *His Dark Materials* heroine; the name is mythological and modern at once.

Elinor

Origin: Old French/Old Occitan (variant of Eleanor)
Pronunciation: EL-in-or · ˈɛl.ɪ.nɔːr
Meaning: a form of Eleanor, most plausibly meaning ‘the other Aenor’ (rather than literally ‘shining light’)
Popularity: #1,502 and falling (#1,374 → #1,502, 2024)

Elinor Dashwood is the romantic realist; the name has both warmth and precision.

Marianne

Origin: French (ultimately from Hebrew via Greek)
Pronunciation: mair-ee-AN · ˌmɛəriˈæn
Meaning: “bitter grace”
Popularity: #2,122 and falling (#1,913 → #2,122, 2024)

The passionate Dashwood sister in *Sense and Sensibility*; a name for feeling things fully.

Tess

Origin: uncertain (typically a diminutive of Theresa/Tessa, sometimes of Esther/Hester)
Pronunciation: TESS · tɛs
Meaning: short form of Theresa, meaning “harvester”
Popularity: #1,784 and falling (#1,760 → #1,784, 2024)

Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles — a name worn with tragedy and beauty simultaneously.

Esmeralda

Origin: Spanish/Portuguese
Pronunciation: ez-mur-AL-duh · ˌɛzməˈrældə
Meaning: emerald
Popularity: #350 and falling (#342 → #350, 2024)

Roxane

Origin: Old Persian (via Greek and French)
Pronunciation: rahk-SAN · rɒkˈsæn
Meaning: bright, shining light
Popularity: #14,834 as of 2023 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Cyrano de Bergerac’s beloved; the name is eastern, poetic, and carried one of literature’s great love letters.

Eowyn

Origin: Old English (literary coinage, popularized by J.R.R. Tolkien)
Pronunciation: AY-oh-win · ˈeɪoʊwɪn
Meaning: Old English construction, “horse joy.” Tolkien’s most romantically brave character; a name for a daughter who will fight her own battles
Popularity: #1,880 and falling (#1,785 → #1,880, 2024)

Viola

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: vy-OH-lah · vaɪˈoʊlə
Meaning: violet (the flower)
Popularity: #1,190 and falling (#1,072 → #1,190, 2024)

The heroine of *Twelfth Night* who disguises herself for love; the name is musical and Shakespearean.

Perdita

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: PER-dih-tuh · ˈpɜːrdɪtə
Meaning: lost
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Miranda

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: mi-RAN-duh · mɪˈrændə
Meaning: one worthy of being admired
Popularity: #622 and falling (#575 → #622, 2024)

Shakespeare coined it for *The Tempest*; it became a real name and has been admired ever since.

Portia

Origin: Latin (Roman gens name)
Pronunciation: POR-shuh · ˈpɔːrʃə
Meaning: from the Roman family name Porcius, ultimately ‘pig’
Popularity: #6,087 and rising (#7,554 → #6,087, 2024)

The lawyer heroine of *The Merchant of Venice*, one of Shakespeare’s greatest women.

Helena

Origin: Greek (Latinized form of Helen)
Pronunciation: HEL-uh-nah · ˈhɛlənə
Meaning: “torch” or “bright”
Popularity: #414 and rising (#457 → #414, 2024)

Helen of Troy in her Latin form; a name that launched the original romantic disaster.

Rosalba

Origin: Italian (from Latin rosa + alba)
Pronunciation: roh-ZAHL-buh · roʊˈzɑːlbə
Meaning: white rose
Popularity: #14,882 and falling (#10,991 → #14,882, 2024)

The eighteenth-century Italian painter Rosalba Carriera; a name that’s rare in English and immediately beautiful.

Adèle

Origin: Germanic (via Old French)
Pronunciation: uh-DEL · əˈdɛl
Meaning: noble (from Germanic adal ‘noble’); short form related to names like Adelaide/Adeline
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Both a Brontë character and a modern pop star; the name crosses centuries without effort.

Narrowing it down? Save your favorites and check popularity with our Baby Name Checker — it’s free and takes thirty seconds.

