233+ Princess Names That Are Soft, Feminine, and Absolutely Majestic (With Meanings & Origins)

There is a particular quality that princess names carry, and it is not the quality most people imagine when they first hear the category. It is not frilliness or fragility. It is not the pastel, confectionery sweetness of a certain kind of fairy tale. The real quality of a great princess name is majesty, the sense that this person was born to occupy a larger space in the world than most, to carry history and expectation and grace simultaneously, to move through rooms and leave something behind that was not there before she arrived.

Princess names come from every tradition that has ever had royalty, which is to say they come from almost everywhere. The great courts of medieval Europe gave us Eleanor and Isabella, names worn smooth and shining by centuries of use by women who ruled kingdoms and influenced wars and patronized art and changed the course of history. The great dynasties of Asia gave us Masako and Fatima and Lakshmi, names that carry the specific beauty of their traditions in sounds and meanings that feel genuinely different from anything the Western naming tradition has produced. The mythological traditions gave us Persephone and Freyja and Saraswati, divine princesses whose stories shaped the way entire civilizations understood the world.

And then there are the names from fairy tales and fantasy, which are not lesser for being invented but are in many ways the distillation of everything humans have ever wanted a princess name to be. Names like Seraphina and Evangeline and Celestine carry a quality of deliberate, conscious beauty that the messier historical record only sometimes achieves.

Every name on this list was chosen because it carries that quality of soft, feminine, majestic grace. Popularity rankings are based on the most recent Social Security Administration (SSA) data.

Quick Info: Names ranked >1000 on the SSA database are considered truly rare and unique. Names closer to 1 are among the most popular in the US today.

Popular Princess Names

Charlotte

• Origin: French/Germanic
• Meaning: Free woman, petite and feminine
• Popularity: #3

Carried by queens, Brontë heroines, and the current Princess of Wales, Charlotte has an aristocratic warmth and a perfect balance of strength and femininity that has kept it firmly in the national top five for years.

Isabella

• Origin: Italian/Hebrew
• Meaning: Devoted to God, beautiful
• Popularity: #4

One of the great names of the Renaissance courts of Europe, Isabella was carried by queens of Castile, France, and England and remains one of the most beloved girl names in the United States today.

Aurora

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Dawn, first light
• Popularity: #36

Named after the Roman goddess of dawn and the beloved Disney princess of Sleeping Beauty, Aurora carries a magical, luminous quality that has made it one of the most beloved rising names in America.

Sophia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Wisdom
• Popularity: #5

The name of Byzantine empresses and the patron saint of wisdom, Sophia has been one of the most consistently popular girl names in the world for over a decade and carries an ancient philosophical depth.

Eleanor

• Origin: French/Greek
• Meaning: Bright, shining one
• Popularity: #24

From Eleanor of Aquitaine who ruled half of Europe to Eleanor Roosevelt who redefined what a first lady could be, this name has been carried by some of history’s most formidable women.

Victoria

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Victory
• Popularity: #22

The name of one of history’s longest-reigning and most transformative monarchs, Victoria carries the full weight of an empire alongside a clean, powerful meaning and a sound of genuine authority.

Arabella

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Beautiful altar, yielding to prayer
• Popularity: #195

Flowing with a romantic, almost fairy-tale energy, Arabella has graced Scottish noblewomen since the medieval period and carries an unmistakably feminine and richly layered meaning.

Evangeline

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Bearer of good news, gospel
• Popularity: #214

Deeply romantic and carrying the meaning of the gospel itself, Evangeline is a name of extraordinary spiritual beauty and a warm, flowing sound that has been rising strongly with modern parents.

Seraphina

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Fiery, burning, seraph angel
• Popularity: >1000

Named after the seraphim, the highest order of angels who stand closest to God, Seraphina has a blazing spiritual beauty and a long, flowing sound that makes it one of the most gorgeous princess names available.

Anastasia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Resurrection, one who will rise again
• Popularity: #160

A name of extraordinary depth carried by saints, the tragic last princess of the Romanov dynasty, and the beloved animated heroine, Anastasia has a sweeping, dramatic Russian elegance.

Classic Royal Names From History

Catherine

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Pure
• Popularity: #239

Carried by empresses, queens, and saints across the full sweep of Western history including six queens of England, Catherine is a name of pure classical dignity that has more lives than any other name on this list.

Margaret

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Pearl
• Popularity: #122

Once the most popular girl name in the English-speaking world, Margaret has the quiet confidence of a name that does not need to chase trends, carried by queens of Scotland, England, and the beloved Princess Margaret.

Matilda

• Origin: Germanic
• Meaning: Battle mighty, strength in battle
• Popularity: #190

Carried by the Empress Matilda who fought for the English throne and the beloved queen of William the Conqueror, Matilda combines a powerful meaning with a warm, slightly quirky modern charm.

Philippa

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Lover of horses
• Popularity: >1000

Carrying love for horses in its ancient Greek root, Philippa is a name of genuine elegance and old-world charm associated with Philippa of Hainault, the beloved queen of Edward III of England.

Leonora

• Origin: Italian/Greek
• Meaning: Bright, shining one
• Popularity: >1000

The Italian form of Eleanor has a grander, more operatic quality with Beethoven and Verdi both writing heroines of this name, giving it a magnificent musical legacy and a purely Italian elegance.

Henrietta

• Origin: French/Germanic
• Meaning: Home ruler, estate ruler
• Popularity: >1000

A name carried by multiple queens of England and France, Henrietta has a warm, slightly old-fashioned elegance and a wonderful royal heritage through Henrietta Maria, queen consort to Charles I.

