Mamas Uncut

100 Popular European Girl Names That American Parents Should Consider for Some Variety

European girl names represent some of the most popular appellations in use in the US. In fact, many classic names that are popular today like Sophia, Isabella, Emma, Amelia, and Mia have European roots. But, if you take a closer look within Europe, you will quickly learn that there are plenty of baby names that American parents have yet to discover. Cultural and linguistic variety is the name of the game for parents looking for unique options from a number of baby naming traditions across Europe. The baby name database, Nameberry, took a look at the top 100 names for girls in a variety of countries to find popular European girl names that are being overlooked by most American parents.

You might be looking for European girl names that honor your heritage or just fun spins on English classics. For instance, Ines can be traded for Agnes, Alessia for Alexis, and Anais for Anna. Sounds exciting, right? Let’s take a look at the European girl names that are flying under American parents’ radars in the US to discover some options that you will want to add to your list of possibilities.

European Girl Names That Start With A

European Girl Names

European Girl Names That Start With A Continued

European Girl Names That Start With B

European Girl Names That Start With C

European Girl Names That Start With D

European Girl Names That Start With E

European Girl Names That Start With F

European Girl Names That Start With F Continued

European Girl Names That Start With G

European Girl Names That Start With I

European Girl Names That Start With J

European Girl Names That Start With L

European Girl Names That Start With L Continued

RELATED: 25 Rare French Baby Names for Girls with Vintage Charm

European Girl Names That Start With M

European Girl Names That Start With M Continued

European Girl Names That Start With M Continued

European Girl Names That Start With N

European Girl Names That Start With O

European Girl Names That Start With R

European Girl Names That Start With S

European Girl Names That Start With S Continued

European Girl Names That Start With S Continued

European Girl Names That Start With T

European Girl Names That Start With V

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European Girl Names That Start With X, Y, or Z

Wow! Aren’t these European girl names just spectacular? We hope you found some that are worthy of your consideration and better still, that you have added to your baby name shortlist. If you’d like even more baby name inspiration, take a look at these rare Irish names for girls that more American parents should try.

Discover a Rare Irish Name for Girls Below:

Aoife

Aoife is an exciting Irish Gaelic name that has a storied history in Irish legend. According to one tale, the name belonged to one of the fiercest warriors in the world. Aoife is pronounced EE-fa and it’s highly favored in Ireland today. The name means “beautiful” or “radiant.”

Beatha

Another name with Irish origins, Beatha is a glorious name for girls. However, it’s going to be mispronounced a lot so take you and your future child’s patience into account. Beatha is pronounced BEH-tha. The name means “life.” If you’re looking for a unique alternative to Bethany or Beth, Beatha would be a wise choice.

Boudicca

Boudicca is an ancient Irish Celtic name that doesn’t get as much play today as it should. The name belonged to a first-century queen who led her Brittonic Iceni tribe in a revolution against the Romans occupying England. Pretty fierce, right? The name means “victory.” It’s pronounced Boo-di-kah.

Larkin

Larkin is both a boy’s name and a girl’s name of Irish origin meaning “rough” or “fierce.” Despite it being unisex and having a slightly masculine sound, this name is currently more popular for girls than boys in the UK. We love the idea of Lark as a nickname.

Eithne

You might be familiar with the new age-y musician, Enya. Her moniker is the contemporary spelling of Eithne which is pronounced the exact same way. The singer’s full name is Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin. Eithne has Irish Gaelic roots and means “nut kernel.” Cute.

Ailbhe

Ailbhe is phonetically spelled as Elva or Alva, and indeed means “leader of the elves” or “noble one.” The name is growing in popularity today in Ireland but it has yet to land on many birth certificates in the US. The Elva spelling was once popular in the US but it has been decades since that was true.

Fiadh

If you love the name Freya but fear it’s becoming too popular for you to settle on, consider the Irish name Fiadh. Fiadh is a rising star in Ireland and it hit the top ten most popular names for girls this past year. You won’t hear it much outside of Ireland, however, and that’s in part due to its spelling versus pronunciation. The name is pronounced Fee-a. Such a simple name, but the spelling belies that for most people.

Dara

Although it enjoyed mild favor for girls in the US from the late 1950s to the early 1990s, American parents have largely abandoned this name. The Irish Gaelic version, Darragh, is well-used in contemporary times for boys across the UK. The name means “oak” and we would love to hear it more in the future!

Iseult

Tristan is having a moment, but the other member from this Arthurian romance has yet to take off in the US. Iseult, while known, has never been a popular choice for parents in the states. The name has many spelling variations that change depending on what Celtic nation you’re in. You’ll also find Iseulde, Yseult, and Isolde. The name means “ice ruler.”