Botanical and Nature Names With a Romantic Air

Flowers and plants have been romantic symbols since before language was written down. A botanical name is a name that comes with a ready-made aesthetic — there’s a reason every love letter has historically mentioned a garden. These names are grounded in the natural world but carry a softness that feels genuinely romantic rather than rustic.

Covered above, but worth a second appearance in this section — the rose is built into the name.

Violet

Origin: English (19th-century flower name, ultimately from Latin viola via French violette)
Pronunciation: VY-oh-let · ˈvaɪəlɪt
Meaning: the violet flower (purple-blue)
Popularity: #15 and rising (#16 → #15, 2024)

Lily

Origin: English
Pronunciation: LIL-ee · ˈlɪli
Meaning: the lily flower
Popularity: #24 and falling (#20 → #24, 2024)

Simple, clean, and beautiful; lily has symbolized purity and love simultaneously for centuries.

Dahlia

Origin: Swedish (via surname Dahl)
Pronunciation: DAHL-yah · ˈdɑːljə
Meaning: named for botanist Anders Dahl
Popularity: #240 and rising (#253 → #240, 2024)

Darker petals, more dramatic than a daisy; the name has a femme fatale quality.

Iris

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: EYE-ris · ˈaɪrɪs
Meaning: rainbow; also the name of the Greek goddess/messenger of the rainbow, and the flower named after her
Popularity: #71 and rising (#78 → #71, 2024)

Flora

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: FLOR-ah · ˈflɔːrə
Meaning: Flower; from Latin flos/floris, and the name of the Roman goddess of flowers, blooming, and springtime.
Popularity: #648 and rising (#682 → #648, 2024)

Lavender

Origin: Old French / Latin
Pronunciation: LAV-en-der · ˈlævəndər
Meaning: the lavender plant
Popularity: #998 and rising (#1,179 → #998, 2024)

A color name and a plant name; rare as a given name but immediately evocative.

Juniper

Origin: English
Pronunciation: JOO-nih-per · ˈdʒuːnɪpər
Meaning: the juniper tree/shrub; occasionally a folk-etymology variant of Jennifer (from Welsh Guinevere)
Popularity: #111 and rising (#113 → #111, 2024)

Earthy and fresh; Juni is a natural short form; Juniper is having a moment.

Camellia

Origin: Latin (botanical name)
Pronunciation: kuh-MEEL-yah · kəˈmiːljə
Meaning: the camellia flower, named for the Jesuit botanist Georg Joseph Kamel
Popularity: #1,539 and rising (#1,726 → #1,539, 2024)

The flower Coco Chanel made her symbol; the name is elegant and rare.

Briar

Origin: English (Middle English)
Pronunciation: BRY-er · ˈbraɪər
Meaning: thorny shrub or bramble
Popularity: #522 and rising (#549 → #522, 2024)

Fern

Origin: English (nature name)
Pronunciation: FURN · ˈfɜːrn
Meaning: the fern plant
Popularity: #1,261 and rising (#1,428 → #1,261, 2024)

Small and complete; it’s unpretentious and quietly lovely.

Acacia

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: uh-KAY-shuh · əˈkeɪʃə
Meaning: a thorny flowering tree
Popularity: #2,711 and rising (#2,850 → #2,711, 2024)

The flower of remembrance in several traditions; rare and beautiful as a name.

Bryony

Origin: English (from the plant name, ultimately Greek via Latin)
Pronunciation: BRY-uh-nee · ˈbraɪəni
Meaning: named after the bryony plant, a flowering climbing vine
Popularity: #9,816 as of 2022 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Unusual enough to feel like a discovery; the -y ending gives it a soft landing.

Clover

Origin: English
Pronunciation: KLOH-ver · ˈkloʊvər
Meaning: the clover plant (Old English clafre), popularly linked to luck
Popularity: #618 and rising (#672 → #618, 2024)

Lucky, fresh, and unusual as a name; a charm hidden in plain sight.