Beatrix

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: She who brings happiness, blessed
• Popularity: #480

The name of the beloved Dutch queen and former monarch of the Netherlands, Beatrix carries a warm, luminous meaning alongside a slightly crisper, more distinguished quality than its sister form Beatrice.

Josephine

• Origin: French/Hebrew
• Meaning: God will add, God will increase
• Popularity: #132

Napoleonic and grand, Josephine has a sweeping, romantic French elegance that has brought it back into strong favor with modern parents who love a name with genuine historical drama.

Alexandrina

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Defender of the people
• Popularity: >1000

The birth name of Queen Victoria herself, Alexandrina carries an extraordinary royal heritage and a sweeping, elaborate sound that feels like the full name that could only be carried in the most formal and distinguished of contexts.

Wilhelmina

• Origin: Germanic
• Meaning: Resolute protector
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the great Dutch queen whose leadership during World War II made her one of the most beloved monarchs in Dutch history, Wilhelmina carries a stately Germanic elegance and a deep royal heritage.

Fairy Tale Princess Names

Cinderella

• Origin: French
• Meaning: Little cinder, little ash girl
• Popularity: >1000

The great fairy tale princess whose name literally means little ash girl from the French Cendrillon, Cinderella carries the extraordinary transformation story that has made her one of the most beloved characters in all of world folklore.

Rapunzel

• Origin: Germanic
• Meaning: Rampion plant, type of herb
• Popularity: >1000

The beloved fairy tale princess whose extraordinary long golden hair became the most famous in all of storytelling, Rapunzel carries a warm, whimsical, deeply fairy-tale quality rooted in a Germanic botanical name.

Rosalind

• Origin: Latin/Germanic
• Meaning: Beautiful rose, gentle horse
• Popularity: #518

Shakespeare gave Rosalind to one of his most beloved and witty heroines in As You Like It, and this name still carries that quick intelligence and romantic grace more than four centuries later.

Isolde

• Origin: Welsh/Germanic
• Meaning: Ice ruler, fair lady
• Popularity: >1000

The legendary Irish princess at the heart of one of the greatest medieval love stories, Isolde carries a sweeping, slightly tragic romantic beauty and a deep literary legacy across opera, poetry, and fiction.

Guinevere

• Origin: Welsh
• Meaning: White shadow, fair and smooth
• Popularity: >1000

The queen of Camelot and Arthur’s great love, Guinevere carries an extraordinary Arthurian legacy and a deeply romantic, slightly melancholy Welsh elegance that makes it one of the most beautiful names in medieval literature.

Persephone

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Bringer of destruction, she who destroys the light
• Popularity: >1000

The goddess whose return from the underworld causes spring to begin, Persephone carries a dark, dramatically beautiful mythological energy and a genuinely extraordinary, flowing sound.

Cordelia

• Origin: Celtic/Latin
• Meaning: Heart, daughter of the sea
• Popularity: >1000

The most gentle and loyal of King Lear’s daughters, Cordelia is a name of extraordinary literary beauty and a warm, slightly melancholy tenderness that makes it completely unforgettable.

Elspeth

• Origin: Scottish
• Meaning: God is my oath
• Popularity: >1000

The Scottish form of Elizabeth has a cool, slightly austere Highland beauty and a crisp, distinctive sound that feels deeply rooted in the misty, romantic landscape of the Scottish countryside.

Orlanda

• Origin: Italian/Germanic
• Meaning: Famous land, renowned
• Popularity: >1000

The Italian feminine form of Orlando, associated with Virginia Woolf’s groundbreaking novel about a character who lives across five centuries, carrying an extraordinary literary legacy and a beautiful, flowing sound.

Calista

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Most beautiful
• Popularity: >1000

The superlative form of the Greek word for beautiful, Calista is rare, strong, and carries an almost mythological grandeur that sets it apart from every other name on this list with a genuinely distinguished classical elegance.

Disney and Animated Princess Names

Ariel

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Lion of God, altar of God
• Popularity: #154

The beloved Little Mermaid princess who gave up her voice for love and whose name carries both a deep scriptural heritage and a warm, flowing literary quality that has made it one of the most beloved princess names.

Belle

• Origin: French
• Meaning: Beautiful
• Popularity: #490

Short, sweet, and carrying the directness of a name that simply means beautiful, Belle has a warm, fairy-tale quality through the beloved Beauty and the Beast heroine and a genuine, timeless charm.

Tiana

• Origin: Latin/Slavic
• Meaning: Fairy queen, Christian
• Popularity: #430

The beloved princess of The Princess and the Frog whose determination and work ethic made her one of the most compelling Disney heroines, Tiana carries a warm, slightly musical quality and a flowing, modern sound.

Moana

• Origin: Hawaiian/Polynesian
• Meaning: Ocean, vast body of water
• Popularity: >1000

The Hawaiian and Polynesian word for the ocean used as a name, Moana carries the vast, powerful, deeply beautiful energy of the Pacific in a name of genuine warmth and a flowing, oceanic quality.

Merida

• Origin: Scottish/Latin
• Meaning: One who has achieved a high place of honor
• Popularity: >1000

The brave, red-haired Scottish princess of Pixar’s Brave who fought against the constraints placed on her, Merida carries a cool, slightly Celtic quality and a genuine, fierce independence.

Elsa

• Origin: Germanic/Hebrew
• Meaning: God is my oath, noble
• Popularity: >1000

Made iconic by Frozen and carrying both a Germanic elegance and a deep Hebrew heritage, Elsa has a cool, crisp, slightly Nordic quality that suits its ice queen perfectly.

