This is a comprehensive guide to historic and historical girl names. Taking a name of a famous female figure from history can set your daughter apart to be like her notable namesake.
Why Choose a Historical Girl Name?
Notable women who have captured minds, imaginations, and hearts have been documented throughout all of history. More than just fairy tales or legends, women like beautiful Jewish Queen Esther, strong Joan of Arc, and brilliant Marie Curie impacted history. And let’s not forget about others who had a strong influence like Helen Keller, Frida Kahlo, Susan B. Anthony, Dr. Sally Ride, Rosa Parks, or Florence Nightingale. Famous women like Jane Austen, Clara Barton, Harriet Tubman, and Amelia Earhart have all changed the world in different ways. These ladies share the common theme of determination and strength.
These are just a few examples of women who were each powerful in different ways. What better namesake could there be for your daughter than a woman of strength, courage, and intelligence. Picking a historic name for your sweet baby girl will have positive connotations and strong meaning.
Top 100 Historical Girl Names
Steeped in history, from ancient to modern, strong historical girl names are beautiful and meaningful.
- Harriet
- Susan
- Grace
- Eleanor
- Elizabeth
- Margaret
- Mary
- Amelia
- Florence
- Alice
- Rosa
- Emily
- Clara
- Marie
- Charlotte
- Helen
- Barbara
- Joan
- Diana
- Rose
- Ruth
- Dorothy
- Catherine
- Edith
- Gertrude
- Rosalind
- Clementine
- Virginia
- Frances
- Emmeline
- Katherine
- Zora
- Beatrice
- Audrey
- Louisa
- Matilda
- Isabella
- Emma
- Victoria
- Nancy
- Nellie
- Beatrix
- Anne
- Maya
- Ella
- Gloria
- Coco
- Marilyn
- Frida
- Wilma
- Abigail
- Constance
- Caroline
- Henrietta
- Lucy
- Betty
- Olivia
- Doris
- Lily
- Eloise
- Anna
- Sophie
- Hypatia
- Josephine
- Maria
- Chloe
- Angela
- Simone
- Penelope
- Jacqueline
- Eliza
- Boudicca
- Brigitte
- Mabel
- Sophia
- Evelyn
- Hazel
- Agnes
- Sophia
- Ada
- Adeline
- Greta
- Ingrid
- Bella
- Deborah
- Maud
- Simone
- Aphra
- Cecilia
- Vera
- Ida
- Anastasia
- Millicent
- Sojourner
- Cleopatra
- Agatha
- Scarlett
- Indira
- Artemisia
- Cleopatra
Unique Historical Girl Names
Old-fashioned names are making a comeback. Here is a list of unique, classic girl names that have a historical feel to them.
- Adelaide
- Adrienne
- Amira
- Angelina
- Annabelle
- Arabella
- Ariana
- Astrid
- Aurora
- Bethany
- Cara
- Cassia
- Chelsea
- Coraline
- Delphine
- Erin
- Eva
- Evangeline
- Francesca
- Freya
- Gaia
- Genevieve
- Georgia
- Godiva
- Gracie
- Hero
- Imogen
- Isabel
- Isabelle
- Isla
- Jasmine
- Juliet
- Juliette
- Kimberley
- Lana
- Layla
- Lexi
- Lucia
- Madeline
- Madelyn
- Meredith
- Merritt
- Naomi
- Octavia
- Olympia
- Pandora
- Quinn
- Ruby
- Sapphire
- Savannah
- Stella
- Tamsin
- Tara
- Valentina
- Venus
- Verity
- Verona
- Violet
- Viviana
- Yasmin
- Zara
- Zoe
Cute Historical Girl Names
The following sweet and historical names for girls have definitely stood the test of time. There is just something so freeing about stepping outside the norm.
- Amelie
- Arden
- Aspen
- Avon
- Bailey
- Berry
- Beth
- Blossom
- Bobbie
- Brook
- Brooke
- Caddie
- Callie
- Cameron
- Carissa
- Carla
- Carrie
- Cerise
- Christabel
- Clio
- Courtney
- Diamond
- Eden
- Emmy
- Golda
- Harmony
- Harper
- Hayley
- Honey
- Jess
- Jessie
- Jette
- Jodie
- Junia
- Juno
- Katie
- Kayla
- Kayley
- Keeley
- Kendra
- Kimberly
- Kyla
- Lacey
- Lauren
- Libby
- Lillie
- Love
- Lyra
- Maple
- Mathilde
- Mila
- Missy
- Misty
- Mollie
- Nova
- Pansy
- Poppy
- Prima
- Primrose
- Rosie
- Sallie
- Sandy
- Summer
- Tace
- Tansy
- Tawny
- Tori
- Willow
Beautiful Historical Girl Names
If you are looking for a timeless name for your daughter that will represent her radiant beauty, then this list is for you. These gorgeous names feel like they are from a classic romance novel.