Aster

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: AS-ter · ˈæstər
Meaning: star (namesake of the star-shaped flower)
Popularity: #2,745 and rising (#3,281 → #2,745, 2024)

Blythe

Origin: Old English (surname)
Pronunciation: BLYTHE · ˈblaɪð
Meaning: cheerful, merry, carefree — from Old English blīþe, ultimately Proto-Germanic *blīþiz (‘gentle, kind’)
Popularity: #1,862 and falling (#1,855 → #1,862, 2024)

Wren

Origin: English (Middle English)
Pronunciation: REN · ˈrɛn
Meaning: the small songbird
Popularity: #213 and falling (#195 → #213, 2024)

Small and fierce; a nature name with real personality.

Sylvia

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SIL-vee-ah · ˈsɪlviə
Meaning: of the forest; forest spirit
Popularity: #361 and rising (#426 → #361, 2024)

Rosemary

Origin: English (blend of Rose and Mary)
Pronunciation: ROHZ-mair-ee · ˈroʊzˌmɛri
Meaning: a blend of the names Rose and Mary; later also linked to the herb rosemary (from Latin ‘dew of the sea’)
Popularity: #301 and rising (#310 → #301, 2024)

Hazel

Origin: Old English
Pronunciation: HAY-zel · ˈheɪzəl
Meaning: the hazel tree, and by extension its light-brown color
Popularity: #19 and falling (#18 → #19, 2024)

Warm, golden-toned, literary — it belongs in an autumn garden.

Celandine

Origin: English (flower name, ultimately Greek)
Pronunciation: SEL-un-dyne · ˈsɛləndaɪn
Meaning: swallow (name of a flower, from Greek chelidon, ‘swallow’)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Tolkien used it; Gerard Manley Hopkins praised it in verse; the name is almost unknown as a given name and therefore wonderful.

Sorrel

Origin: Old French (via the plant name)
Pronunciation: SOR-uhl · ˈsɔːrəl
Meaning: the sorrel plant (a tart, sour-leaved herb); also a reddish-brown color
Popularity: #14,992 and falling (#11,050 → #14,992, 2024)

Earthy and tart; a botanical name that doesn’t try too hard.

Magnolia

Origin: English (flower name)
Pronunciation: mag-NOHL-yah · mæɡˈnoʊljə
Meaning: name of the magnolia flower, adopted as an English given name in the 19th century
Popularity: #138 and rising (#144 → #138, 2024)

Southern romanticism built into a single word.

Saffron

Origin: English (flower/spice name)
Pronunciation: SAF-run · ˈsæfrən
Meaning: named for the saffron crocus flower and its golden spice
Popularity: #5,564 and falling (#4,718 → #5,564, 2024)

Golden and warm; unusual enough to feel genuinely individual.

Linden

Origin: English
Pronunciation: LIN-den · ˈlɪndən
Meaning: the linden (lime) tree
Popularity: #2,540, holding steady (2024)

Soft and unusual; the linden tree is a symbol of love and fidelity in European folk tradition.

Jessamine

Origin: English (variant of Jasmine, ultimately Persian via Arabic/Old French)
Pronunciation: JESS-ah-min · ˈdʒɛsəmɪn
Meaning: jasmine flower
Popularity: #7,369 and rising (#9,269 → #7,369, 2024)

Often labeled simply ‘Persian,’ but Jessamine is specifically the English variant of Jasmine; the Persian root belongs to Jasmine’s own etymology via Arabic and Old French.

Peony

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: PEE-uh-nee · ˈpiːəni
Meaning: Named after Paeon, the physician-god of Greek mythology who reputedly used the plant medicinally; the flower’s name became a given name.
Popularity: #17,033 and falling (#11,931 → #17,033, 2024)

Pink, full-petaled, and generous — the name has the same quality as the bloom.

Daisy

Origin: English (Old English compound)
Pronunciation: DAY-zee · ˈdeɪzi
Meaning: flower name meaning “day’s eye”; also historically used as a nickname for Margaret
Popularity: #76 and rising (#110 → #76, 2024)

Simple, bright, and beloved; Daisy Buchanan is a cautionary tale, but the name itself is purely cheerful.

Sweet and citrus-bright; covered in Victorian names but worth a botanical note.