Rapunzel

• Origin: Germanic
• Meaning: Rampion plant
• Popularity: >1000

Already celebrated in the fairy tale section, Rapunzel belongs here for the extraordinary popularity of the Tangled film which introduced an entirely new generation to this most botanically named of all princesses.

Jasmine

• Origin: Persian/Arabic
• Meaning: Jasmine flower, fragrant blossom
• Popularity: #116

The princess of Aladdin whose name carries the fragrant jasmine flower in a warm, flowing Arabic-influenced form, Jasmine has been consistently popular for decades and carries both natural beauty and Arabian Nights magic.

Raya

• Origin: Hebrew/Arabic
• Meaning: Friend, companion, vision
• Popularity: >1000

The beloved heroine of Raya and the Last Dragon who carried her world’s hope through darkness, Raya has a clean, modern quality and a warm, cross-cultural heritage bridging Hebrew and Arabic traditions.

Mirabel

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Wonderful, miraculous
• Popularity: #388

Made beloved by Disney’s Encanto, Mirabel carries a warm magical energy that feels both modern and timelessly beautiful, sitting at the sweet spot between familiar and distinctive.

Names From Real Royal Families Today

Leonor

• Origin: Spanish/Greek
• Meaning: Bright, shining one
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the Princess of Asturias, heir apparent to the Spanish throne, Leonor carries the same luminous Eleanor meaning in a warm, Spanish form and a genuinely contemporary royal heritage.

Catharina

• Origin: Dutch/Greek
• Meaning: Pure
• Popularity: >1000

The Dutch form of Catherine carried by the current Princess of Orange in the Netherlands, Catharina has a cool, slightly formal Dutch elegance and a deep classical heritage.

Masako

• Origin: Japanese
• Meaning: Elegant child, gracious child
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the current Empress of Japan who navigated the most traditional of all royal courts while maintaining her own intellectual and professional identity, Masako carries a warm, precise Japanese quality.

Ingrid

• Origin: Scandinavian
• Meaning: Beautiful, beloved of Ing
• Popularity: >1000

Carried by multiple Scandinavian princesses and queens, Ingrid has a cool, strong, deeply Scandinavian quality and a genuine royal heritage across the Nordic countries.

Rania

• Origin: Arabic
• Meaning: Gazing, looking, queenly
• Popularity: #908

The name of Queen Rania of Jordan, one of the world’s most celebrated and admired monarchs, Rania carries a queenly meaning and a warm, luminous quality that suits a modern royal.

Mette

• Origin: Danish/Greek
• Meaning: Pearl
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the Crown Princess of Denmark who became the first non-royal Danish crown princess in modern times, Mette has a clean, cool Scandinavian quality and a direct, unpretentious beauty.

Maxima

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Greatest
• Popularity: >1000

The name of Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, the Argentine-born queen consort who has become one of the most beloved members of any European royal family, Maxima carries a bold, unusual Latin elegance.

Letizia

• Origin: Italian/Latin
• Meaning: Joy, happiness, gladness
• Popularity: >1000

The name of Queen Letizia of Spain, the former journalist who became queen consort, Letizia carries a warm, flowing Italian and Latin elegance and a joyful meaning.

Aiko

• Origin: Japanese
• Meaning: Love child, child of love
• Popularity: >1000

The name of Princess Aiko of Japan, daughter of Emperor Naruhito, Aiko carries a warm, clean Japanese quality and a deep royal heritage alongside one of the most simply and beautifully loving meanings.

Amalia

• Origin: Germanic
• Meaning: Work, industrious
• Popularity: #400

The name of the Princess of Orange, heir to the Dutch throne, Amalia carries a warm, slightly Germanic elegance and a genuine contemporary royal heritage as one of Europe’s youngest and most prominent heirs.

Soft and Romantic Princess Names

Rosalie

• Origin: Latin/French
• Meaning: Beautiful rose
• Popularity: #172

Softer than Rose and more lyrical than Rosalind, Rosalie has a gentle romantic quality that pairs the beauty of its floral root with a warm, slightly vintage elegance that has been rising steadily.

Celestine

• Origin: French/Latin
• Meaning: Heavenly
• Popularity: >1000

A name of quiet heavenly beauty with a soft old-world French elegance, Celestine has a gentle, slightly formal quality and a deeply sacred meaning that rewards parents looking for something distinguished and rare.

Florentine

• Origin: Latin/French
• Meaning: Flourishing, from Florence
• Popularity: >1000

Named after the most beautiful city in Italy and carrying the meaning of flourishing, Florentine has a lush, romantic quality and a deep cultural heritage that makes it feel both historical and genuinely beautiful.

Melisande

• Origin: French/Germanic
• Meaning: Strong worker, honey bee
• Popularity: >1000

The French medieval form of Millicent, Melisande appears in opera, Arthurian legend, and fairy tale, carrying a romantic old-world beauty that feels like it was designed to be spoken softly in candlelight.

Evangeline

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Bearer of good news
• Popularity: #214

Already celebrated above, Evangeline belongs in this soft romantic section for the sheer, flowing, gentle beauty of its sound and the warmth of its gospel meaning.

Rosalba

• Origin: Italian/Latin
• Meaning: White rose, rose and dawn
• Popularity: >1000

Combining rosa meaning rose and alba meaning white or dawn, Rosalba has the painterly beauty of a Renaissance canvas and a deeply Italian sound that is both poetic and genuinely princess-worthy.

Cressida

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Gold
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the Trojan princess in Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida and the current Princess Cressida Bonas, Cressida carries a cool, slightly dramatic quality and a deep classical heritage.

