50 Badass Girl Names

Badass girl names will grow with your little one from the playroom to the boardroom! These fierce names for girls sound bold, command attention, and have strong meanings behind them. Baby names that speak to your values are so very important. These appellations exude confidence and even help communicate a point of view.

Finding a name for your baby girl can be challenging, especially when you want to skip names that can be described as “cute,” “sweet,” or heaven forbid, “pretty.” We decided to take a deep dive into strong names for girls to discover the best badass girl names that parents should consider today. Take a look at what we found and get inspired by these 50 bold names!

Check Out These Badass Girl Names for Inspiration

Artemis

The name Artemis entered the US top 1000 most popular names for girls in 2020. Parents are attracted to the offbeat sound of this Greek name that refers to the goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and the moon. Her name comes from a Greek root that means “butcher.”

Atlas

One of our new favorite badass girl names, Atlas, has been gaining traction as a name for baby boys in the US over the last decade. However, the name is increasingly being viewed as a gender-neutral option. After actor Shay Mitchell chose the name for her daughter born in 2020, we think more and more parents are going to pick it for girls. The name also comes from Greek and means “holder of the heavens.”

Blaze

A name that means straight “fire,” Blaze is currently a trendy name for boys but parents have been choosing it for girls as well. We like it even more for girls and hope it really takes off!

Blake

Blake sounds strong and blunt when applied to girls which is increasingly attractive for new parents today. Blake is a name with English origins that somehow means both “fair” and “dark.” We have Blake Lively to thank for opening our eyes to this amazing name for girls.

Cameron

Cameron is a Scottish surname that’s been used as a given name for hundreds of years now. The name means “crooked nose.”

Channing

Channing is another remarkable surname-name that works extremely well when given to girls. The name can be traced to English and Irish origins, meaning “people of Cana” or “wolf cub.” It’s one of the best badass girl names on this list!

Danica

Danica comes from Slavic origin and is associated with Diana or Venus. The name means “morning star.” We love that this name sounds balanced, both feminine and straightforward.

Delta

Detla was last popular for babies in the US in the 1930s. We so desperately want this appellation to make a comeback. Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet and it sounds distinct. However, we understand that one of this country’s major airlines has the name so we get the hesitance. Be bold, folks!

Easton

Easton is an English habitational name, meaning “town that faces east.” The name is hugely popular for boys but it is totally unisex and deserves a spot among other badass girl names on this list. Just a tip: you can find other badass girl names like Easton by looking to unisex surnames!

Evangeline

Evangeline is a more popular name today than ever before. The appellation comes from Greek and means “bringing good news.” If you can think of a name that sounds more fitting for a superhero, please let us know.

Freya

A name from Norse mythology, Freya means “noble.” Freya has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the US and is one of the fastest-rising names right now. This name definitely has Viking charm.

Farah

You can spell the name Farah or Farrah, it’s your call. The name comes from Arabic and means “happiness.”

Gemini

A perfect name for lovers of space, Gemini has Latin origins and means “twin.” If you’re looking for an offbeat alternative to Gemma, this would be ideal.

Greta

Greta has German origins and is a diminutive form of Margaret, meaning “pearl.” Actor and director Greta Gerwig proves a contemporary admirable namesake. Old Hollywood legend Greta Garbo brings a touch of glamour.

Harley

A name that once would have seemed to biker-adjacent, Harley has emerged as one of the newest badass girl names to trend. Harley has English origins and means “from the long field.”

Hunter

Hunter is an English occupational name that means exactly what you think it does. Rising model and actor Hunter Schafer is showcasing this name and shining a bright light on just how beautiful and strong it sounds.

Io

Pronounced eye-o, Io is a name from Greek mythology that we expect to take hold in the coming years. Io is the name to Jupiter’s largest moon. In mythology, she escaped Zeus’ wrath by turning into a cow.

Indigo

Another Greek name, Indigo is much more popular abroad than it is stateside. The name means “Indian dye.”

Jada

A name that has unfortunately been slipping in recent years, Jada has Spanish origins and means “jade.” The name is also found in Hebrew and means “he knows.”

Justice

One of the most badass girl names on its face is Justice. It’s a virtue name without any religious connotations which should appeal to secular families. This name has been mildly popular since the 1990s and we expect it to keep going strong for years to come.

Kivah

Kivah is a Hebrew name and form of Akiva, meaning “to protect.” Not only does this name have a great meaning, but it also sounds crisp and modern. We tend to think that most names with V, X, or Z in them make for badass girl names.

Kalinda

The name of your favorite character from The Good Wife, Kalinda is an amazing nature name that means “sun” in Hindi. A word of caution: people will want to nickname your child Linda so be prepared to fight that urge if it does not appeal to you!

Leya

Badass girl names Leya or Leia can be found in both Hindi and Spanish tradition, meaning “lion” or “the law.” The Star Wars spelling of the name, Leia, is currently the most popular but we are partial to Leya.

Lilith

A name that can be traced way, way back to Assyrian and Sumerian, Lilith means “of the night.” The name was adopted into Jewish folklore as a name for a “night monster.” We think no list of badass girl names is complete without a little night demon on it.