Names That Mean Love, Beauty, or Devotion

Some names carry their romance in their literal meaning. If you want your daughter’s name to mean love before she’s said a word, these are it.

Already covered, but the meaning belongs here.

Amara

Origin: modern coinage (popularized by fantasy fiction)
Pronunciation: ah-MAR-ah · əˈmɑːrə
Meaning: “grace, eternal”
Popularity: #121 and rising (#123 → #121, 2024)

Warm, cross-cultural, and deeply beautiful in meaning.

Carissa

Origin: Latin (most likely, from carissima)
Pronunciation: kuh-RIS-uh · kəˈrɪs.ə
Meaning: dearest, most beloved
Popularity: #3,448 and falling (#2,942 → #3,448, 2024)

An unusual alternative to Clarissa; the meaning is pure warmth.

Davina

Origin: Hebrew (Scottish feminine form of David)
Pronunciation: duh-VEE-nah · dəˈviːnə
Meaning: beloved (feminine form of David, formed with the suffix -ina)
Popularity: #647 and rising (#648 → #647, 2024)

The feminine of David; rare outside Scotland but quietly lovely.

Kayla

Origin: English (modern coinage)
Pronunciation: KAY-lah · ˈkeɪlə
Meaning: “beloved” in some Hebrew interpretations; also “crown of laurels”
Popularity: #336 and falling (#324 → #336, 2024)

Common enough to be familiar, meaningful enough to be intentional.

Mia

Origin: Germanic (diminutive of Maria, German/Dutch/Scandinavian)
Pronunciation: MEE-uh · ˈmiːə
Meaning: “mine” or “beloved”
Popularity: #5 and rising (#6 → #5, 2024)

Short, sweet, and completely wearable everywhere.

Amabel

Origin: Latin (via medieval English)
Pronunciation: AM-ah-bel · ˈæməbɛl
Meaning: lovable
Popularity: #15,375 and falling (#10,430 → #15,375, 2024)

The medieval form of Mabel; Mabel’s older sister, ready for a revival.

Yemisi

Origin: Yoruba
Pronunciation: yeh-MEE-see · jɛ̀.mí.sí
Meaning: suits/befits me
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Joyful and celebratory in meaning; rare and beautiful in English-speaking contexts.

Nadia

Origin: Slavic/Arabic
Pronunciation: NAH-dee-ah · ˈnɑːdiə
Meaning: hope (Slavic, from Nadezhda); also ‘tender’ in Arabic usage
Popularity: #513 and falling (#489 → #513, 2024)

The name of Olympic gymnasts and literary heroines; elegant across cultures.

Seren

Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: SEH-ren · ˈsɛrɛn
Meaning: star
Popularity: #4,631 and rising (#4,638 → #4,631, 2024)

One of the most poetic names in the Welsh language; it means what it sounds like.

Adora

Origin: English (modern coinage, evoking Latin adorare)
Pronunciation: uh-DOR-uh · əˈdɔːr.ə
Meaning: popularly ‘adored one’; not an attested classical Latin word
Popularity: #2,426 and falling (#2,208 → #2,426, 2024)

Literally the feeling of being loved; rare as a given name but immediately understandable.

Kalani

Origin: Hawaiian
Pronunciation: kah-LAH-nee · kəˈlɑːni
Meaning: the heavens, the sky
Popularity: #339 and rising (#380 → #339, 2024)

A name that carries reverence in its meaning.

Karuna

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: kuh-ROO-nuh · kəˈruːnə
Meaning: compassion
Popularity: #16,278 as of 2020 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Buddhist and Hindu concept name; rare in English but immediately beautiful.

Dilnoza

Origin: Persian/Uzbek (compound name)
Pronunciation: dil-NOH-zuh · dɪlˈnoʊzə
Meaning: “heart-warming”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Central Asian name with a meaning that translates perfectly.

Mei

Origin: Chinese (Mandarin)
Pronunciation: MAY · ˈmeɪ
Meaning: beautiful
Popularity: #1,960 and rising (#2,325 → #1,960, 2024)

Spare and complete; commonly a given name and middle name across Chinese cultures.