Lavinia

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Woman of Rome, purity
• Popularity: >1000

The wife of Aeneas in Roman mythology and a name beloved by Victorian novelists, Lavinia has a stately classical beauty and a warm flowing sound that is genuinely hard to resist.

Clementine

• Origin: Latin/French
• Meaning: Gentle, merciful
• Popularity: #436

One of the most charming vintage names making a genuine comeback, Clementine has a warm, slightly playful elegance and a deep aristocratic heritage through Clementine Churchill.

Ottoline

• Origin: Germanic/French
• Meaning: Wealth, fortune
• Popularity: >1000

Associated with the eccentric Bloomsbury hostess who gathered the greatest minds of her era, Ottoline is a name of extraordinary character and rare elegance that carries both wealth of meaning and genuine distinction.

Names From Mythology and Ancient Royalty

Nefertiti

• Origin: Ancient Egyptian
• Meaning: The beautiful one has come
• Popularity: >1000

The great Egyptian queen whose painted limestone bust is one of the most famous artworks in the world, Nefertiti carries an extraordinary artistic and historical legacy and a bold, slightly dramatic ancient Egyptian beauty.

Cleopatra

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Glory of the father, famous father
• Popularity: >1000

The last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra was the most powerful woman in the ancient world whose intelligence and political skill were legendary, carrying one of history’s most magnificent names.

Olympia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: From Mount Olympus, heavenly
• Popularity: >1000

Named after the sacred mountain home of the Greek gods and the site of the ancient Olympic Games, Olympia carries an extraordinary classical grandeur and a bold, slightly dramatic beauty.

Theodora

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Gift of God
• Popularity: #441

The great Byzantine Empress Theodora whose journey from circus performer to the most powerful woman in the Roman Empire is one of history’s most extraordinary stories, carrying a deep imperial legacy.

Meritaten

• Origin: Ancient Egyptian
• Meaning: Beloved of Aten, she who is loved by the sun
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the eldest daughter of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, Meritaten carries an extraordinary ancient Egyptian royal heritage and a deeply unusual, slightly mysterious beauty.

Zenobia

• Origin: Greek/Arabic
• Meaning: Life of Zeus, force of Zeus
• Popularity: >1000

The third-century warrior queen of Palmyra who built an empire and challenged Rome itself, Zenobia carries an extraordinary historical power and a rare, slightly dramatic beauty that is genuinely hard to match.

Artemisia

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Safe, gift of Artemis
• Popularity: >1000

The name of both the great ancient naval commander and the Baroque painter, Artemisia carries a fierce, independent, deeply historical legacy and a beautiful, slightly unusual sound.

Roxana

• Origin: Persian
• Meaning: Dawn, bright, luminous
• Popularity: >1000

The name of Alexander the Great’s beloved wife, a Bactrian princess who navigated the most dangerous court in the ancient world, Roxana carries a romantic, slightly exotic Persian beauty.

Hatshepsut

• Origin: Ancient Egyptian
• Meaning: Foremost of noble ladies
• Popularity: >1000

The female pharaoh who ruled Egypt for twenty years in the guise of a male king, Hatshepsut was lost to history for three thousand years before modern archaeology found her again, carrying one of the most extraordinary stories of any royal name.

Himiko

• Origin: Japanese
• Meaning: Sun child, sun princess
• Popularity: >1000

The great third-century shaman queen of ancient Japan whose kingdom of Yamatai was described by Chinese historians, Himiko carries one of the most mysterious and genuinely ancient royal heritages in all of Asian history.

Soft and Delicate Princess Names

Blanchefleur

• Origin: French
• Meaning: White flower
• Popularity: >1000

Straight from medieval French romance literature, Blanchefleur is extravagant, beautiful, and carries the imagery of a white spring flower in one of the most poetic compound names ever created in any language.

Annalise

• Origin: Germanic/Hebrew
• Meaning: Grace, favor, God is my oath
• Popularity: #492

A beautiful Germanic compound of Anna and Lise, Annalise has a warm, flowing elegance and a doubly graceful meaning that makes it one of the most beautifully melodic princess names available.

Rosalind

• Origin: Latin/Germanic
• Meaning: Beautiful rose
• Popularity: #518

Already celebrated above, Rosalind belongs in this soft names section for the sheer, gentle, floral beauty of its sound and the romantic grace of its Shakespearean legacy.

Mirabelle

• Origin: French/Latin
• Meaning: Of incredible beauty, miraculous
• Popularity: >1000

The French form adds an extra syllable to Mirabel that makes it even more lyrical than the original, elegant and carrying a miraculous meaning inside one of the most beautiful sounds in French.

Isabeau

• Origin: French/Hebrew
• Meaning: God is my oath
• Popularity: >1000

The medieval French form of Isabel, Isabeau was carried by Isabeau of Bavaria, Queen of France, and carries an extraordinary medieval elegance and a warm, slightly unusual French quality.

Eleanora

• Origin: Italian/Greek
• Meaning: Bright, shining one
• Popularity: >1000

The Italian form of Eleanor has a grander, more operatic quality than its English counterpart, rolling off the tongue with a warmth and a luminous dignity that feels both deeply classical and completely beautiful.

Vivienne

• Origin: French/Latin
• Meaning: Alive, lively
• Popularity: #400

The French form of Vivian carries a lively, energetic quality in a name of genuine softness and French elegance, associated with both Arthurian enchantresses and the founder of the Vivienne Westwood fashion house.

Celestia

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Heavenly, of the sky
• Popularity: >1000

Carrying the Latin meaning of heavenly and of the sky, Celestia has a warm, slightly dreamy quality and a clean, open sound that gives it a genuinely celestial character that suits any girl destined to shine.