- Alberta
- Albertine
- Antonia
- Aquilia
- Aquilina
- Argentia
- Atarah
- Augusta
- Augustina
- Benedicta
- Camilla
- Candace
- Claribel
- Clarissa
- Cleopatra nn Cleo
- Cordelia
- Dominica
- Dominique
- Eugenia
- Eugenie
- Freja
- Helena
- Hilaria
- Hildegarde
- Imogene
- Innocence
- Lara
- Mercy
- Mirabelle
- Obsession
- Ophelia
- Oriel
- Orphelia
- Regina
- Sacrifice
- Seraphina
- Tamara
- Unity
- Ursula
- Valeria
- Veronique
Pretty Historical Girl Names
These pretty, historic names for girls feel so classic and vintage. The feminine names on this list are absolutely lovely and will take you back to much simpler times in history.
- Abelia
- Albia
- Amabel
- Amélie
- Annabel
- Apollonia
- Candice
- Carmel
- Celestine
- Charity
- Christian
- Christine
- Cyra
- Decima
- Delia
- Demelza
- Ebony
- Essie
- Estella
- Evette
- Florentina
- Françoise
- Georgette
- Haley
- Jessica
- Lavinia
- Leona
- Loretta
- Melody
- Nicola
- Ottilie
- Pepper
- Petula
- Petulia
- Philippa
- Pippa
- Romana
- Sarah
- Selma
- Silver
- Susanna
- Tasha
- Tauria
- Urbana
- Valentine
- Zadie
Cool Historical Girl Names
If you are searching for a cool, retro name for your baby, then this is the list for you. These historic names for girls will bring back all the vintage vibes.
- Bellatrix
- Buffy
- Cady
- Columba
- Cosima
- Dixie
- Eartha
- Edie
- Jade
- Lorna
- Lulu
- Maxima
- Oceana
- Odessa
- Opal
- Raine
- Rayne
- Sabina
- Sadie
- Saxonia
- Severina
- Sheba
- Tilda
- Trixie
- Vita
- Viva
- Zarah
Old-Fashioned Historical Girl Names
If you are a history buff who wants to steer clear of modern baby names, then check out this list of old-fashioned, historic girl names. These classic names are rooted in history.
- Adele
- Alma
- Bernice
- Bertha
- Bessie
- Blanche
- Celeste
- Celia
- Della
- Dolly
- Edna
- Etta
- Fabia
- Felicia
- Fortunata
- Georgina
- Hilda
- Inez
- Iris
- Isolde
- Julia
- Laura
- Mable
- Mae
- Mara
- Martha
- Maxine
- Muriel
- Myra
- Nora
- Norma
- Pamela
- Pearl
- Placidia
- Priscilla
- Prudence
- Queenie
- Rachel
- Rebecca
- Rosemary
- Silvia
- Theodora
- Trudy
- Velma
- Viola
- Vivian
- Wilhelmina
- Willa
- Winifred
- Zelda
See more Old-Fashioned Girl Names
Rare Historical Girl Names
There is something daring about stepping away from the norm and choosing a rare baby name. Here is a list of one-of-a-kind, historic girl names that will take you back in time.
- Amica
- Antonella
- Athalia
- Basilia
- Basilica
- Berenice
- Caesarea
- Cherish
- Constantina
- Dulcia
- Elysia
- Flavia
- Francoise
- Ginger
- Honoria
- Hyacinth
- Jovia
- Laelia
- Mattea
- Melisent
- Mira
- Nicasia
- Persis
- Quintia
- Rosalba
- Sabella
- Septima
- Sidonia
- Tertia
- Tullia
- Ursa
- Venecia
- Wilhelma
- Xenia
- Zanna
- Zelina
Strong Historical Girl Names
If you want to dig deep into the historical and traditional roots with your daughter’s name, look no further. These names are steeped in historical significance. With these names, your daughter will have a strong foundation on which to build her own story.