Jamila

Origin: Arabic
Pronunciation: jah-MEE-lah · dʒəˈmiːlə
Meaning: beautiful
Popularity: #1,560 and falling (#1,512 → #1,560, 2024)

An elegant Arabic name with a meaning that’s perfectly clear.

Ife

Origin: Yoruba
Pronunciation: EE-feh · ˈiːfɛ
Meaning: love
Popularity: #10,090 as of 2018 — not currently in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Priya

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: PREE-ah · ˈpriːə
Meaning: beloved, dear
Popularity: #1,857 and falling (#1,678 → #1,857, 2024)

Common across South Asian cultures; warm and melodic.

Bella

Origin: Italian
Pronunciation: BEL-ah · ˈbɛlə
Meaning: short form of Isabella or Arabella
Popularity: #109 and falling (#106 → #109, 2024)

That’s a later folk association — Bella actually began as a diminutive of Isabella or Arabella, not a direct word for ‘beautiful.’

Linda

Origin: Germanic
Pronunciation: LIN-dah · ˈlɪndə
Meaning: tender, gentle, soft
Popularity: #835 and rising (#841 → #835, 2024)

Mid-century common name that’s rounding back to vintage charm.

Zuri

Origin: Swahili
Pronunciation: ZUR-ee · ˈzʊri
Meaning: from the Swahili word ‘zuri’ (good), commonly rendered ‘beautiful’ in English
Popularity: #277 and falling (#203 → #277, 2024)

Clean, bright, and rare in English-speaking contexts; the meaning is its own introduction.

Suki

Origin: uncertain (associated with Japanese, also used as an English pet name)
Pronunciation: SOO-kee · ˈsuːki
Meaning: Linked to the Japanese word suki, meaning ‘liked’ or ‘favorite.’
Popularity: #3,869 and rising (#4,550 → #3,869, 2024)

A diminutive that has become a standalone name; warm and spare.

Annora

Origin: Medieval English (from Latin honor)
Pronunciation: uh-NOR-uh · əˈnɔːrə
Meaning: honor (as a form of Honora)
Popularity: #3,694 and falling (#3,280 → #3,694, 2024)

A medieval form of Honora; rare and soft-sounding.

Liebling

Origin: German (vocabulary word, not an attested given name)
Pronunciation: LEEB-ling · ˈliːblɪŋ
Meaning: darling, favorite, beloved
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Carisma

Origin: Modern respelling of Charisma (Greek)
Pronunciation: kuh-RIZ-muh · kəˈrɪz.mə
Meaning: gift of grace/favor
Popularity: #13,760 and rising (#15,712 → #13,760, 2024)

Unusual as a name but entirely wearable.

Aminata

Origin: West African (Mande languages, from Arabic Amina)
Pronunciation: ah-mee-NAH-tah · ˌæmiːˈnɑːtə
Meaning: trustworthy, faithful
Popularity: #2,298 and rising (#2,585 → #2,298, 2024)

A West African given name with a warm and grounded meaning.

Avital

Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: my father is dew
Popularity: #7,996 and rising (#8,109 → #7,996, 2024)

A biblical name; rare and beautiful.

Covered in poetry names, but freedom is its own kind of devotion.

Still undecided? Try our Baby Name Art generator — seeing a name in Botanical or Celestial style can be the thing that makes it click.

Soft and Dreamy Sound Names

The phonetics of a name carry feeling independent of meaning. Names built on -elle, -ine, -ia, -ara, -lyn, and -ora endings tend to land softly, which is part of why they feel romantic. These names are here because of how they sound in the air.

Stellaluna

Origin: Latin/Italian (modern coinage)
Pronunciation: stel-uh-LOO-nuh · ˌstɛləˈluːnə
Meaning: star, moon
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rare as a given name but exquisitely beautiful; also a beloved children’s book.

Serenella

Origin: Italian
Pronunciation: seh-reh-NEL-lah · ˌsɛrəˈnɛlə
Meaning: diminutive of Serena
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Almost unknown in English but immediate in beauty.

