Naamah

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Biblical / Hebrew

Meaning: “pleasant, sweet, delightful, beautiful.”

Pronunciation: (NAY-ah-mah)

Nicknames: Nay, Naa, Nomi, Gnomes

Detail: The name Naamah comes from (naem) meaning be pleasant, sweet, delightful, beautiful. Derivatives are (noam), pleasantness, beauty; (naim), pleasant, sweet; (naaman), pleasantness; and (manammim), delicacies.

Could make a good alternative to the increasing in popularity Naomi, and with Noah also high in the charts, this name is on the good side of unusual.

Audefleda

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Germanic, Old English

Meaning: “Noble Beauty.”

Pronunciation: (od-FLEH-dah)

Nicknames: Aude, Fleda, Flee

Details: Composed of Germanic adal “noble” and Old English flæd “beauty”.

Famous bearer is Audefleda Princess of Franks.

Nesace

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Greek

Meaning: “Small island.”

Pronunciation: (nee-SAH-kee)

Nicknames: Saki

Detail: From Edgar Allan Poe’s Al Aaraaf, there is an angel named Nesace, who is Beauty personified.

Variations:

• Nesake

Calluna

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Greek

Meaning: “To beautify and cleanse.”

Pronunciation: (ka-LOO-nah)

Nicknames: Calla, Callie, Luna

Detail: The name Calluna derives from the Greek word kallunein which means “to beautify and cleanse”, which probably derives from the use of Calluna Vulgaris (Heather) twigs as brooms, or from its medicinal properties for treatment of a number of internal disorders.

Calluna Vulgaris is an herb of immortality, and protection. Its Invocatory can be Isis, Osiris, or Venus. It is associated with Midsummer’s Eve.

Sri

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Indian

Meaning: “Diffusing light, radiance, beauty.”

Pronunciation: (shree)

Detail: This is another name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.

Calamint

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Greek

Meaning: “Beautiful mint.”

Pronunciation: (KAL-uh-mint)

Nicknames: Calla, Mint, Minty, Minthe

Detail: Derived from the Greek kalaminthē. Composed of two Greek words kalos and minthe directly meaning “beautiful mint”.

It has simple, opposite leaves and drooping clusters of flowers blooming in July and August.

Variations:

• Calamint
• Calamintha (kal-uh-MIN-thah)
• Calaminthe (kal-uh-MIN-thee)

Erato

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Greek

Meaning: “Lovely.”

Pronunciation: (AIR-ah-toh)

Nicknames: Eri

Detail: In Greek mythology she is the Muse of lyric poetry and mime.

Delyth

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Welsh

Meaning: “Pretty.”

Pronunciation: (DEL-ith)

Nicknames: Lythie, Delle

Detail: From Welsh del “pretty”.

Fionnoula

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Gaelic

Meaning: “Fair shouldered.”

Pronunciation: (fin-NOH-luh)

Nicknames: Fi, Fin, Fini, Finna, Flo, Fola, Lola, Nola

Detail: The name comes from fionn + ghuala “fair shouldered.”

The chieftan King Lir(leer) and his wife Aobh(ay) had a daughter Fionnoula and three sons Aedh(aid), Conn and Fiachra(fee-AH-kruh). When Aobh died, Lir’s new wife Aoife(EE-fah) was so jealous of her husband’s love for his children that she cast a spell on them and turned them into swans and condemned them to spend 300 years on Lake Daravarragh(dair-uh-vair-uh), 300 years on the Sea of Moyle and 300 years on Innis Glora. However, if they heard a Christian bell in Ireland they would become people again. One morning they were awakened by the sound of a Mass bell. St. Patrick had arrived. The children were brought to him and he baptised them and they have lived on in Irish mythology as the “Children of Lir”

Variations:

• Fenella
• Finella
• Finola
• Fionnaghal
• Fionnaghuala
• Fionnala
• Fionnauala
• Fionnghala
• Fionnghuala
• Fionnoula
• Fionnuala
• Fionnula
• Fionola

Lamya

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Arabic

Meaning: “Having beautiful dark lips.”