- Abilene
- Alta
- Ambrosine
- Arleigh
- Avita
- Avonnia
- Azella
- Azena
- Azora
- Bethalina
- Brunhilda
- Brunhilde
- Charis
- Cherida
- Claudia
- Clemencia
- Clemensia
- Clotilde
- Crissada
- Damaris
- Elva
- Emerence
- Esperanza
- Fortituda
- Gisela
- Hilary
- Horatia
- Kerena
- Locke
- Lucretia
- Merle
- Nicole
- Nina
- Radella
- Reanna
- Reenie
- Rufina
- Sibyl
- Tanaquil
- Trisha
- Ulysis
- Zelene
- Zera
Vintage Girl Names
Historic, old-fashioned names have become increasingly popular over the years. It can be hard to find a historic girl name with the perfect vintage vibe. Luckily, this list has got you covered.
- Annie
- Aurelia
- Ava
- Bea
- Belle
- Betsy
- Birdie
- Bonnie
- Charlie
- Cleo
- Cora
- Cornelia
- Dahlia
- Daisy
- Ellie
- Elsie
- Estelle
- Esther
- Eve
- Evie
- Faith
- Fern
- Flora
- Georgiana
- Goldie
- Guinevere
- Hattie
- Hope
- Hortense
- Jewel
- Josie
- Judy
- Kitty
- Lizzie
- Lola
- Lottie
- Lula
- Maisie
- Marian
- Marion
- Marlene
- Millie
- Minerva
- Minnie
- Molly
- Nell
- Patience
- Polly
- Tabitha
- Tillie
176 Girl Names Inspired by Heroic Women from History
If celebrating powerful women in history appeals to you, then you should consider one of the following girl names. These names are inspired by the most heroic women in history.
| Girl Name | Heroic Female from History |
|---|---|
| Abigail | Abigail Adams |
| Ada | Ada Lovelace |
| Adelina | Adelina “Nina” Otero-Warren |
| Agatha | Agatha Christie |
| Alice | Alice Paul |
| Amelia | Amelia Earhart |
| Amrita | Amrita Priam |
| Amy | Amy Johnson |
| Andrea | Andrea Dworkin |
| Angela | Angela Zora |
| Angelina | Angelina Grimké |
| Anita | Anita Roddick |
| Anna | Anna Akhmatova |
| Anne | Anne Frank |
| Annette | Annette Kellerman |
| Annie | Annie Besant |
| Aphra | Aphra Benn |
| Arabella | Arabella Mansfield |
| Artemisia | Artemisia Gentileschi |
| Audrey | Audrey Hepburn |
| Barbara | Barbara Cartland |
| Beatrix | Beatrix Potter |
| Bella | Bella Abzug |
| Bessie | Bessie Coleman |
| Betsy | Betsy Ross |
| Bette | Bette Davis |
| Betty | Betty Friedan |
| Billie | Billie Holiday |
| Boudica | Boudica |
| Brigitte | Brigitte Bardot |
| Buchi | Buchi Emecheta |
| Carol | Carol Moseley-Braun |
| Catherine | Catherine the Great |
| Cecilia | Cecilia Payne-Gaposchikin |
| Charlotte | Charlotte E. Ray |
| Clara | Clara Barton |
| Clementina | Clementina Black |
| Clementine | Clementine Churchill |
| Coco | Coco Chanel |
| Constance | Constance markeviez |
| Daisy | Daisy Bates |
| Delia | Delia Haskett Rawson |
| Diana | Diana Princess of Wales |
| Dianne | Dianne Feinstein |
| Dolores | Dolores Huerta |
| Dorothea | Dorothea Dix |
| Dorothy | Dorothy Hodgkin |
| Edith | Edith Wharton |
| Elaine | Elaine Chao |
| Eleanor | Eleanor Roosevelt |
| Eli | Eli Whitney |
| Elinor | Elinor Ostrom |
| Elizabeth | Elizabeth I of England |
| Ella | Ella Fitzgerald |
| Emilie | Emilie du Châtelet |
| Emily | Emily Dickinson |
| Emma | Emma Goldman |
| Emmeline | Emmeline Pankhurst |
| Empress | Empress Cixi |
| Estée | Estée Lauder |
| Ethel | Ethel Smyth |
| Eva | Eva Peron |
| Evangeline | Evangeline Cory Booth |
| Evelyn | Evelyn Witkin |
| Fannie | Fannie Lou Hamer |
| Florence | Florence Nightingale |
| Frances | Frances Perkins |
| Frida | Frida Kahlo |
| Gabriela | Gabriela Mistral |
| George | George Eliot |
| Georgia | Georgia Douglas Johnson |
| Germaine | Germaine Greer |
| Gertrude | Gertrude Ederle |
| Gloria | Gloria Steinem |
| Grace | Grace Kelly |
| Hannah | Hannah Arendt |
| Harper | Harper Lee |