Lorelei

Origin: German
Pronunciation: LOR-uh-ly · ˈlɔːrəlaɪ
Meaning: murmuring/lurking rock
Popularity: #456 and rising (#485 → #456, 2024)

Lorelei is popularly described as a ‘siren,’ but that’s the attached legend, not the etymology — the name itself literally means ‘murmuring/lurking rock,’ referring to the treacherous rock formation.

Celestia

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: suh-LES-tee-ah · səˈlɛstiə
Meaning: heavenly, of the sky
Popularity: #3,891 and rising (#4,582 → #3,891, 2024)

Fuller than Celeste; a name that belongs in an astronomical allegory.

Felizia

Origin: Latin (variant of Felicia)
Pronunciation: feh-LEE-tsee-ah · fɛˈliːtsiə
Meaning: happy, fortunate
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Italian flourish on a classic; rare and lovely.

Aurelia

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: aw-REEL-yuh · ɔːˈriːljə
Meaning: golden one
Popularity: #334 and rising (#370 → #334, 2024)

A Roman imperial name; warm and luminous in both meaning and sound.

Calista

Origin: Greek (via Latin)
Pronunciation: kuh-LIS-tuh · kəˈlɪstə
Meaning: most beautiful
Popularity: #1,457 and rising (#1,711 → #1,457, 2024)

Mirabella

Origin: Italian/Latin
Pronunciation: meer-uh-BEL-uh · ˌmiːrəˈbɛlə
Meaning: wonderful, admirable
Popularity: #2,490 and falling (#2,482 → #2,490, 2024)

A compound that earns its length with genuine music.

Andria

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: AN-dree-uh · ˈæn.dri.ə
Meaning: feminine form of Andreas, from a root meaning ‘man’ (rendered as ‘brave/manly’)
Popularity: #7,250 and rising (#9,030 → #7,250, 2024)

A softer form of Andrea; rare as a standalone.

Silvia

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: SIL-vee-ah · ˈsɪlviə
Meaning: feminine form of Silvius, from Latin silva, ‘forest’
Popularity: #1,166 and rising (#1,388 → #1,166, 2024)

The Italian spelling of Sylvia; the -ia ending is warmer.

Esmé

Origin: Old French (originally Scottish)
Pronunciation: EZ-may · ˈɛzmeɪ
Meaning: esteemed
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The Salinger novella gave it a literary patina; the accent is optional but elegant.

Lyrica

Origin: Modern coinage (from English/Greek ‘lyric’)
Pronunciation: LEER-ih-kah · ˈlɪrɪkə
Meaning: of lyric song/poetry
Popularity: #4,825 and falling (#3,120 → #4,825, 2024)

A name that is literally musical; very rare but entirely wearable.

Meliora

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: mel-ee-OR-uh · ˌmɛliˈɔːrə
Meaning: better things
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A motto name; rare and quietly aspirational.

Ellora

Origin: Place name (Ellora Caves, Maharashtra, India)
Pronunciation: eh-LOR-uh · ɛˈlɔːr.ə
Meaning: an Indian cave-temple site, but also a constructed romantic-sound name
Popularity: #3,283 and falling (#2,652 → #3,283, 2024)

Soft and unusual.

Seraphia

Origin: Hebrew (via Seraphina)
Pronunciation: seh-ruh-FEE-uh · ˌsɛrəˈfiːə
Meaning: fiery one
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Slightly older-fashioned and therefore rarer; the -ia ending is warm.

Fiora

Origin: modern coinage (echoes Italian fiore ‘flower’)
Pronunciation: fee-OR-ah · fiˈɔːrə
Meaning: “flower”
Popularity: #4,127 and rising (#4,490 → #4,127, 2024)

A character from a Donizetti opera; the name is rare and immediately beautiful.

Mireille

Origin: Provençal (Occitan)
Pronunciation: mih-RAY · mɪˈreɪ
Meaning: admired one; coined by poet Frédéric Mistral for his 1859 poem
Popularity: #8,245 and falling (#6,325 → #8,245, 2024)

Gounod wrote an opera for Mireille; the name is French and musical.

