Feminist Baby Names for Empowered Kids

One of our favorite is Freya, which means means “noble woman”

Feminist names reflect the values of feminism: equality, justice, and strong independent women. If you’re looking for a name for your little feminist, whatever their gender, there are so many strong and stylish options. From ancient goddesses to modern virtues, evergreen classics to clever new inventions, get inspired with feminist baby names that will smash that glass ceiling.

Arrow
The name Arrow is both a boy’s name and a girl’s name. Words are not always easy to translate into baby names, but the implications of being straight and swift lend this one great potential as a name.

Asani
The name Asani is both a boy’s name and a girl’s name meaning “rebellious.” Americans use Asani for their sons and daughters, but it originated as a Swahili masculine given name.

Delilah
The name Delilah is a girl’s name of Hebrew origin meaning “delicate.” Delilah has shed the stigma of its Biblical image, and is now appreciated for its haunting, melodic, feminine qualities. Right now, Delilah is among the most popular Hebrew names for girls in the US as well as the Number 1 girl’s name starting with D.

Freya
The name Freya is a girl’s name of Scandinavian, Norse origin meaning “a noble woman.” Freya is derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning “Lady, noble woman.” It is the name of the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. Freya can be considered a feminization of Frey or Freyr, the name of the goddess’s brother.

Ida
The name Ida is a girl’s name of German origin meaning “industrious one.” Ida appears in Greek and Hindu mythology; Mount Ida, on Crete, is considered the birthplace of the god Zeus. Journalist Ida B. Wells was its most well-known bearer in the US.

Related: ‘Old Lady Names’ Are a New Trend for Baby Girls In 2023

Ione
The name Ione is a girl’s name of Greek origin meaning “violet flower.” Ione was one of the fifty sea nymphs — Nereids — in ancient Greek mythology.

Jemison
The name Jemison is both a boy’s name and a girl’s name meaning “son of James.” It’s a variant of Jameson or Jamison, borne by the first Black woman in space, former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison.

Justice
The name Justice is both a boy’s name and a girl’s name, meaning “fair or righteous.” Justice, one of the rare virtue names for boys, entered the popularity ranks in 1992 and has remained on the list ever since.

Lilith
The name Lilith is a girl’s name of Assyrian origin meaning “ghost, night monster.” Lilith is derived from the Akkadian word lilitu meaning “of the night.” Lilith’s demonic aura has followed her through popular culture in various fantasy novels, but that could be changing, in part due to Lilith Fair, the all-female traveling music festival organized by Canadian singer Sarah McLaughlin, which has raised millions for women’s charities.

Pandora
The name Pandora is a girl’s name of Greek origin meaning “all gifted.” Pandora was the mythological first woman on earth whose curiosity caused her to lift a forbidden box and inadvertently unleash all the evils of the world. But perhaps she’s paid the price long enough—Pandora is riding the wave of mythological names used for babies after centuries of being confined to legend.

Related: Aquarius Baby Names Inspired by Water & Air

Parks
The name Parks is both a boy’s name and a girl’s name meaning “park-keeper or stone.” Famed civil rights activist Rosa Parks makes for a very worthy namesake for a child of either gender.

Phoenix
The name Phoenix is both a boy’s name and a girl’s name of Greek origin meaning “dark red.” Phoenix rolls a lot of cool trends into one: it’s a place-name and a bird name, it ends in the oh-so-hip letter x, and as the mythic bird that rose from the ashes, it’s a symbol of immortality.

Rise
The name Rise is both a boy’s name and a girl’s name meaning “rise.” As a feminine name, Rise (pronounced REE-sa) can also be a Norwegian and Danish diminutive of Regitze. We expect it will, erm, rise now that Nick Cannon and Brittany Bell have used it for their son, born in 2022.

Verity
The name Verity is a girl’s name of Latin origin meaning “truth.” If you love Puritan virtue names and want to move beyond Hope and Faith and Grace, this is a wonderful choice, both for its meaning and its sound.

Violet
The name Violet is a girl’s name of Latin origin meaning “purple.” Violet is soft and sweet but far from shrinking. Today, Violet is near the top of the charts, joining other such popular flower names as Lily, Daisy, and Rose. Viola is the Italian and Scandinavian version, used by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night. Violetta is the frillier, more operatic version.