Female English Baby Names B
BAB:
English pet form of Greek Barbara, meaning “foreign; strange.”

BABE:
English pet form of Greek Barbara, meaning “foreign; strange.” Compare with masculine Babe.

BABETTE:
Pet form of English Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath.”

BABS:
English pet form of Greek Barbara, meaning “foreign; strange.”

BAILEE:
Feminine variant spelling of English unisex Bailey, meaning “bailiff.”

BAILEY:
English occupational surname transferred to unisex forename use, meaning “bailiff.”

BAILIE:
Variant spelling of English unisex Bailey, meaning “bailiff.”

BAILY:
Variant spelling of English unisex Bailey, meaning “bailiff.”

BAMBI:
English unisex name, derived from the Italian word bambino, meaning “child.”

BAMBIE:
Variant spelling of English unisex Bambi, meaning “child.”

BARB:
English short form of Greek Barbara, meaning “foreign; strange.”

BARBARA (Βαρβάρα):
Greek name derived from the feminine form of the word barbaros, once used to refer to the unintelligible chatter of foreigners which sounded like “bar-bar” to the Greeks, hence “foreign; strange.”

BARBARY:
Medieval English form of Greek Barbara, meaning “foreign; strange.”

BARBIE:
English pet form of Greek Barbara, meaning “foreign; strange.”

BARBRA:
English contracted form of Greek Barbara, meaning “foreign; strange.”

BASEMATH:
Anglicized form of Hebrew Bosmath, meaning “spice” or “sweet smelling.”

BASHEMATH:
Anglicized form of Hebrew Bosmath, meaning “spice” or “sweet smelling.”

BASMATH:
Anglicized form of Hebrew Bosmath, meaning “spice” or “sweet smelling.” In the bible, this is the name of a wife of Esau, and a daughter of Solomon.

BAYLEE:
Feminine variant spelling of English unisex Bailey, meaning “bailiff.”

BEA:
Short form of English Beatrix, meaning “voyager (through life).”

BEATIE:
Pet form of English Beatrix, meaning “voyager (through life).”

BEATRICE:
Italian form of Latin Viatrix, meaning “voyager (through life).”

BEATRIX:
English form of Latin Viatrix, meaning “voyager (through life).”

BECCA:
Short form of English Rebecca, meaning “ensnarer.”

BECCI:
Pet form of English Rebecca, meaning “ensnarer.”

BECKA:
Short form of English Rebecka, meaning “ensnarer.”

BECKAH:
Short form of English Rebeckah, meaning “ensnarer.”

BECKY:
Pet form of English Rebecka, meaning “ensnarer.”

BEE:
Pet form of English Beatrix, meaning “voyager (through life).”

BEKKI:
Variant spelling of English Becky, meaning “ensnarer.”

BELINDA:
Possibly a contracted form of Old High German Betlinde, meaning “bright serpent” or “bright linden tree.”

BELITA:
English name composed of Latin bella “beautiful” and a diminutive suffix, hence “little beauty.”

BELL:
Variant spelling of English Belle, meaning “beautiful.”

BELLE:
English name derived from the French vocabulary word for “beautiful.” It is often used in compound names, sometimes in the abbreviated form -bel.

BELLINDA:
English variant spelling of German Belinda, meaning “bright serpent” or “bright linden tree.”

BELPHOEBE:
English literary name from Spencer’s Faerie Queene, compounded of the Latin bella “beautiful” and Phoebe (“shining one”), hence “beautiful shining one.”

BELYNDA:
English variant spelling of German Belinda, meaning “bright serpent” or “bright linden tree.”

BENEDICTA:
Feminine form of Latin Benedictus, meaning “blessed.”

BENJAMINA:
Feminine form of English Benjamin, meaning “blessed.”

BERENICE:
Latin form of Macedonian Greek Berenike, meaning “bringer of victory.” In the bible, this is the name of the eldest daughter of Herod Agrippa.

BERLIN:
From the German city name of uncertain etymology, possibly related to the Old Polabian stem berl-, meaning “swamp.”

BERNADETTE:
Contracted form of French Bernardette, meaning “bold as a bear.”

BERNADINE:
Contracted form of French Bernardine, meaning “bold as a bear.”

BERNICE:
Latin form of Greek Bernike, meaning “bringer of victory.” In the bible, this is the name of the eldest daughter of Herod Agrippa. This is the form used in the Authorized Version.

BERNIECE:
English variant spelling of Latin Bernice, meaning “bringer of victory.”

BERRY:
English name derived from the vocabulary word, meaning simply “berry.” Compare with masculine Berry.

BERTA:
Czech and Polish form of German Bertha, meaning “bright.”

