Little Black Dress Names Are Always in Style
Little black dress baby names ooze style and sophistication, but they do so with classically understated flair.
Chic, Sleek and Timeless
When legendary French fashion icon Coco Chanel designed the first little black dress in the 1920s, Vogue dubbed it “Chanel’s Ford”. Like the car brand, the LBD was designed to be simple, frills-free and accessible to women of all shapes, sizes and social classes.
Like their sartorial namesake, little black dress girl names transcend time and fashion. They’re sleek, streamlined and classic, but never feel too trendy or generic. They’re the ultimate versatile choice: equally at home in the boardroom or the ballroom, stylish but not showy, and a seamless fit at any age.
And crucially, there’s a certain je ne sais quoi about the little black dress names. They have a spark and sophistication to them which sets them apart from the more run-of-the-mill classics or the cozy, comforting blue jean baby names.
Here are our nominations for the best little black dress names for girls.
Classic Little Black Dress Names
The top little black dress baby names include those belonging to style icons including Audrey Hepburn, Princess Diana and Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel herself, as well as elegant, understated classic girl names from sleek Eve to romantic Juliet.
Audrey
The most iconic little black dress of all time is undoubtedly the Givenchy design worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It’s fitting, then, that Audrey earns a place at the top of the list of the most iconic little black dress names of all time.
Ranking among the Top 300 girl names in the US ever since 1895, classic Audrey retains its singular style and poise. Its frills-free femininity and effortless elegance lend it a timeless beauty, just like its most famous bearer.
Celeste
It may surprise you to know that chic Celeste has ranked in the Top 1000 girl names since US naming records began, and in the Top 500 since the 1940s! This streamlined choice wears its classic status quietly, but with plenty of style to spare. It balances a crisp, tailored sound with a super feminine appeal.
Diana
Another iconic little black dress is the so-called “revenge dress” worn by Princess Diana in 1994 after Prince Charles gave a tell-all interview about the couple’s separation.
Despite the growing popularity of other fashionable -iana names like Ariana, Eliana and Liliana, regal Diana still stands apart from the crowd: a trendsetter but never a trend follower.
Eve
Short, chic and perfectly balanced, Eve is both the most classic and the least popular of the fashionable Eva/Evie/Evelyn group of names. Its super sleek sound, vibrant middle V, and association with the first woman in various religious traditions give it a simple feminine strength and presence that never goes out of style.
Gabrielle
The creator of the little black dress, Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel, boasted a name as chic as her most iconic design. Despite a spike in popularity in the 90s and early noughties, this streamlined French form has never reached the same heights in the US as frillier sister Gabriella, and retains its understated elegance and charm.
Juliet
Julia is a true classic – never out of the Top 150 girl names in the US and always a solid and stylish choice. But it’s Shakespearean heroine Juliet who has that extra spark and sophistication that sets her quietly apart from the crowd, thanks to her romantic image and tailored final T.
Noor
A classic Arabic name popular with Muslim parents around the world, elegant Noor makes the list due to its strong, streamlined sound and cross-cultural appeal; it’s also a sleek Dutch variant of Nora. Queen Noor of Jordan is an activist and philanthropist known for her intelligence, poise and impeccable sense of style.
Vivian
The two strong V sounds in this tailored classic give it a vibrancy that transcends the ages. Vivian has ranked in or around the Top 500 girl names since US naming records began, yet it still feels like a fresh and stylish choice. The striking French form Vivienne, though a little frillier, also fits the bill.
Vivian also has a connection to another iconic little black dress: the off-the-shoulder cocktail dress worn by Julia Roberts in the 1990 film Pretty Woman.
Unique Little Black Dress Names
Eye-catching and uncommon little black dress names for girls include a variety of chic French options which stand out for their tailored shape but super-feminine allure. Sleek and striking international options like Amal, Una and Vita also possess that special spark which earns them a place in this category.
Amal
High-flying human rights lawyer Amal Clooney is the best known modern bearer of this sleek Arabic name, which is well used in the UK and parts of Europe as well as the Middle East. Its warm sound and simple elegance lend it a versatile, international appeal.
Anais
Properly pronounced "ah-nah-EES" in French, this chic elaboration of Anna is just starting to attract attention in the US, where it has ranked towards the bottom of the Top 1000 for the past three years.
With links both to a popular French perfume brand and to novelist and diarist Anaïs Nin, this beautiful option balances glamor and luxury with literary cachet.
Caro
Few nickname names feel substantial enough to make the list of little black dress names for girls, but the elegant Caro is an exception to the rule! A traditional shortening of classic Caroline in both France and upper-class England, notable bearers real and fictional include journalist Caro Crawford Brown, sculptor Sir Anthony Caro, and Caro Clairmont from the 1999 novel Chocolat.
Cecile
This sleek French form of Cecilia was last in vogue around the turn of the 20th century in the US, peaking at #221 in 1898. It shares its chic ending sound with more popular little black dress names like Camille and Lucille, but is far rarer – given to only 20 baby girls in 2022.
The teenage heroine of Françoise Sagan's cult classic 1954 novel Bonjour Tristesse is named Cécile, lending it a quirky, youthful charm.
Margaux
However you spell it, this chic and charismatic vintage gem certainly belongs in this category. But it's the eye-catching Margaux spelling which is the rarest and most striking in the US – although it's currently the most popular form in its native France.
Actress and supermodel Margaux Hemingway, granddaughter of the great novelist Ernest Hemingway, was a glamorous American bearer of the name.
Una
Oona has oomph, but Una has the understated elegance of a true little black dress baby name. Highly multicultural, this compact choice has roots in Latin, Gaelic, Slavic and Germanic languages and is also an ancient literary name, featuring in Spenser's The Faerie Queene.
Una is one of the few girl names beginning with U which still feels fresh and stylish in the US.
Vita
Sparky and vital, Vita is most closely associated in the English-speaking world with two equally glamorous namesakes: English writer and garden designer Victoria "Vita" Sackville-West, a friend and lover of Virginia Woolf, and Russian model Vitalina "Vita" Sidorkina.
In Italy, Croatian and Slovenia, vibrant Vita – which coincides with the Latin word for "life" – is often given as a full name in its own right.
Zelie
A sweet and sophisticated French saint's name which is picking up steam across the Channel, most recently ranking at #74 in France. In the English-speaking world, it's less well known but equally stylish, with a simple elegance and striking Z initial to lend it a shot of pizzazz.
More Little Black Dress Names
If the little black dress girl names are your style, find even more inspiration from across the popularity spectrum in the list below.