Serenity

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Peaceful, calm, tranquil
• Popularity: #71

Carrying the Latin meaning of peaceful and calm, Serenity has a gentle, slightly spiritual quality and a clean, modern sound that has been keeping it consistently popular for girls.

Thessaly

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: From the ancient land of magic
• Popularity: >1000

The ancient Greek region famous for its wild, magical landscapes gives this name an atmospheric, mysterious beauty that feels completely unlike anything in common use while carrying genuine historical depth.

Names From Diverse Royal Traditions

Fatima

• Origin: Arabic
• Meaning: One who abstains, to wean
• Popularity: #230

The name of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad who was celebrated for her intelligence, piety, and courage, Fatima is one of the most important women in Islamic history and carries a deep, genuinely regal heritage.

Lakshmi

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: Good omen, fortune, beauty
• Popularity: >1000

The great Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune, and beauty who is one of the most worshipped deities in South Asia, Lakshmi carries a name of extraordinary spiritual and royal significance.

Saraswati

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: She who possesses eloquence, flowing one
• Popularity: >1000

The great Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, and learning who is depicted seated on a white lotus, Saraswati carries one of the most intellectually royal meanings available.

Kaguya

• Origin: Japanese
• Meaning: Radiant night, shining bamboo
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the celestial princess in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, one of the oldest Japanese literary works, Kaguya was a princess from the moon who was found inside a glowing bamboo stalk.

Nüwa

• Origin: Chinese
• Meaning: Goddess mother, first woman
• Popularity: >1000

The great Chinese goddess who created humanity from clay and who repaired the broken sky after a catastrophic war between the gods, Nüwa carries a mystery of creative and restorative power.

Erzsébet

• Origin: Hungarian/Hebrew
• Meaning: God is my oath
• Popularity: >1000

The Hungarian form of Elizabeth carried by the beloved Empress Elisabeth of Austria known as Sisi, one of the most tragic and fascinating royal figures of the nineteenth century.

Siguniang

• Origin: Chinese
• Meaning: Four girls mountain, daughter of the mountain
• Popularity: >1000

A Chinese name associated with the great mountain goddess of Sichuan, Siguniang carries the sacred geography of one of China’s most beautiful mountain regions.

Tamar

• Origin: Hebrew/Arabic
• Meaning: Palm tree, date palm
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the great medieval Georgian queen Tamar who expanded her kingdom to its greatest extent and presided over a golden age of Georgian culture, one of the most remarkable female rulers in world history.

Nzinga

• Origin: Bantu/Angolan
• Meaning: To twist, warrior queen
• Popularity: >1000

Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba was one of the most remarkable military and political leaders of seventeenth-century Africa who resisted Portuguese colonialism for decades, carrying an extraordinary warrior queen legacy.

Jadwiga

• Origin: Polish/Germanic
• Meaning: Battle, fighter
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the great Polish queen Jadwiga of Poland who was the first female monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and is venerated as a saint, Jadwiga carries an extraordinary historical legacy.

Celestial and Ethereal Princess Names

Andromeda

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Ruler of men, the galaxy
• Popularity: >1000

Both a princess in Greek mythology chained to a rock and rescued by Perseus, and one of the most spectacular galaxies visible from Earth, Andromeda is a name of extraordinary celestial grandeur.

Lyra

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Lyre, the constellation
• Popularity: #305

Named after both the ancient stringed instrument and the constellation, Lyra has a musical, celestial beauty and a cool, modern sound through its association with Philip Pullman’s beloved princess heroine.

Celeste

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Heavenly, celestial
• Popularity: #225

Carrying the heavenly blue of a clear sky in its very meaning, Celeste has a soft, celestial beauty and a clean, elegant sound that has been rising steadily as parents rediscover its quiet, timeless appeal.

Caelestia

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Of the heavens, celestial
• Popularity: >1000

An elaborate Latin form meaning of the heavens, Caelestia carries a sweeping, classical grandeur and a deep Roman heritage in a name of extraordinary rarity and a genuinely beautiful, flowing sound.

Astraea

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Star maiden, goddess of justice
• Popularity: >1000

The goddess of justice who lived among humans during the Golden Age and was the last divine being to leave the earth when humans became corrupt, Astraea carries both celestial and moral beauty.

Stellaluna

• Origin: Italian/Latin
• Meaning: Star moon, lunar star
• Popularity: >1000

A compound name combining star and moon, Stellaluna carries a double celestial beauty and a warm, Italian quality that makes it one of the most dreamily beautiful princess-style compound names.

Seraphine

• Origin: French/Hebrew
• Meaning: Fiery, burning, seraph angel
• Popularity: >1000

The French form of Seraphina carries the angelic fire meaning with a warm, slightly Parisian elegance and a deep Catholic French heritage that gives it a completely distinctive and beautiful quality.

Elara

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Bright, shining, moon of Jupiter
• Popularity: #821

A name from Greek mythology and one of Jupiter’s moons, Elara has a cool celestial brightness and a modern, flowing sound that is rising steadily among parents who love luminous sky names.

Lunara

• Origin: Latin/Spanish
• Meaning: Of the moon, lunar
• Popularity: >1000

An elaborated form of Luna carrying the moon meaning in a longer, more flowing package, Lunara has a warm, slightly unusual quality and a genuinely dreamy celestial character that is completely princess-worthy.

Nova

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: New, star that releases bright energy
• Popularity: #58

Carrying the astronomical meaning of a star releasing a sudden burst of brilliant energy, Nova has a vivid, modern freshness and a bright, forward-moving energy that makes it one of the fastest-rising girl names.

