26. Deborah
An Old Testament classic, Deborah is actually a nature name—it means bee.
27. Laura
Laura is a classic nature name, associated with the bay laurel tree.
28. Stephanie
A feminization of the boys’ classic Stephen, Stephanie means crown.
29. Rebecca
Currently in the top 200, this Biblical name means servant of God.
30. Sharon
A top 10 pick in the 1950s and 1960s, this Hebrew name meaning a plain is no longer in vogue.
31. Cynthia
This pretty Greek place name (from Kynthos) was another name for the goddess Artemis.
32. Kathleen
A variant spelling of the Irish Caitlin (which is itself a variation of Catherine!), Kathleen shares the meaning, pure.
33. Anna
This lovely variant of Ann shares its meaning—grace. Thanks to Frozen, I’d expect this name to be on the rise.
34. Shirley
Surely, we aren’t seeing too many Shirleys these days, but the popularity of legendary child star Shirley Temple helped propel it into the baby name stratosphere. It’s of English origin, and means meadow.
35. Ruth
This short-and-sweet Biblical pick means kind friend, and peaked in the first part of the 20th century.
36. Amy
This 1970s staple appeared in the Louisa May Alcott classic Little Women and has a lovely meaning—beloved.
37. Angela
A top 10 pick from the 1960s and 1970s, Angela, not surprisingly, means angelic.
38. Brenda
A once sharp and stylish Scottish name, meaning blade, Brenda has fallen out of favor.
39. Virginia
A top 10 favorite in the early 20th century, Virginia, from the Latin word for pure, is now just inside the top 600 names.
40. Pamela
This 1960s favorite is literally too sweet—it means “all honey.”
41. Catherine
If you combine all the spellings of Catherine (Katharine, Katherine, Kathryn, etc.), this name would actually come in right below Mary. But it’s a lovely baby name, worn by many royals and notable folks, and it means pure.
42. Katherine
This alternate spelling of Catherine ranks right below its sister name and shares its meaning, pure.
43. Nicole
The most popular way to give the classic Nicholas a girly vibe, Nicole rocked the 1980s, but still falls in the top 200 names.
44. Christine
The girls’ version of Christopher, Christine means anointed.
45. Samantha
The feminization of Samuel, Samantha means “told by God,” and has had a long stretch in the top 50 names.
46. Janet
A variant of the classic Jane, Janet means God’s gracious gift.
47. Debra
A modernized spelling of the Biblical classic Deborah, this shares its meaning—bee—and its current lack of buzz.
48. Carolyn
A modernized spelling of the classic Caroline, Carolyn means free man.
49. Rachel
Rachel is an Old Testament favorite that means, literally, sheep.
50. Heather
This red-hot name of the 1970s and ’80s was used for a slew of celebs (think Heather Locklear and Heather Graham), and is a lovely flower that grows in England.
