Pretty Girl Names
What makes a name pretty? Usually it’s the sound: flowing L’s and soft vowels (Liliana, Elodie), a romantic literary link (Juliet, Cordelia) or an image you can picture, like a flower or the moon. Pretty names also tend to have lovely meanings, which is a nice bonus when your daughter asks about hers one day.
We’ve hand-picked more than 100 pretty girl names and sorted them by style, each with its real meaning and origin. You’ll find timeless beauties, floral names, rare gems and names from around the world. For even more, browse our elegant girl names and cute girl names, or go straight to names that mean beautiful.
Timeless pretty girl names
These are the names that feel graceful in every era, from a newborn to a grandmother.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Isabelle | “Pledged to God,” French form of Elizabeth | Hebrew via French |
| Genevieve | Possibly “woman of the people”; patron saint of Paris | Celtic / French |
| Juliet | “Youthful,” Shakespeare’s heroine | Latin |
| Evangeline | “Good news” | Greek |
| Vivienne | “Alive” | Latin via French |
| Annabelle | Possibly “loving” or a blend of Anna and Belle | Scottish / Latin |
| Serena | “Calm, serene” | Latin |
| Rosalind | “Gentle horse,” later read as “pretty rose” | Germanic |
| Celine | “Heavenly” | French / Latin |
| Elise | Short for Elisabeth, “God is my oath” | French |
| Cordelia | Possibly “heart”; King Lear’s loyal daughter | Latin |
| Seraphina | “Fiery ones,” from the seraphim | Hebrew |
| Gabrielle | “God is my strength” | Hebrew via French |
| Amelie | “Work, industrious” | Germanic via French |
| Eliza | Short for Elizabeth | Hebrew |
| Adeline | “Noble” | Germanic |
| Eloise | Possibly “healthy” or “wide” | French |
Pretty floral girl names
Flowers are a natural source of pretty names; our flower names for girls has dozens more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Rosalie | “Rose garden” | French |
| Lillian | “Lily” | Latin / English |
| Violet | The purple violet | Latin |
| Camellia | The camellia bloom | Latin |
| Magnolia | The flowering magnolia tree | French / Latin |
| Posy | “A small bouquet” | English |
| Dahlia | The dahlia flower | Swedish |
| Lavender | The fragrant purple herb | Latin |
| Jasmine | The jasmine flower | Persian |
| Primrose | “First rose” | Latin |
| Lilac | The pale purple lilac | Persian |
| Laurel | The bay laurel tree | Latin |
Soft and melodic girl names
Names built on liquid sounds like L, R and M flow beautifully when spoken.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Aurelia | “Golden” | Latin |
| Elodie | Possibly “foreign riches” | French / Germanic |
| Liliana | “Lily” | Latin |
| Ariella | “Lioness of God” | Hebrew |
| Eliana | “My God has answered” | Hebrew |
| Talia | “Dew from heaven” | Hebrew |
| Aria | “Air, song” | Italian |
| Luna | “Moon” | Latin |
| Mira | “Wonderful” (Latin) or “peace” (Slavic) | Latin / Slavic |
| Selena | “Moon” | Greek |
| Alina | “Noble” or “light,” depending on origin | Germanic / Slavic |
| Anaya | “Caring” or “free” in Hindi | Sanskrit |
| Cora | “Maiden” | Greek |
| Nora | Short for Honora, “honor” | Irish / Latin |
| Delia | “From Delos,” an epithet of Artemis | Greek |
| Leila | “Night” | Arabic / Persian |
Pretty names that mean beautiful or lovely
The sound is pretty and so is the meaning. For more in this vein, see names that mean love.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Bella | “Beautiful” | Italian |
| Callista | “Most beautiful” | Greek |
| Jamila | “Beautiful” | Arabic |
| Linda | “Pretty” in Spanish; originally “snake, linden” | Germanic / Spanish |
| Shayna | “Beautiful” | Yiddish |
| Bonnie | “Pretty, attractive” | Scots |
| Mirabel | “Wonderful, lovely” | Latin |
| Amanda | “Worthy of love” | Latin |
| Mabel | “Lovable” | Latin |
| Keely | Possibly “slender, lovely” | Irish |
| Naava | “Beautiful, pleasant” | Hebrew |
| Hasina | “Good, beautiful” | Swahili |
| Calliope | “Beautiful voice” | Greek |
| Ingrid | “Ing is beautiful” | Norse |
| Belle | “Beautiful” | French |
Pretty girl names from around the world
Some of the loveliest names are beloved in other languages first. Pronunciations are included where helpful; see also French girl names and Irish girl names.