Oriana

Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: oh-ree-AH-nah · oʊriˈɑːnə
Meaning: rising, of the dawn (from Latin oriens/oriri, ‘to rise’)
Popularity: #1,842 and falling (#1,594 → #1,842, 2024)

Medieval and operatic; rare and luminous.

Meribel

Origin: Uncertain (possibly the French place name Méribel, or a modern blend of Mary + Belle)
Pronunciation: MEHR-ih-bel · ˈmɛrɪbɛl
Meaning: “pure beauty”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A ski resort and a rare given name; the construction is elegant.

Callista

Origin: Greek (via Italian)
Pronunciation: kuh-LIS-tuh · kəˈlɪstə
Meaning: most beautiful
Popularity: #3,889 and rising (#4,667 → #3,889, 2024)

The double-l version is equally lovely, slightly fuller.

Eliana

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: el-ee-AH-nah · ˌɛliˈɑːnə
Meaning: God has answered
Popularity: #18 and rising (#34 → #18, 2024)

Warm, long, and melodic; increasingly popular without yet being overexposed.

Serenna

Origin: Latin (variant of Serena)
Pronunciation: seh-REN-uh · səˈrɛnə
Meaning: calm, serene
Popularity: #14,950 and falling (#13,587 → #14,950, 2024)

Beautiful if unusual spelling.

Silvana

Origin: Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish (from Latin silva)
Pronunciation: sil-VAH-nah · sɪlˈvɑːnə
Meaning: feminine name built on Latin silva, ‘forest’ – ‘of the forest’
Popularity: #3,488 and falling (#3,040 → #3,488, 2024)

Rare and Hidden Gem Romantic Names

These are the names that will make a room of grandmothers lean forward and ask where you found it. All real, all accurate, all genuinely rare in English-speaking contexts — meaning your daughter will almost certainly be the only one in her class.

Florinel

Origin: Romanian (diminutive of Florin)
Pronunciation: flor-ee-NEL · ˌflɔːrɪˈnɛl
Meaning: flower-related, blossoming
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Pure poetry.

Tessaly

Origin: Greek (place name: variant spelling of Thessaly)
Pronunciation: TESS-uh-lee · ˈtɛsəli
Meaning: an alternate spelling variant of Thessaly
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Rosanthe

Origin: modern coinage (Greek-influenced)
Pronunciation: roh-ZAN-thee · roʊˈzænθi
Meaning: “rose flower”
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Built from rosa + anthos; a constructed botanical name with genuine etymology.

Alcyone

Origin: Ancient Greek (the underlying word is itself of pre-Greek/uncertain origin)
Pronunciation: al-SY-uh-nee · ælˈsaɪəni
Meaning: kingfisher; name of a Pleiad and of a mythological queen turned into a kingfisher
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The daughter of Aeolus who became a seabird; a mythological name that belongs in the stars, where it also lives as a star in the Pleiades.

Thalassa

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: thuh-LASS-uh · θəˈlæsə
Meaning: sea
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Mehetabel

Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: meh-HET-uh-bel · mɛˈhɛtəbɛl
Meaning: favored by God
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Amarantha

Origin: uncertain (echoes the Greek-derived flower name ‘amaranth’)
Pronunciation: am-uh-RAN-thuh · æməˈrænθə
Meaning: unfading
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Milton used it in *Lycidas*; it’s a name that sounds like it should be more famous than it is.

Ysolde

Origin: Welsh/Germanic (variant of Isolde, disputed)
Pronunciation: ee-ZOHLD · ɪˈzoʊld
Meaning: a variant spelling of Isolde
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Equally beautiful in a different orthographic register.

Alisanne

Origin: Modern literary blend (Alys/Alice + Anne)
Pronunciation: al-ih-SAN · ælɪˈsæn
Meaning: a compound of Alys (Alice) and Anne, used in George R.R
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Martin’s *Fire & Blood*. Musical and rare.

