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Classic Girl Names That Aren't Boring

Classic baby names for girls are highly covetable — these names are rooted in tradition and hard to argue with. But some classic names have been popular for decades, making them feel overused, unoriginal, and dare we say, boring.

Quirky classic baby names have attitude and are rarer than their more conventional counterparts. Think Eliza and Juliet rather than Elizabeth and Julia. There will be no accusations of Plain Jane here! (Although we’d like to go on record and say we love the name Jane, too).

Along with Eliza and Juliet, other classic girl names that aren’t boring in the US Top 250 include Audrey, Genevieve, Georgia, Iris, Josephine, Lucia, Ruby, and Vivian. Interesting and unique girl names with traditional origins include Cleo, Guinevere, Ione, and Marcella.

If your tastes run toward classic baby girl names but you want a name that sounds interesting and distinctive, consider these girl names that are traditional but not boring.

Elise

Meaning: pledged to God

Origin:French variation of Elizabeth
125
Theodora

Meaning: gift of God

Origin:Feminine variation of Theodore
208
Dorothea

Meaning: gift of God

Origin:Greek
325
Maeve

Meaning: she who intoxicates

Origin:Irish
2
Daphne

Meaning: laurel tree, bay tree

Origin:Greek
13
Cordelia

Meaning: heart; daughter of the sea

Origin:Latin; Celtic
33
Ione

Meaning: violet flower

Origin:Greek
235
Lydia

Meaning: woman from Lydia

Origin:Greek
66
Esther

Meaning: star

Origin:Persian
105
Naomi

Meaning: pleasantness

Origin:Hebrew
118
Claudia

Meaning: lame; enclosure

Origin:Feminine variation of Claude
129
Genevieve

Meaning: tribe woman

Origin:English from French
24
Cora

Meaning: maiden

Origin:Greek
16
Edith

Meaning: prosperous in war

Origin:English
70
Winifred

Meaning: blessed peacemaking

Origin:Welsh
161
Lucia

Meaning: light

Origin:Italian, feminine variation of Lucius, Latin
104
Minerva

Meaning: of the mind, intellect

Origin:Latin
257
Juno

Meaning: queen of the heavens

Origin:Latin
324
Ivy The meaning of Ivy is from the Old English w...
Origin:Botanical name
138
Helena

Meaning: torch; shining light

Origin:Latinate form of Helen, Greek
115