Maya

A name found in a variety of languages, cultures, and traditions, Maya means many great things to many great people. The name can mean “mother,” “earth goddess,” “water,” “may,” and “illusion” to pick a few. It’s a top 100 name for girls born today. If you are looking for cross-cultural badass girl names, this one would tick off every box.

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Morgan

Morgan is a Welsh name related to Arthurian legend and meaning “sea-born.” The legendary Morgan is a half-sister to Arthur and a powerful sorcerer. It’s a very popular choice today and has been since the 1970s.

Navi

Navi is a name from Hebrew that means “to name.” This straightforward yet charming name makes it a favorite among other badass girl names.

Neema

Neema is a handsome name from Swahili that means “born in good times.” This name is not too popular in the US today, but we can absolutely see favor change for this attractive appellation.

Even More Badass Girl Names for You to Consider!

Ocean

Is there anything more powerful than the ocean? Ocean has recently emerged as a nature-name possibility over the last few years. Oceane, spelled with an E, is currently one of the hottest names in France.

Octavia

A name that’s more popular today in the US than ever before, Octavia has Latin origins and means “eighth.”

Phoenix

A name from Greek mythology, Phoenix means “dark red.” The phoenix is a symbol of rebirth likened to the setting and rising sun. This is one of the most popular badass girl names today.

Pepper

A spicy name that American parents should turn to more often, Pepper is far more popular in the UK today than it is here. The name means “berry.”

Quinta

Quinta is an ancient name from Latin that, thanks to years of disuse, feels fresh and viable for new parents today. This name means “fifth.”

Queralt

Queralt, pronounced kah-RAL, has been a top 200 name in Catalonia, Spain since 2004. The name means “white rock” and “high rock.” There are a number of Catalan villages with the name today!

Rena

One of the forgotten badass names for girls, Rena comes from Hebrew and means “joyous melody.” The name has not widely appealed to parents since the 1980s despite the name being prevalent in Hebrew, Greek, and Russian traditions. Bring her back!

Roxana

Roxanne has been the favored form of this name, but Roxana offers a more direct vehicle for the Persian root that means “dawn.”

Sable

Sable is a nature name that refers to an animal with rich black fur. We’re not endorsing the wearing of fur here, but we do love this name with Slavic origins that means “black.”

Sloan

Sloan can be spelled Sloane, but both are perfectly acceptable. Sloan comes from Irish tradition and means “raider.”

Trinity

A popular name today, Trinity comes from Latin and means “triad.” The name carries religious undertones for some, but it’s a secular name unless told otherwise.

Thora

One of the most overlooked badass girl names, Thora comes from Norse Mythology as a name meaning “thunder goddess” or just “thunder.” The name has not been popular in the US since the 1920s!

Uma

Uma is one of the more than 1,000 appellations for the Hindu goddess Sakti. The Sanskrit name means “nation.” Despite the popularity of the actor Uma Thurman, the name has still not taken off in the US.

Ursa

A short form of Ursula, from Latin roots that mean “little bear,” Ursa could prove one of the badass girl names just over the horizon. We expect new parents to start using this name more and more in years to come as it is trending on baby name databases like Nameberry and BabyNames.com today.

Vada

One of the badass girl names that’s making a comeback today (after spending 70 years off the US top 1000 list), Vada was once considered to retro-sounding. Now, she sounds fresh and full of life. The name claims English, German, and Sanskrit origins and can means “knowledge” and “rule.” Not bad, right?

Vita

Not too far from Vada, Vita is another vivacious V-name with grit. This name from Latin means “life.” The name is currently a top 20 choice for girls in Slovenia. However in the US, it has not been widely chosen since the 1930s.

Winona

A Sioux Indian name made famous by Winona Ryder and Wynonna Judd, Winona means “firstborn daughter.” Despite those big names in pop culture, Winona has not been a popular name for babies since the 1960s.

Willa

Another one of the badass names for girls to stage a comeback, Willa is a popular choice again today. Willa is the feminine form of William, a German name that means “resolute protector.”

Xiomara

Luckily for us all, the name Xiomara is now a popular choice in the US. The name has Spanish and Portuguese origins from the name Guiomar, meaning “famous in battle.”

Yael

A unisex Hebrew name that’s primarily used by Jewish families today, Yael proves an evocative choice. The name belongs to a biblical place and can mean “mountain goat” or “mountain” or “to ascend.”

Zadie

British writer Zadie Smith is responsible for an emerging renaissance for this forgotten name. It comes from Hebrew and shares the same root as Sadie and Sara. This appellation does mean “princess” but that does not mean she can’t be a warrior one.

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Zora

Another one of the badass girl names poised to make a big return, Zora can be found in a number of naming traditions including Slavic, Serbo-Croatian, African, and Arabic. The name is most commonly considered to mean “dawn.”

There you go! We hope you enjoyed these fierce, badass girl names and will consider one or more of them for your daughter. Names are powerful and when we choose strong ones for our children we already impart a sense of hope for their character and the future they will occupy. Set your kiddo up with a good appellation and she will sound like a winner for life. Happy baby name hunting!