Floral and Nature Princess Names

Camellia

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Beautiful flowering plant
• Popularity: >1000

Lush, feminine, and carrying the glossy beauty of its late winter and early spring bloom, Camellia is a floral name with genuine elegance and a warm botanical richness that is thoroughly princess-worthy.

Magnolia

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Magnol’s flower, the magnolia tree
• Popularity: #307

The magnolia blooming white and fragrant, the symbol of the Deep South and of spring itself, Magnolia carries a lush, creamy beauty and a warm, slightly old-fashioned elegance that has been rising steadily.

Wisteria

• Origin: English/Latin
• Meaning: Wisteria vine
• Popularity: >1000

The cascading purple wisteria vine draping itself over old stone walls is one of the most romantic sights in the natural world, and this name carries that breathtaking romantic beauty in every syllable.

Violet

• Origin: English/Latin
• Meaning: Purple flower
• Popularity: #46

One of the great floral names, Violet brings the color and delicacy of one of spring’s most beloved blooms into a name that has made a remarkable comeback and sits beautifully on a modern princess.

Primrose

• Origin: English/Latin
• Meaning: First rose, early flower
• Popularity: >1000

One of the first flowers to push through the cold soil each spring, Primrose has a warm, slightly old-fashioned English beauty and a hopeful, gentle meaning that suits a princess spirit perfectly.

Amaranth

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Immortal, unfading flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named after the flower whose name literally means unfading or immortal, Amaranth carries a beautiful meaning of enduring beauty and a warm, slightly unusual quality that is completely distinctive.

Calycanthus

• Origin: Greek/Latin
• Meaning: Beautiful flower, cup flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named after the beautiful flowering shrub, Calycanthus carries a warm, slightly unusual botanical quality and a genuine rarity that makes it one of the most distinctive floral princess names available.

Larkspur

• Origin: English
• Meaning: Larkspur flower
• Popularity: >1000

Named after the tall, dramatic blue and purple flowering plant, Larkspur carries a cool, slightly dramatic quality and a genuine botanical rarity that suits a princess with an independent spirit.

Peregrina

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Wanderer, pilgrim, traveler
• Popularity: >1000

The feminine form of Peregrine carrying the meaning of a wandering pilgrim in a flowing, feminine form, Peregrina has a warm, slightly unusual quality and a deep classical heritage.

Rosetta

• Origin: Italian/Latin
• Meaning: Little rose
• Popularity: >1000

The Italian diminutive of Rosa made famous by the Rosetta Stone, the ancient Egyptian stele that unlocked the secret of hieroglyphics, Rosetta carries a warm, historical, deeply romantic Italian quality.

Eastern European and Slavic Princess Names

Tatiana

• Origin: Russian/Latin
• Meaning: Fairy queen, Tatius
• Popularity: #533

A name of great Russian aristocratic beauty carried by one of the Tsar’s daughters who died at Ekaterinburg, Tatiana has a sweeping, slightly melancholy elegance and a warm Russian quality.

Natasha

• Origin: Russian/Latin
• Meaning: Born at Christmas
• Popularity: >1000

The great Russian form of Natalie carries a warm, sweeping Russian elegance and an association with Tolstoy’s beloved heroine Natasha Rostova, one of the most vivid characters in all of world literature.

Ludmila

• Origin: Slavic
• Meaning: Loved by the people
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the patron saint of Bohemia and a deeply Slavic royal name meaning loved by the people, Ludmila carries a warm, slightly formal Eastern European beauty and a genuine saintly heritage.

Roksana

• Origin: Polish/Persian
• Meaning: Dawn, bright
• Popularity: >1000

The Polish form of Roxana carrying the Persian meaning of dawn in a warm, clean Eastern European form, associated with the wife of Alexander the Great in the Polish literary tradition.

Vladimira

• Origin: Slavic
• Meaning: Ruler of peace, mighty ruler
• Popularity: >1000

The feminine form of Vladimir carrying the meaning of mighty ruler of peace in a warm, flowing Slavic form, Vladimira has a regal, slightly formal quality and a deep Slavic royal heritage.

Miroslava

• Origin: Slavic
• Meaning: Peaceful glory, world glory
• Popularity: >1000

A beautiful Slavic compound name combining the meanings of peace and glory, Miroslava has a warm, slightly elaborate Eastern European quality and a deeply meaningful combination of two of the most important human values.

Bogumila

• Origin: Slavic
• Meaning: Beloved of God, dear to God
• Popularity: >1000

A beautiful Slavic name meaning beloved of God, Bogumila carries a warm, slightly unusual quality and a deep Eastern European heritage rooted in the Slavic tradition of names that celebrate divine love.

Wladzislaw

• Origin: Polish/Slavic
• Meaning: Glorious rule, famous sovereignty
• Popularity: >1000

The Polish royal name meaning glorious rule, associated with several kings of Poland and carrying a deep, stately Slavic dignity and a genuine royal heritage spanning the great dynasties of Polish history.

Radoslava

• Origin: Slavic
• Meaning: Happy glory, joyful fame
• Popularity: >1000

A beautiful Slavic compound name combining the meanings of happiness and glory, Radoslava has a warm, slightly elaborate quality and a genuinely joyful meaning that suits a princess who finds genuine happiness in her role.

Jaroslava

• Origin: Slavic
• Meaning: Spring glory, fierce and glorious
• Popularity: >1000

The feminine form of Yaroslav combining the meanings of fierce or spring with glory, Jaroslava has a warm, slightly unusual Slavic quality and a deep Eastern European royal heritage.