Pronunciation: (lahm-YAH)

Nicknames: Lam, Lami, Lomi, Moa, Mya

Freyja

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Norse

Meaning: “Lady.”

Pronunciation: (FREY-yah)

Nicknames: Frey, Fay, Reya, Ray

Detail: Freyja is a goddess in Norse mythology associated with love, beauty, fertility, gold, seiðr (witchcraft), war, and death.

In most Germanic languages the day is named after Freyja, such as Frīatag (Old High German), Freitag (Modern German), Freyjudagr (Old Norse), Vrijdag (Dutch), Fredag (Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish)

Variations:

• Freia
• Freja
• Freya
• Freyja

Adamma

Gender: Feminine

Origin: African

Meaning: “Beautiful girl.”

Pronunciation: (ah-DAHM-ah)

Nicknames: Ada, Amma, Damma, Dami

Miranda

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Latin

Meaning: “Adorable.”

Pronunciation: (mih-RAN-da)

Nicknames: Mira, Miri, Mia,

Detail: The name is derived from the root word mirari “to admire; to wonder at”; it was invented by Shakespeare for the daughter of Prospero in his play The Tempest.

Miranda is the smallest and innermost of Uranus’ five major moons.

Vashti

 

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Persian

Meaning: “Good looking, beautiful.”

Pronunciation: (VASH-tee)

Nicknames: Vash

Detail: In the book of Esther, in the bible, Vashti is the wife of King Ahasuerus. The king holds a banquet for his men, and Vashti holds a separate banquet for the women. On the seventh day, when the king was “merry with wine,” he sends for Vashti to come before him and his guests, to show off her beauty. Vashti refuses to come, and the king becomes angry. He asks his advisers how Vashti should be punished for her disobedience. His adviser tells him that Vashti has wronged not only the king, but also all of the husbands of Persia, whose wives may be encouraged by Vashti’s actions to disobey their husbands. He encourages the king to dismiss Vashti and find a new queen. The king then chooses Esther to replace Vashti as queen.

Aysuna

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Turkish

Meaning: “As beautiful as the moon.”

Pronunciation: (ahy-SOON-uh)

Nicknames: Aya, Ays (Ice), Suna, Suni

Amidala

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Italian

Meaning: “Beautiful flower.”

Nicknames: Ama, Ami, Dala

Arwen

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Welsh  

Meaning: “Fair; fine; Noble maiden.”

Pronunciation: (AR-wen)

Nicknames: Ari

Detail: Arwen Evenstar is one of the half-elven in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

Arabella

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Latin

Meaning: “Beautiful lion.”

Pronunciation: (AH-rah-BEL-lah)

Nicknames: Ara, Ari, Bella, Belle

Detail: Formed from the combination of ara meanig “lion” and bella “beautiful”.

Arabella Doreen Figg was a squib neighbour of the Dursleys’, and member of the Order of the Phoenix.

Isolde

Sophia Myles

 

Gender: Feminine

Meaning: (Welsh) “Beautiful; fair lady.” Or (Germanic) “Ice princess.”

Pronunciation: (ih-ZOLD)

Origin: The origin of Isolde is somewhat disputed. It might derive from the Welsh word “esyllt,” meaning “beautiful”; it might also derive from the Germanic words for “ice” and “to rule.”

Detail: In Arthurian legend, this is the name a tragic princess who was the lover of Tristan.

Variations:

• Essylt (Old Irish)
• Esyllt (Welsh)
• Iseult (Old French)
• Ishild (Ancient Germanic)
• Isold (English)
• Isolda (English)
• Isolina (Italian)
• Isolt (English)
• Isolte (English)
• Isotta (Italian)
• Izolda (Polish)
• Yseult (Old French)
• Ysolt (Celtic)