| Harriet | Harriet Tubman |
| Hazel | Hazel Scott |
| Helen | Helen of Troy |
| Helena | Helena Rubinstein |
| Hildegard | Hildegard von Bingen |
| Hypatia | Hypatia |
| Ida | Ida B. Wells |
| Indira | Indira Gandhi |
| Ingrid | Ingrid Bergman |
| Irena | Irena Sendler |
| Isabella | Isabella Bird |
| Jacqueline | Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis |
| Jane | Jane Austen |
| Joan | Joan of Arc |
| Josephine | Josephine Butler |
| Juanita | Juanita Kreps |
| Julie | Julie Andrews |
| Juliette | Juliette Binoche |
| Junko | Junko Tabei |
| Kate | Kate Bornstein |
| Katharine | Katharine Hepburn |
| Katherine | Katherine Davalos Ortega |
| Katia | Katia Krafft |
| Katie | Katie Couric |
| Kristi | Kristi Yamaguchi |
| Laura | Laura Bassi |
| Lauren | Lauren Bacall |
| Lena | Lena Horne |
| Lilian | Lilian Baylis |
| Lily | Lily Parr |
| Lisa | Lisa Randall |
| Lise | Lise Meitner |
| Lottie | Lottie Dod |
| Louisa | Louisa May Alcott |
| Lucila | Lucila Godoy Alcayaga |
| Lucy | Lucy Stone |
| Madeleine | Madeleine Albright |
| Mae | Mae West |
| Malala | Malala Yousafzai |
| Margaret | Margaret Mead |
| Maria | Maria Merian |
| Marie | Marie Antoinette |
| Marie | Marie Curie |
| Marilyn | Marilyn Monroe |
| Marlene | Marlene Dietrich |
| Martina | Martina Bergman-Österberg |
| Mary | Virgin Mary |
| Maryam | Maryam Mirzakhan |
| Matilda | Empress Matilda |
| Maud | Maud gonne |
| Maya | Maya Angelou |
| Millicent | Millicent Fawcett |
| Nancy | Nancy Wake |
| Nellie | Nellie Bly |
| Odette | Odette Sanson |
| Ora | Ora Mae Washington |
| Oveta | Oveta Culp Hobby |
| Patsy | Patsy Matsu Takemoto Mink |
| Phoebe | Phoebe Apperson Hearst |
| Phyllis | Phyllis Wheatley |
| Rachael | Rachael Heyhoe Flint |
| Rachel | Rachel Carson |
| Raden | Raden Ajeng Kartini |
| Raisa | Raisa Gorbachev |
| Rebecca | Rebecca West |
| Rosa | Rosa Parks |
| Rosalie | Rosalie Edge |
| Rosalind | Rosalind Franklin |
| Rose | Rose Schneiderman |
| Ruth | Ruth Bader Ginsburg |
| Sally | Sally Ride |
| Sandra | Sandra Day O’Connor |
| Sappho | Sappho |
| Sarah | Sarah Breedlove |
| Shirin | Shirin Ebadi |
| Shirley | Shirley Chisholm |
| Simone | Simone de Beauvoir |
| Sojourner | Sojourner Truth |
| Sonja | Sonja Henie |
| Sophie | Sophie Scholl |
| Sor | Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz |
| Susan | Susan B. Anthony |
| Suzanne | Suzanne Lenglen |
| Sybil | Sybil Ludington |
| Sylvia | Sylvia Pankhurst |
| Teresa | Mother Teresa |
| Theodora | Theodora Empress of Byzantium |
| Tomoe | Tomoe Gozen |
| Toni | Toni Morrison |
| Valentina | Valentina Tereshkova |
| Vera | Vera Atkins |
| Victoria | Victoria Woodhull |
| Virginia | Virginia Woolf |
| Vita | Vita sackville west |
| Wilma | Wilma Mankiller |
| Zofia | Zofia Kossak-Szczucka |
| Zora | Zora Neale Hurston |
More Lists:
Famous Celebrity Girls with History-related Names
Just like us, celebrities seem to also be inspired by notable figures in history.
Jackson Rathbone & Sheila Hafsadi chose a music themed girl name for their daughter, Presley Bowie.
Dan Reynolds & Aja Volkman chose a historical fashion themed name, Coco for their girl.
Nev Schulman & Laura Perlongo chose the cute name Cleo for their daughter. Cleo is derived from the ancient name, Cleopatra.
Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford opted to name their daughter the pretty name of Evelyn Grace.
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian decided to name their baby girl, the ancient name, Olympia.
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