Italian and Mediterranean Princess Names

Fiammetta

• Origin: Italian
• Meaning: Little flame
• Popularity: >1000

Used by Boccaccio in his poetry and deeply rooted in Florentine literary tradition, Fiammetta is a name of extraordinary beauty that carries the warmth and intimacy of a small perfect flame.

Ginevra

• Origin: Italian
• Meaning: White shadow, fair and smooth
• Popularity: >1000

The Italian form of Guinevere and the name of the subject of Leonardo da Vinci’s great portrait, Ginevra has a warm, slightly mysterious Italian beauty and a deep connection to both Arthurian legend and Renaissance art.

Vittoria

• Origin: Italian/Latin
• Meaning: Victory
• Popularity: >1000

The Italian form of Victoria carrying the same powerful meaning in a warmer, more melodious Italian package, Vittoria has a sweeping, slightly operatic quality and a deep Italian royal heritage.

Costanza

• Origin: Italian/Latin
• Meaning: Steadfast, constant
• Popularity: >1000

The Italian form of Constance carries the steadfast meaning in a warm, flowing Italian form, associated with several medieval empresses and queens of Sicily and carrying a deep, slightly formal Mediterranean elegance.

Elisabetta

• Origin: Italian/Hebrew
• Meaning: God is my oath
• Popularity: >1000

The Italian form of Elizabeth carries the same deep Hebrew meaning in a warmer, more elaborate Italian form, carrying a gentle grandeur and a deep Catholic Italian heritage through saints and Renaissance noblewomen.

Violante

• Origin: Italian/Latin
• Meaning: Violet flower
• Popularity: >1000

A medieval Italian name carried by several noblewomen of the Visconti and Aragonese dynasties, Violante has a warm, slightly unusual elegance and a deep Italian aristocratic heritage.

Lucrezia

• Origin: Italian/Latin
• Meaning: Profit, gain
• Popularity: >1000

The Renaissance duchess whose real life was far more interesting than the legend that replaced it, Lucrezia Borgia carrying a dark, sophisticated Italian elegance that is genuinely unlike anything else.

Caterina

• Origin: Italian/Greek
• Meaning: Pure
• Popularity: >1000

The Italian form of Katherine carries all the purity of its Greek root while gaining a warm Tuscan elegance, associated with Saint Catherine of Siena and carrying a deep, slightly formal Italian dignity.

Serafina

• Origin: Italian/Hebrew
• Meaning: Fiery, burning, seraph
• Popularity: >1000

The Italian form of Seraphina carries the highest angelic order’s meaning with a warm, musical Italian quality and a deep Catholic heritage that gives it a completely distinctive and gorgeous character.

Rosalba

• Origin: Italian/Latin
• Meaning: White rose, rose and dawn
• Popularity: >1000

Already celebrated above, Rosalba belongs in this Italian section as one of the most purely, beautifully Italian of all the rose names, combining the flower and the dawn in a single painterly compound.

Names From Asian Royal Traditions

Himawari

• Origin: Japanese
• Meaning: Sunflower, following the sun
• Popularity: >1000

The Japanese word for sunflower, a flower that turns its face toward the sun wherever it goes, Himawari carries a warm, luminous Japanese quality and the image of a princess who always seeks the light.

Sakura

• Origin: Japanese
• Meaning: Cherry blossom
• Popularity: >1000

The cherry blossom is one of the most beloved symbols of Japanese culture, representing both the beauty and the transience of life, and Sakura carries that profound, slightly melancholy beauty in one of Japan’s most beloved names.

Yuki

• Origin: Japanese
• Meaning: Beautiful happiness, snow
• Popularity: >1000

A beloved Japanese name combining the meanings of snow and happiness, Yuki carries a clean, slightly poetic quality and a deep Japanese aesthetic appreciation for the pure beauty of snow.

Mei

• Origin: Chinese/Japanese
• Meaning: Beautiful, plum blossom
• Popularity: >1000

A beautiful, minimal East Asian name carrying the meanings of beautiful and plum blossom in just three letters, Mei has a clean, precise quality and a deep cultural heritage rooted in the Chinese and Japanese appreciation for delicate natural beauty.

Zhen

• Origin: Chinese
• Meaning: Precious, genuine, treasure
• Popularity: >1000

The Chinese word for precious and genuine used as a name, Zhen carries a warm, minimal quality and a deep Chinese heritage rooted in the appreciation of what is authentically valuable.

Padmavati

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: Lotus goddess, she who has a lotus
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the legendary Rajput queen whose beauty and honor were said to be incomparable, Padmavati carries both the sacred lotus symbolism of Hindu tradition and one of the most dramatic royal stories in Indian history.

Durgavati

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: Gracious Durga, Durga’s blessing
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the great sixteenth-century Gond queen who ruled her kingdom with extraordinary skill and who died fighting the Mughal army rather than surrender, Durgavati carries a genuinely badass royal legacy.

Chandrakanta

• Origin: Sanskrit
• Meaning: Beloved of the moon, moonstone
• Popularity: >1000

A beautiful Sanskrit name meaning beloved of the moon and the moonstone gem, Chandrakanta carries a cool, luminous quality and a deep South Asian royal heritage rooted in the appreciation of lunar beauty.

Seondeok

• Origin: Korean
• Meaning: Sacred virtue, holy morality
• Popularity: >1000

The name of Queen Seondeok, the first female ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla whose reign was characterized by remarkable diplomatic skill and cultural patronage, carrying one of the most distinguished names in Korean royal history.

Urduja

• Origin: Filipino/Malay
• Meaning: Warrior princess, strong woman
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the legendary warrior princess of Philippine folklore who was said to lead her own army and who challenged any man who wished to court her to defeat her in combat first, carrying a genuinely extraordinary Southeast Asian royal legend.

