Raising a little girl is not easy. Women are faced with a disproportionate number of challenges in each day. For generations, we’ve had to put in the work to achieve equal rights, recognition for our work, equal pay, and overcome countless other obstacles. There are some truly incredible women that have paved the way for all of us, and what better way to show our appreciation than by naming our daughters after one of them?
So many of these strong women in history have absolutely beautiful names that are either considered timeless classics or totally unique in modern times, and they’re a great source of baby name inspiration. In honor of Women’s History Month, we’ve come up with a list of our favorite awesome baby girl names inspired by prominent women in history for expecting parents to consider.
Rosa
Amelia
Amelia has been a super-popular name for quite a long time. It’s one of the top 10 girl names in America, and still…it always makes us think of Amelia Earhart, who lost her life to make history. She was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean by herself, and she died in an attempt to circumnavigate the world. That kind of determination is so inspiring, and Amelia is a great name.
Clara
Ever heard of Clara Barton? She’s actually the nurse who founded the American Red Cross all the way back in 1881. And get this…she had no formal training and taught herself to be a nurse. She also happened to be one of the first women to work for the federal government and provided nursing services during the Civil War, during which she also helped connect more than 20,000 families with their missing soldiers. That is pretty incredible, and her name is pretty, too.
Zora
Simply put, author Zora Neale Hurston was bold. In a time when women and people of color were fighting for basic human rights, she was being confidently vocal about those struggles in her writing. Most prominently, she penned 1937’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. Zora means “dawn,” and we think Zora Neale Hurston likely lived with the a new day in mind.
Rosalind
British scientist Rosalind Franklin overcame numerous obstacles on her mission to determine the structure of DNA. She succeeded, but her competitors ended up getting all the recognition because she wanted more proof before building her model. She didn’t let that dissuade her, and she continued her scientific work up until practically the end of her life. Science-minded parents should definitely consider this name.
Maya
People around the world are familiar with writer Maya Angelou’s incredible body of work. It is known and it is beloved. Maya went from being a child who didn’t speak for nearly five years to one of the most celebrated writers in the world. She spoke truth into the stories of so many people and used her voice to advocate for good. She is a true inspiration, with a beautiful name and a phenomenal legacy. The name is in the top 100 in the U.S.
Eleanor
Eleanor Roosevelt is still considered one of the most active, opinionated, and vocal American first ladies of all time. She worked tirelessly in support of women and people of color, and even opposed her husband’s policies on a few occasions. She was unapologetically outspoken, just like we hope our girls will be. The name, which is derived from Greek, means “light, torch, bright,” and we think it’s quite fitting.