Keely

Name to a town in Northern Ireland, Keely is a spending name that means “beautiful” or “slender.” If you’re over names like Kelly or Kaylie or Kylie, Keely is a fun alternative. In 1997, Keely placed at number 455 in the US. It hasn’t seen that sort of popularity in decades and we think it’s time for a return.

Liadain

Liadain is an Irish Gaelic name that means “gray lady.” The name belonged to a lovelorn poet in Irish folk legend. You’ll also commonly see the name spelled as Liadan or Liadin. However it’s spelled, the name is pronounced LEE-din. Get ready to have to explain that to many folks as this name has never been popular in the US.

Aisling

Pronounced ash-LEEN or ASH-lin, Aisling could be a very cool alternative to the ubiquitous Ashley. You see it more commonly spelled phonetically in the US as Ashlynn. In Ireland, it’s currently one of the most popular baby names for girls.

Morrigan

You’ve probably seen the name Morgan, popularized by Arthurian myth, but it’s got a darker, Irish counterpart, Morrigan. Morrigan and Morgan are unrelated, although they are often confused for one another. Morrigan was the mythological ancient goddess of war, often symbolized by a crow. Therefore, this name means “phantom queen.”

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Moya

You’ll find the name Moya in a ton of different languages and traditions. For our purposes, we’ll consider Moya as the Irish form of Mary. In Scottish, it’s Morag. In Welsh it’s Mairwen. Pick your favorite! We like Moya over Moira, but they’re both variations of the same name. The name means “water” or “bitter” or “star of the sea.”

Neala

Neala is the feminine form of the Irish name, Niel which means “cloud.” The name has never been popular in the US, but we sure hope that changes. This is also a great, understated nature name.

Niamh

Another Irish name with a somewhat perplexing spelling, Niamh is pronounced Neev. You’ll also see the name spelled Neve (as in Neve Campbell). The name was one of the most popular names in Ireland, making the top 10 for many years of the 1990s. The name is broadly popular throughout the UK. We’d love to hear it more in the US.

Onora

For fans of Nora or Norah, you can take the preferred Celtic form of an ancient Roman name, Onora. The name means “honor” or “woman of honor.” While Nora climbs the charts in the US, Onara remains relatively unseen.

Tuiren

Another surprisingly modern-sounding mythological name, Tuiren was the aunt of Finn MacCool, famed for her beauty. The name is pronounced TIR-en. Tuiren is most popular in the Republic of Ireland, where it was given to 10 baby girls last year. So, it’s a name that’s not entirely popular anywhere today.

Sheridan

Sheridan is an ideal Irish name that has two possible meanings: “searcher” or “untamed.” This elegant name is familiar enough without being too obscure. We’d love to see this name for girls more often.

Siobhan

Siobhan is the Irish Gaelic variation of Joan. The name is pronounced sheh-VAHN. The name means “grace of God.” Siobhan was the name of several early Irish queens and was introduced to the American pop culture by the actress Siobhan McKenna.

Orla

Already popular throughout the British Isles, Orla is the most popular spelling of the Gaelic name Órlaith or Órfhlaith, borne by the sister of the 11th-century Irish king Brian Boru. It means “golden princess.”

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Una

You’ll see both Una and Oona in Ireland. This beautiful name can be traced all the way back to ancient Roman times when it was adopted by the Irish. Now, it’s one of the few places the name lived on. The name means “lamb” or “one.”

Fianna

In Irish mythology, the Fianna are small bands of warriors, who are famously led by the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool). The singular form fiann is cognate with modern Irish fine “family group” and Old English wine “friend.” This name is pronounced FEE-uh-nah, making it a lovely alternative to Fiona. Fianna may also be used as an elaboration on the hugely popular Irish name Fiadh (Fia), which was the #1 girl name in Ireland last year.

Eriu

The Old Irish name for Ireland, now Éire, which is the source of Erin (via its possessive form Éireann “of Ireland”). In Irish mythology, Ériu is the mother goddess of Ireland, whose name may derive from a Proto-Celtic word meaning “full, abundant.” The name is pronounced EH-ryu.

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Cliona

Pronounced CLEE-uh-nah, Cliona is one of the lesser know Irish mythology names. In Irish lore, Clíodhna is a beautiful queen of the sidhe (a word for faeries) who falls in love with a mortal and is swept out to sea. The tide in the harbor of Glandore in County Cork is still known as Tonn Chlíodhna  meaning “Cliona‘s Wave.”

There you go! We hope you enjoyed these rare Irish baby names for girls in the US. If you would like to learn about other Irish baby names, please keep on reading. We have some names for girls inspired by Irish saints.

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