Names From Fantasy and Literature

Daenerys

• Origin: Fantasy/Literary
• Meaning: Uncertain, possibly lady of hope
• Popularity: >1000

The Mother of Dragons from George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones whose journey from terrified girl to world-conquering queen made her one of the most dramatic heroines in modern fantasy literature.

Arwen

• Origin: Welsh/Tolkien
• Meaning: Noble maiden, royal maiden
• Popularity: >1000

The elven princess of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings who gave up her immortality for love, Arwen carries a beautiful Welsh quality and one of the most romantically sacrificial princess stories in all of fantasy.

Galadriel

• Origin: Tolkien/Elvish
• Meaning: Radiant garland, maiden crowned with gleaming hair
• Popularity: >1000

The great elven queen of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, one of the most powerful beings in the world who chose mercy over domination, Galadriel carries an extraordinary fictional royal legacy.

Éowyn

• Origin: Tolkien/Old English
• Meaning: Horse joy, joy of the horse
• Popularity: >1000

The great shieldmaiden of Rohan who slew the Witch-king of Angmar when no man could, Éowyn carries one of the most powerfully badass princess legacies in all of fantasy literature.

Imogen

• Origin: Celtic/Latin
• Meaning: Maiden, girl
• Popularity: >1000

Shakespeare created this name for the heroine of Cymbeline, one of his most complex and moving late plays, and it carries a gentle, slightly unusual Celtic beauty and a warm, literary English elegance.

Nimue

• Origin: Welsh/Arthurian
• Meaning: Lady of the Lake, memory
• Popularity: >1000

The Lady of the Lake who gave Arthur his sword and his destiny, who imprisoned the great wizard Merlin in a crystal cave using his own magic, carrying a cool, slightly dangerous Arthurian mystery.

Elara

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Bright, shining
• Popularity: #821

Already celebrated in the celestial section, Elara belongs here as a name that sounds perfectly invented for a fantasy princess while being entirely grounded in genuine Greek mythological tradition.

Thessaly

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: From the ancient land of magic
• Popularity: >1000

Already celebrated above, Thessaly belongs in this literary section through Neil Gaiman’s extraordinary character of the same name, a powerful literary witch whose name suits a princess who rules through knowledge.

Vivianne

• Origin: French/Welsh
• Meaning: Alive, lively, the enchantress
• Popularity: >1000

The enchantress who learned all of Merlin’s magic, Vivianne carries the mystery of a princess whose power was entirely her own and who used it with an absolute, slightly chilling determination.

Seraphiel

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Prince of the seraphim, ruler of the highest angels
• Popularity: >1000

The name of the chief of the seraphim in Jewish mystical tradition, Seraphiel carries an extraordinary spiritual legacy and a beautiful, elaborate sound that is genuinely one of the most unusual and beautiful angel names available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the most popular princess names right now?

A: According to the most recent SSA data, Charlotte is the most popular genuine royal princess name, sitting in the national top three. Isabella, Sophia, Aurora, and Anastasia are all consistently popular. Seraphina and Evangeline have been rising strongly. Aurora has been one of the most remarkable risers, moving from a rare choice to a top-forty name. Among Disney princess names, Ariel, Jasmine, and Belle remain consistently popular choices.

Q: What makes a name feel like a princess name?

A: Princess names tend to share certain qualities. They have a musicality, a way the syllables move together that feels composed and deliberate rather than accidental. They carry historical or literary weight, having been borne by real queens and empresses or beloved fictional heroines. They have a softness combined with strength, feminine grace alongside genuine authority. And they have a quality of distinction, a sense that this name was chosen rather than simply assigned.

Q: What are the rarest princess names on this list?

A: The rarest choices include Blanchefleur, Meritaten, Siguniang, Urduja, Seondeok, Caelestia, Stellaluna, Calycanthus, Vladimira, and Seraphiel, all of which rank well above 1000 in SSA data. These names carry extraordinary depth from French, Egyptian, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Latin, and Hebrew traditions while being virtually unknown on modern birth certificates.

Q: Can I use a princess name from a different culture?

A: Absolutely. Names travel across cultural boundaries naturally, and princess names in particular have a quality of universal aspiration that makes them appealing regardless of heritage. Names like Fatima, Lakshmi, Masako, Kaguya, and Tamar carry their beauty and their royal heritage with dignity across cultural lines, and many parents choose them for their extraordinary meanings and sounds rather than their specific cultural origins.

Q: What are the best short princess names?

A: The finest short princess names include Belle meaning beautiful, Lyra meaning the constellation, Celeste meaning heavenly, Nova meaning star, Zhen meaning precious, Mei meaning beautiful, Aiko meaning love child, and Rania meaning queenly. All of these carry genuine royal or celestial meanings in minimal, elegant packages that work beautifully as both first names and alongside a wide variety of middle and last names.

Conclusion

Princess names are not just names for fictional royalty or historical queens. They are names that carry a particular quality of grace, of beauty, of the sense that this person was always going to occupy more of the world than ordinary circumstances would allow. Whether you choose a beloved historical royal name like Charlotte or Josephine, a fairy tale classic like Arabella or Rosalind, a name from a real princess like Leonor or Amalia, a mythological wonder like Theodora or Olympia, a soft and romantic gem like Melisande or Blanchefleur, a celestial beauty like Lyra or Andromeda, or a name from another tradition entirely like Tamar or Kaguya, you are giving your daughter a name that carries the full weight of human aspiration toward grace, beauty, and genuine majesty. Take your time with this list, let the names settle, and trust that the right princess name will find you.