| Name | Meaning (pronunciation) | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Anaïs | Form of Anne, “grace” (an-ah-EES) | Catalan / French |
| Chiara | “Clear, bright” (KYAH-rah) | Italian |
| Inès | Form of Agnes, “pure” (ee-NES) | French / Spanish |
| Sienna | After the Italian city and its reddish-brown earth | Italian |
| Paloma | “Dove” | Spanish |
| Catalina | Spanish form of Katherine | Spanish |
| Saoirse | “Freedom” (SEER-sha) | Irish |
| Aisling | “Dream, vision” (ASH-ling) | Irish |
| Leilani | “Heavenly flowers” (lay-LAH-nee) | Hawaiian |
| Sakura | “Cherry blossom” | Japanese |
| Hana | “Flower” (Japanese) or “bliss” (Arabic) | Japanese / Arabic |
| Anouk | Dutch pet form of Anna, “grace” (ah-NOOK) | Dutch |
| Freya | “Lady,” the Norse goddess of love | Norse |
| Noemi | Italian form of Naomi, “pleasantness” | Hebrew via Italian |
| Amaya | “Night rain” (Japanese) or “the end” (Basque) | Japanese / Basque |
| Zara | Possibly “radiance” or “blooming flower” | Arabic / Hebrew |
Rare and unusual pretty names
Want pretty but uncommon? These names are rarely heard in the US yet feel completely wearable. More ideas in unique girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Marisol | “Sea and sun,” also from María de la Soledad | Spanish |
| Isolde | Heroine of Tristan and Isolde; possibly “ice ruler” | Celtic / Germanic |
| Odette | “Wealth”; the swan princess of Swan Lake | French / Germanic |
| Oriana | “Golden” or “dawn” | Latin / Spanish |
| Lucinda | “Light” | Latin |
| Delphine | “Dolphin” or “woman from Delphi” | French / Greek |
| Emmeline | “Work, industrious” | Germanic via French |
| Ottilie | “Wealth, fortune” | Germanic |
| Marguerite | “Pearl”; also the daisy in French | French |
| Liesel | German pet form of Elisabeth | German |
| Aveline | “Hazelnut” or “desired” | Norman French |
| Briony | The climbing bryony vine | Greek / English |
| Soraya | “The Pleiades” star cluster | Persian |
Short and pretty girl names
Proof that pretty names don’t have to be long. Our short girl names list has many more.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ivy | The evergreen vine | English |
| Ava | Possibly “bird” or “life” | Latin / Germanic |
| Mae | The month of May | English |
| Eve | “Life” | Hebrew |
| Zoe | “Life” | Greek |
| Lia | Short for names like Amelia or Leah | Italian / Hebrew |
| Elle | “She” | French |
| Rose | The rose flower | Latin |
| Jade | The green gemstone | Spanish |
| Esme | “Esteemed, loved” | French |
| Nina | “Little girl” in Spanish; also short for Antonina | Spanish / Russian |
| Gemma | “Gem” | Italian |
How to choose a pretty name that lasts
- Say it out loud with the surname. Flowing names like Seraphina sound best with a short last name; short pretty names balance longer surnames.
- Check the meaning. Some pretty names have surprising roots (Linda once meant “snake”), so decide whether that matters to you.
- Picture her at every age. A pretty name should suit a baby, a teenager and a grown professional. Genevieve and Juliet pass that test easily.
- Offer a nickname option. Longer names like Evangeline (Evie) or Cordelia (Delia) give her flexibility.
- Mind the spelling. Pretty names with accents or Irish spellings (Anaïs, Saoirse) are beautiful but will need spelling out; make sure you’re comfortable with that.
Frequently asked questions
What is the prettiest girl name?
Taste is personal, but names like Genevieve, Seraphina, Aurelia, Juliet, Isabelle and Elodie are frequently described as among the prettiest because of their flowing sounds and lovely meanings.
What girl names mean beautiful?
Bella, Belle, Callista, Jamila, Shayna, Bonnie, Naava and Hasina all mean beautiful or pretty in their original languages.
What is a pretty but uncommon girl name?
Odette, Delphine, Ottilie, Oriana, Briony, Soraya and Marisol are rare in the US while still sounding lovely and easy to say.
What are pretty short girl names?
Ivy, Ava, Esme, Mae, Elle, Zoe and Gemma are short, pretty and simple to spell.
Are pretty names still popular?
Yes. Names like Aurora, Violet, Isabella and Eliana are all near the top of recent SSA baby-name data, showing that parents still love a romantic, feminine sound.