BERTHA:
Old German name derived from the word berht, meaning “bright.”

BERTIE:
English pet form of German Bertha, meaning “bright.” Compare with masculine Bertie.

BERTRED:
Middle English form of Anglo-Saxon Beorhtraed, meaning “bright counsel.”

BERYL:
English gem name meaning “beryl,” from Greek beryllos, a word applied to all green gemstones.

BESS:
Pet form of English Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath.”

BESSIE:
Pet form of English Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath.”

BESSY:
Variant spelling of English Bessie, a pet form of Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath.”

BET:
Short form of English Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath.”

BETA:
English name derived from the second letter of the Greek alphabet, beta, related to Hebrew bet, meaning “house.”

BETH:
Short form of English Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath.”

BETHANIE:
English form of Greek Bethania, meaning “house of dates” or “house of misery.”

BETHANY:
Anglicized form of Greek Bethania, meaning “house of dates” or “house of misery.” In the bible, this is the name of a place near Jerusalem where Jesus stayed during the Holy Week.

BETHEL:
Anglicized form of Hebrew Beth-El, meaning “house of God.” In the bible, this is the name of an ancient city of the Canaanites, later of the Benjamites.

BETHNEY:
Variant spelling of English Bethany, meaning “house of dates” or “house of misery.”

BETONY:
Name of a plant of the mint family once popular in herbal medicine, occasionally used as a forename. It is also called woundwort and lousewort. It is said to possibly derive from Celtic bew “head” and ton “good,” because it is good for complaints of the head. Pliny said that the original name of this plant was Vettonica, from the Vettones, an ancient Iberian tribe.

BETSY:
Pet form of English Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath.”

BETTE:
Pet form of English Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath.”

BETTIE:
Pet form of English Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath.”

BETTINA:
Elaborated form of English Betty, meaning “God is my oath.” Compare with another form of Bettina.

BETTY:
Pet form of English Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath.”

BETTYE:
Variant spelling of English Betty, meaning “God is my oath.”

BEULAH (בְּעוּלָה):
A derivative of Hebrew Ba’al (“to marry; to be lord, master, possessor”), meaning “she who is married.” In the bible, this is an allegorical name for the land of Israel.

BEVERLY:
English surname transferred to forename use, derived from the name of a place in Humberside composed of the Old English elements beofor “beaver” and lēac “stream,” hence “beaver stream.” The masculine form of the name is spelled with an extra “e”–Beverley.

BEVIN:
Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Béibhinn, meaning “fair lady.”

BIBI:
From a French word used as a term of endearment, meaning “bauble, toy.”

BIDDY:
Pet form of English Bridget, meaning “exalted one.” It was rarely used after it acquired the negative connotation “old biddy.” Compare with another form of Biddy.

BIJOU:
English name derived from the French word bijou, meaning “jewel.”

BILLIE:
Feminine form of English Billy, meaning “will-helmet.”

BINDY:
English pet form of German Belinda, possibly meaning “bright serpent” or “bright linden tree.”

BITHIA:
Variant spelling of English Bithiah, meaning “daughter of God.”

BITHIAH:
Anglicized form of Hebrew Bithyah, meaning “daughter of God.” In the bible, this is the name of a daughter of Pharoah.

BLAIR:
Scottish unisex name derived from any of a number of places in Scotland called Blair, derived from the Gaelic word blàr, meaning “field, plain,” most often referring to a “battlefield.”

BLANCH:
English variant spelling of French Blanche, meaning “white.”

BLANDA:
English name derived from Latin blanda, meaning “cherishing.”

BLANID:
Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Bláthnat, meaning “little flower.”

BLESSING:
Old English name meaning “consecration.”

BLISS:
Old English unisex name derived from the word bliss, meaning “joy; happiness.”

BLONDIE:
English byname transferred to forename use, meaning “blonde.”

BLOSSOM:
19th century pet name derived from Old English blōstm, meaning “flowers on a fruit-tree (or ornamental tree).”

BLUEBELL:
American flower name popular in the 19th century, but rarely used today.

BLYTHE:
Old English surname transferred to unisex forename use, derived from the word blīðe, meaning “cheerful, happy.”

BOBBI:
Unisex pet form of English Robert and Roberta, meaning “bright fame.”

BOBBIE:
Pet form of English Roberta, meaning “bright fame.”

BONDUCA:
English variant form of Celtic Boudica, meaning “victory.”

BONITA:
Spanish name meaning “pretty.”

BONNIE:
English name derived from the Scottish word bonnie “pretty.”

BONNY:
Variant spelling of English Bonnie, meaning both “good” and “pretty.”

