Project Moth - Female

  1. Felicia
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "lucky"
    • Description:

      A lacy, lucky name very popular in the Hispanic community a decade ago, less so now.
  2. Felicity
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "good fortune, happy"
    • Description:

      Felicity is as accessible a virtue name as Hope and Faith, but much more feminine -- and dare we say, happier. The hit TV show did a lot to soften and modernize the once buttoned-up image of Felicity, and it got further notice as the red-haired Colonial doll, Felicity Merriman, in the American Girl series. A current bearer is actress Felicity Huffman.
  3. Flora
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "flower"
    • Description:

      Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names we think is due for a comeback— alongside cousins Cora and Dora. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all.
  4. Gabrielle
    • Origin:

      French, feminine variation of Gabriel
    • Meaning:

      "God is my Strength"
    • Description:

      The quintessentially elegant and worldly Gabrielle -- designer Coco Chanel's real name -- is on its descent after years on the rise. Gabrielle was a hit in the 90s and early 2000s, peaking at number 46 in 1999. Popular nickname options include Gabby, Bri, and Brielle. Today Gabriella has taken over as the more popular version and still sits in the Top 100, while Gabrielle is soon to lose its spot in the Top 500. This follows a collective trend of "-a" ending version surpassing the more tailored versions, similar to how Daniela replaced Danielle.
  5. Gigi
    • Origin:

      French diminutive
    • Description:

      Like high-kicking amies Coco and Fifi, Gigi has a lot of Gallic spunk but lacks substance. Was chosen for her daughter by designer Cynthia Rowley. While some parents might fashionably use Gigi on its own, we'd recommend lengthening it on the birth certificate to something like Georgiana or Gabrielle.
  6. Giselle
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "pledge, hostage"
    • Description:

      Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen undoubtedly gave this name a boost. The French pronunciation (jiz-ELLE) gives it a more graceful, balletic, gazellelike feel.
  7. Iris
    • Origin:

      Flower name; Greek
    • Meaning:

      "rainbow"
    • Description:

      Iris has so much going for it. It's a fashionable flower name. It's a mythological name, from the Greek goddess of the rainbow. And it's a classic name, always ranking in the girls' Top 1000 but now at its highest point ever.
  8. Isla
    • Origin:

      Scottish place-name or Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "island"
    • Description:

      Isla is a hit name throughout the English-speaking world but hasn't found the same popularity in other western countries, perhaps because its spelling and pronunciation don't make sense for those whose native language is not English. Think island without the final two letters.
  9. Jamila
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful, graceful"
    • Description:

      Soft and appealing, with a whiff of vanilla.
  10. Kiran
    • Laleh
      • Origin:

        Persian
      • Meaning:

        "tulip"
      • Description:

        A pretty Persian name with an equally lovely meaning
    • Lalita
      • Origin:

        Sanskrit
      • Meaning:

        "playful, charming"
      • Description:

        Lolita without the naughty implications.
    • Malika
      • Origin:

        Arabic
      • Meaning:

        "master"
      • Description:

        Malika is an attractive multi-cultural name--it is also a pet form of Amalia in Hungary.
    • Margherita
      • Mila
        • Origin:

          Slavic, Russian
        • Meaning:

          "gracious; dear"
        • Description:

          Mila is a popular name that took a 125 year nap, ranking in the Top 1000 in 1881 and then not ranking again until 2006, after actress Mila Kunis appeared on That 70s Show.
      • Nadia
        • Origin:

          Russian, Arabic
        • Meaning:

          "hope; tender, delicate"
        • Description:

          Nadia, an accessible Slavic favorite, has a strong run of popularity in the US in the early 2000s, partially thanks to the character on Lost called Nadia but actually named Noor, but it's since slumped down the rankings. An earlier inspiration was Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who won the 1976 Olympics.
      • Nadine
        • Origin:

          French variation of Nadia, Russian
        • Meaning:

          "hope"
        • Description:

          Part of the vogue for French-sounding names in the 1920s and 30s, Nadine has been replaced by the Russian sound of Nadia and Natasha.
      • Niamh
        • Origin:

          Irish Gaelic
        • Meaning:

          "bright"
        • Description:

          Niamh, derived from the Old Irish Niam, is an ancient Irish name that was originally a term for a goddess. In Irish myth, one who bore it was Niamh of the Golden Hair, daughter of the sea god, who falls in love with Finn's son Oisin and takes him to the Land of Promise, where they stayed for three hundred years. Niamh can be Anglicized as Neve, Nieve, or Neave.
      • Nicolina
        • Origin:

          Diminutive of Nicola
        • Description:

          Another light new twist in the Nicole family.
      • Nina
        • Origin:

          Short form of names that end in -nina
        • Description:

          Nina is as multiethnic as you can get: Nina is a common nickname name in Spain and Russia, a Babylonian goddess of the oceans, and an Incan goddess of fire. Here and now, it's a stylish possibility that's been underused. "Weird Al" Yankovic chose this decidedly nonweird name for his daughter.