Feminine names used in the most languages
These feminine names appeared in the largest variety of languages or cultures (out of 58 checked). The top ones here should sound familiar to people all around the world.
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Names appearing in 21 languages
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Featured in baby name books
Alice
Alice is a Germanic name meaning “noble” or “nobility,” originally a form of Adelaide, with variants such as Alys and Alyce. Alice is also linked to a Greek word for “truthful.”
Angela
Angela comes from Greek and means “messenger of God” or “angel,” with forms such as Angelina, Angelique, and the Irish Aingeal, and Angie as a nickname. Famous bearers include actresses Angela Lansbury and Angela Bassett and German chancellor Angela Merkel.
Ariel
Ariel is a Hebrew name meaning “lion of God” or “lioness of God,” used for boys and girls, with Arielle and Ariella as feminine spellings. In the Bible Ariel is a symbolic name for Jerusalem in Isaiah and the name of a leader sent by Ezra to find Levites.
Claudia
Claudia is the feminine of Claudius and comes from Latin for “lame.” The name stayed popular despite its meaning, thanks largely to the Roman Emperor Claudius.
Edith
Edith is an Old English name meaning “prosperity in war” or “struggle for wealth.” Edith is also read as “spoils of war,” and the first Edith was a daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my oath,” “pledged to God,” or “God’s promise.” Elizabeth has more spin-offs than almost any name, from Beth, Betsy and Liz to Elsa and Isabel, and it has stayed near the top of U.S. charts for well over a century.
Ellen
Ellen began as a form of Helen, meaning “light” or “shining,” and has long been a name in its own right. Some find Ellen too plain, but it has the quiet appeal of a simple staple that subtle-minded parents appreciate.
Faith
Faith is a virtue name meaning “trust,” “strong belief,” or “belief in God.” A favorite of the Puritans, Faith is one of the few virtue names still widely used, and Fay or Faye make lighter alternatives.
Grace
Grace comes from the Latin gratia and means “grace,” “favor,” or “pleasing,” with Gracie as a beloved pet form. A virtue name loved by the Puritans and frequent in the Bible, Grace was seen as dowdy in the 1970s but is now as popular as in the late 1800s; it also recalls the mythological Graces.
Hannah
Hannah is Hebrew for “grace” or “God has favored me,” and is also a palindrome. In the Bible Hannah prayed for a child at Shiloh and dedicated her son, the prophet Samuel, to God’s service.
Helen
Helen is a Greek name meaning “light,” “torch,” or “sunbeam,” and has spun off many forms such as Ellen, Elena, Elaine, and Ilona. In Greek myth Helen was the world’s most beautiful woman, whose flight with Paris sparked the Trojan War; Constantine’s mother Helena later made it popular among Christians.
Iris
Iris is Greek for “rainbow,” and is also a flower name. In Greek myth Iris was the rainbow goddess who carried messages between heaven and earth; the stylized iris is the fleur-de-lis of France.
Jacqueline
Jacqueline is a French feminine form of Jacques, and so of Jacob, meaning “supplanter” or “he who replaces.” Jacqueline is forever linked to first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, whose style gave the French name an American polish.
Jane
Jane is the feminine form of John and means “God is gracious” or “God’s grace.” Jane was the dependable everygirl from the 1920s to the ’50s, faded in the sixties, and now sits mid-pack, suited to literature lovers (Jane Eyre, Jane Austen) and Anglophiles alike.
Jordan
Jordan is a Hebrew name meaning “to descend” or “flowing down,” after the River Jordan where Jesus was baptized. Jordan caught on during the Crusades, when soldiers brought Jordan River water home to baptize their children.
Josephine
Josephine is the feminine of Joseph, meaning “God will add.” Josephines tend to be strong, trend-bucking women: Empress Josephine, dancer Josephine Baker, and Jo March of Little Women.
Joyce
Joyce is usually read as “joyous,” from Latin or French. Joyce originally meant “lord,” from a Breton name that became an Anglo-Norman surname borne by one of the Galway “tribes.”
Julia
Julia comes from the Roman clan name Julius and means “young” or “youthful.” Julia is also read as “soft-haired.”
Lydia
Lydia is Greek for “woman from Lydia,” an ancient region of Anatolia famed for its wealth. In Acts, Lydia is a businesswoman selling purple cloth who became Paul’s first convert in Macedonia; Protestants widely used the name in the 1600s.
Martha
Martha is an Aramaic name meaning “lady” or “mistress of the house.” In the Gospels Martha is the busy sister of Mary and Lazarus who served Jesus while her sister sat and listened.
Mary
Mary is linked to the sea, read as “drop of the sea” and later “star of the sea,” from Latin stella maris. Mary also traces to the Hebrew Miriam, meaning “bitter” or “sea of bitterness.”
Nancy
Nancy grew out of Ann and Anna and shares their Hebrew meaning, “grace.” Nancy was a top-ten name in the U.S. around 1935 to 1955, has been fading since, and has a cheerful girl-next-door feel.
Patricia
Patricia is the feminine of Patrick, from Latin for “patrician” or “noble.” Used in the church since the sixth century, Patricia surged after a granddaughter of Queen Victoria received it and was big from the 1930s into the 1970s before declining.
Rachel
Rachel is a Hebrew name meaning “ewe” or “lamb,” with forms like Rachael, Rachelle and Raquel. In Genesis Jacob served Laban fourteen years to marry his beloved Rachel, who became the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
Rose
Rose comes from the Latin name of the flower, with many forms such as Rosa, Rosie, Rosalie, and Rosetta. Rose was the earliest flower name, probably because of its connection with the Virgin Mary, and it stands for love and purity, while the Bible refers to the “rose of Sharon.”
Ruby
Ruby is a gem name from the Latin for “red,” referring to the precious red stone. One of the first jewel names after the Civil War, Ruby was hot in the 1910s, faded, and is now back, ranking second in the U.K. in 2008.
Sarah
Sarah is a Hebrew name meaning “princess,” with nicknames such as Sally and Sadie. In Genesis, the beautiful Sarai was renamed Sarah and, late in life, bore Isaac to Abraham, earning the title “mother of nations.”
Valerie
Valerie is a Latin name meaning “strong” or “healthy,” the French form of Valeria, which comes from the Roman clan name Valerius. Sitcom actresses Valerie Harper and Valerie Bertinelli gave the name a girl-next-door feel, though some think it sounds a bit 1960s.
Veronica
Veronica is a Latin name meaning “true image,” with Veronique and Veronika as foreign forms and Ronnie and Vera as nicknames. By legend, Saint Veronica wiped Jesus’s face with her veil as he carried the cross, and the cloth kept the image of his face, though she never appears in the Bible itself.
Victoria
Victoria is a Latin name meaning “victory” or “victorious,” the feminine form of Victor and the name of the Roman goddess of victory. The name has a regal air thanks to Queen Victoria, and it offers many nicknames, including Tori, Vicky, and Ria.
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