Amy is an English feminine given name, the English version of the French Aimée, which means beloved. It was used as a diminutive of the Latin name Amata, a name derived from the passive participle of amare, “to love”. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the Middle Ages. It was among the 50 most popular names for girls in England between 1538 and 1700. It was popularized in the 19th century in the Anglosphere by a character in Sir Walter Scott's 1821 novel Kenilworth, which was based on the story of Amy Robsart. Enslaved Black women in the United States prior to the American Civil War were more likely to bear the name than white American women because slave masters often chose their names from literary sources. The name declined in use after 1880 but was revived due to the hit song Once in Love with Amy from the 1948 Broadway musical Where's Charley?. The name peaked in usage in the United States between 1973 and 1976, when it was among the five most popular names for American girls. It remained among the top 250 names for American girls in the early 2020s.
Terry is a unisex diminutive nickname for the given names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence, Terrance (masculine).
Ethel is an Old English word meaning "noble", today often used as a feminine given name.
Sarah is a common feminine given name of Hebrew origin. It derives its popularity from the biblical matriarch Sarah, the wife of Abraham and a major figure in the Abrahamic religions. It is a consistently popular given name across Europe, North America, and the Middle East — being commonly used as a female first name by Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike, and remaining popular also among non-religious members of cultures influenced by these religions.
Marjorie is a female given name derived from Margaret, which means pearl. It can also be spelled as Margery, Marjory or Margaery. Marjorie is a medieval variant of Margery, influenced by the name of the herb marjoram. It came into English from the Old French, from the Latin Margarita (pearl). After the Middle Ages this name was rare, but it was revived at the end of the 19th century.
Nancy is an English language given name for women. The name Nancy was originally a diminutive form of Annis, a medieval English vernacular form of Agnes. In some English dialects, "mine" was used instead of "my" and "Mine Ancy" eventually became Nancy. The name was also later used as an English diminutive of Anne or Ann. It has been used as an independent name since the 18th century. In some instances it replaced variant Nanny, which was associated with the stereotype of a common, promiscuous woman from the 1600s onward. Spelling variants in use include Nancea, Nancee, Nancey, Nanci, Nancie, Nancsi, Nancye, Nanncey, Nanncy, Nansee, and Nansi. Similar names include Nan, Nance, Nanette, and Nannie.
Angela is a female given name. It is derived from the Greek word ángelos (ἄγγελος), meaning angel from Greek belief systems. In the United States, the name "Angela" was at its most popular between 1965 and 1979, when it was ranked among the top 10 names for girls. Between 1922 and 2021, in the United States, the name was ranked in the top 35 names for girls.
Jenny was originally the diminutive form of Jane, but it is now associated with Jennifer.
Lily is a feminine given name usually derived from lily, the flower. The name became particularly popular along with other flower names for girls during the 1800s and early 1900s. The lily also has associations with and has been symbolic of innocence and purity in Christian art. Names beginning with or containing the letter L have also been particularly fashionable for girls. It is also occasionally used as a diminutive for other names such as Elizabeth.
Ruth is a common female given name, noted from Ruth, the eponymous heroine of the eighth book of the Old Testament.
Mary is a feminine given name, the English form of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek name Μαρία, María or Μαριάμ, Mariam, found in the Septuagint and New Testament. The latter reflects the original Hebrew pronunciation of the name מרים, as attested by the Septuagint. The vowel "a" in a closed unaccented syllable later became "i", as seen in other names such as "Bil'am" (Balaam) and "Shimshon" (Samson).
Ellie or Elly is a given name. The name stands on its own or can be a shortened form of any of the numerous female names beginning with the syllable El-, in particular Elizabeth, Eleanor, or Elvira. It can also be a short form of Elaine, Elena, Eliora / Eliorah, Michelle, Elnaz, Amelia, Elham, Elaheh, Eliana, Eloise, Emelia, Elisa, Ellisha, Elisha, Elesha, Shelly, Eleni, or Petronella and as a masculine name of Eleazer, Elliot, Elron, or Elston. In Greek mythology, Ellie (Helle) was the daughter of Athamas and Nephele; sister of Phrixus.
Martha is a feminine given name. Patti, Patsy, and Patty were in use in Colonial America as English rhyming diminutives of the diminutive Mattie. Molly has been used as a diminutive of Martha since the 1700s.
Janet is a feminine given name meaning "God is gracious" or "gift from God". It is the feminine form of John. It is a variation of the French proper noun Jeannette, Spanish proper noun Juanita, Russian Жанет (Zhanet), Circassian Джэнэт (Dzhenet), and Hungarian Zsanett. It is also the diminutive of Jeanne or Jane.
Janice is a modern feminine given name, an extended version of Jane, an English feminine form of John which is itself derived from the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning or Yehohanan. The name Janice was first used by American author Paul Leicester Ford for the heroine of the 1899 novel Janice Meredith. Janice Meredith was a 1924 silent film based on the novel by Ford and the 1900 stage play A Colonial Girl. Janis is a spelling variant.
Caroline is a feminine given name, derived from the masculine name Charles. Common nicknames and variations include Callie, Carol, Carole, Carolina, Carolyn, Carly, Carrie, and Caz.
Carrie is a female given name in English speaking countries, usually a pet form of Caroline or Carolyn. Other spellings include Cari, Kari, Karie, Kerry, Carri, Karri, Kerrie, Kerri, Keri, Cerry, and Karrie, as well as various other spellings. Related names may include Carol, Caroline, Carolyn, Carolyne, or Carolynne.
Mildred /ˈmɪldɹəd/ is a feminine given name. It is an Anglo-Saxon name of Old English origin, composed of "mild" ("mild") + "þryð", meaning "gentle strength". It reached the rank of the sixth most popular name for girls in the United States in 1912 and maintained that popularity through 1920, but then its popularity dropped quickly afterward. Familiar forms include Milly and Midge.
Carol is a unisex given name in English, although in contemporary usage it is more commonly used for women. It is a variant of the English Charles, Germanic Carl, and Latin Carolus. Spelling variations include Carroll, Caryl, Carole.
Judy is a (usually) female personal name. It is sometimes a given name, but more often it is a hypocorism which takes the place of a given name, usually Judith.
