Original Names for Girls

“A rose by any other name . . .” —Someoneorother

It’s not easy to think of a good, original name. I mean, with almost 1000 years of the English language behind us, there just aren’t that many names that haven’t already been taken. But for those of you looking for a truly original feminine name, to guarantee immediate fame either for yourself (if you are a lady) or for a newborn daughter, here’s a formula that can’t fail.

Flowers. Girls are often compared to flowers in poetry and song, perhaps because they are pretty, smell nice, and live in the dirt. So naturally, flowers are a good source of inspiration for female names. Sure, the obvious ones have all been used: Rose, Lily, Daisy, and Zinnia.¹ But there are plenty more to choose from. They can be much more specific than the common ones, which adds to the aura of beauty surrounding them.

Imagine your sweet little baby girl with one of these names:

Aconitum
African Daisy
Bleeding Heart
Dandelion
Euphorbia Cyathophor
Hibiscus
Orchid
Ornamental Onion
Queen Anne’s Lace
Ranunculus
Rose of Sharon ²
Tigerlily
Tulip
Wallflower
Whirling Butterfly
Wooley Violet
Xanthoceras Sorbifolium
And if you really want to be last in alphabetical order, use Zinnia Elegans

As far as we can tell, in all our searching of public birth records for the last 862 years, none of these have been used as names yet. So why not be the first to legally change your name to Bleeding Heart, or to name your little one Ranunculus? A name like these is sure to inspire the hearts of many a chivalrous suitor (if those still exist).