Sunniva

Origin: Old English (used as a Norwegian given name)
Pronunciation: SUN-ee-vuh · ˈsuːnɪvə
Meaning: sun’s gift
Popularity: #7,197 and falling (#4,644 → #7,197, 2024)

Sidony

Origin: Latin (medieval, from the place name Sidon)
Pronunciation: SID-uh-nee · ˈsɪdəni
Meaning: of Sidon, from Sidon
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Medieval and rare; the -y ending is unexpectedly soft.

Orinthia

Origin: modern coinage (literary)
Pronunciation: or-IN-thee-uh · ɔːˈrɪnθiə
Meaning: possibly a literary construction
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Sounds ancient, feels invented; an unusual choice.

Lilavati

Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: lee-lah-VAH-tee · liːlɑːˈvʌtiː
Meaning: the playful or graceful one (from lila “play” + the feminine suffix -vati)
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A medieval Indian mathematician’s name; rare in English and deeply beautiful.

Eulalia

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: yoo-LAY-lee-ah · juːˈleɪliə
Meaning: sweetly speaking
Popularity: #2,693 and rising (#3,109 → #2,693, 2024)

The patron saint of Barcelona; the name is long and musical.

Eudoxia

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: yoo-DOK-see-uh · juːˈdɒksiə
Meaning: well-regarded, of good reputation
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A Byzantine empress name; spectacular and very rare.

Persephone

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: per-SEF-uh-nee · pərˈsɛfəni
Meaning: “bringer of destruction” or possibly “she who destroys light”
Popularity: #737 and rising (#749 → #737, 2024)

The queen of the underworld; a name of power and mythological depth.

Thessalonike

Origin: Greek (historical/dynastic)
Pronunciation: thes-uh-LON-ih-kee · ˌθɛsəˈlɒnɪkiː
Meaning: victory over the Thessalians
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Alcmene

Origin: Ancient Greek
Pronunciation: alk-MEE-nee · ælkˈmiːniː
Meaning: strength/might of the moon
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Heracles’ mother; a mythological name almost unknown as a given name.

Calypso

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: kuh-LIP-soh · kəˈlɪpsoʊ
Meaning: she who conceals
Popularity: #3,966 and rising (#4,063 → #3,966, 2024)

Sophronie

Origin: Greek (French variant of Sophronia)
Pronunciation: soh-froh-NEE · sɔfrɔˈni
Meaning: prudent, sound-minded
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

The -ie ending is softer; a name for a French novel.

Melusine

Origin: Old French / medieval legend (root uncertain)
Pronunciation: meh-loo-ZEEN · ˌmɛluːˈziːn
Meaning: a water spirit of French folklore
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Half woman, half serpent; the name is mythological and haunting.

Nimue

Origin: Arthurian legend (disputed, possibly Celtic)
Pronunciation: NIM-way · ˈnɪmweɪ
Meaning: the Lady of the Lake in Arthurian legend
Popularity: #16,954 and falling (#13,082 → #16,954, 2024)

She gave Arthur his sword and kept Merlin captive; the name is powerful and rare.

Ligeia

Origin: Greek (mythological)
Pronunciation: ly-JEE-uh · laɪˈdʒiːə
Meaning: clear-voiced, shrill
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

Poe wrote a story for Ligeia; the name is literary and slightly gothic — romantic in a dark-room-with-candles way.

Calianthe

Origin: Modern coinage from Greek roots
Pronunciation: kal-ee-AN-thee · ˌkæl.iˈæn.θi
Meaning: beautiful flower
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings

A constructed name with genuine components; rare and beautiful.

Isidora

Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: iz-ih-DOR-uh · ˌɪzɪˈdɔːrə
Meaning: gift of the goddess Isis
Popularity: #5,188 and falling (#4,791 → #5,188, 2024)

A fuller form of Isadora; the -dora ending is warm.

Yseult

Origin: Old French (variant of Iseult/Isolde, whose own root is disputed)
Meaning: A spelling variant of Iseult/Isolde, the medieval legendary heroine’s name; Isolde’s own root is uncertain — often guessed as Germanic for something like ‘ice ruler,’ though some scholars think it may instead be pre-Germanic or Celtic
Popularity: Not in the U.S. Social Security rankings