BRADY:
Irish surname transferred to unisex forename use, derived from an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Brádaigh, meaning “descendant of Brádach,” hence “large-chested.”

BRAIDY:
Variant spelling of English unisex Brady, meaning “broad-chested.”

BRANDE:
Variant spelling of English Brandy, meaning simply “brandy.”

BRANDI:
Variant spelling of English Brandy, meaning simply “brandy.”

BRANDIE:
Variant spelling of English Brandy, meaning simply “brandy.”

BRANDY:
English name derived from the name of the liquor, popular in America in the 1970s and ’80s.

BREANA:
Feminine form of Irish Brian, meaning “high hill.”

BREANN:
Feminine form of Irish Brian, meaning “high hill.”

BREANNA:
Feminine form of Irish Brian, meaning “high hill.”

BREANNE:
Feminine form of Irish Brian, meaning “high hill.”

BREDA:
Variant spelling of English Breeda, meaning “exalted one.”

BREE:
English form of Irish Brígh, meaning “force, strength.”

BREEDA:
Anglicized form of Irish Bríd, meaning “exalted one.”

BRENDA:
Old Irish and Scottish name believed to be of Scandinavian origin, from Old Norse brandr, meaning “sword.”

BRENNA:
Feminine form of Irish Brian, meaning “high hill.”

BRETT:
English unisex name meaning, “a Breton.”

BRIANNA:
Feminine form of Irish Brian, meaning “high hill.”

BRIAR:
English unisex name derived from the plant name briar, from Old English brer, meaning “prickly bush.”

BRIDGET:
Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Bríghid, meaning “exalted one.”

BRIDGETTE:
Variant spelling of English Bridget, meaning “exalted one.”

BRIELLE:
English short form of French Gabrielle, meaning “man of God” or “warrior of God.”

BRIER:
Variant spelling of English unisex Briar, meaning “briar plant.”

BRIONY:
Variant spelling of English Bryony, meaning “to grow, sprout, swell.”

BRITANNIA:
Latin name for the personification of the British Empire, meaning “Britain.”

BRITNEY:
Variant spelling of English Brittany, meaning “Little Britain.”

BRITT:
Pet form of English Brittany, meaning “little Britain.”

BRITTA:
Pet form of English Brittany, meaning “little Britain.”

BRITTANI:
Variant spelling of English Brittany, meaning “little Britain.”

BRITTANIA:
Variant spelling of Latin Britannia, meaning “Britain.”

BRITTANY:
In the 4th century Romano-British tribes from across the English Channel began to settle in a northwestern region of France. Their numbers increased as raiding and settling by Anglo-Saxon invaders in Britain increased. The French named the region where the Briton immigrants settled Bretagne (Brittany in English), meaning “little Britain.”

BRITTNEY:
Variant spelling of English Brittany, meaning “little Britain.”

BRITTNY:
Variant spelling of English Brittany, meaning “little Britain.”

BROGAN:
Irish surname transferred to unisex forename use, from an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Brógáin, meaning “descendant of Brógán,” hence “little shoe.”

BRONTE:
Altered form of Irish Prunty, a form of Gaelic Ó Proinntigh, meaning “descendant of Proinnteach,” a personal name that was originally a byname meaning “banquet hall (denoting a “generous person”).” In Prunty’s altered form (Bronte), the name is identical to the Sicilian place name and the name of a mythological horse of the Sun, meaning “thunder.” But Prunty was probably purposely altered to Bronte by bearers of the name who admired Lord Nelson who was awarded the title of Duke of Bronte in 1799 by Ferdinand, King of the Two Sicilies.

BROOK:
English surname transferred to unisex forename use, from Old English broc, meaning “brook, stream.”

BROOKE:
Variant spelling of English unisex Brook, meaning “brook, stream.”

BROOKLYN:
English compound name composed of Brook “brook, stream” and Lyn “lake.”

BRYANA:
English feminine form of Irish Brian, meaning “high hill.”

BRYANNA:
English feminine form of Irish Brian, meaning “high hill.”

BRYANNE:
English feminine form of Irish Brian, meaning “high hill.”

BRYONY:
English name derived from the flower name, a tendril-climbing, perennial herb plant. Some species are used medicinally. The name derives from Latin bryonia, from Greek bryo, meaning “to grow, sprout, swell.”

BUFFY:
Pet form of English Elizabeth, meaning “God is my oath.”

BUNNY:
English pet form of Latin Berenice, meaning “bringer of victory.”

BUNTY:
English name, probably derived from an old nursery rhyme about “baby bunting.”

BURGUNDY:
English name derived from the wine name, from the name of a place in France which got its name from Latin Burgundiones, literally meaning “highlanders.” May also sometimes be given as a color name.