Books, websites, family and friend advice are some ways that parents come up with a name for their babies. But there those who ask teachers to come up with a good name, because who else hears more names than a teacher?
Just how we shake our heads at certain baby names and would never consider them for our own children, teachers have their opinions on the best (and most annoying) baby names; this includes names that are considered to be super duper feminine. While there are many baby girl names that are beautiful and girly, there are many others that are a bit grating and just seem too intensely ritzy. We’ll know them when we hear them, that’s for sure.
Here are 25 baby names that are so girly, teachers definitely never want to hear them again.
25. VIOLET
Violet definitely seems like a baby name that teachers would hear and think, “This is way too girly.” It’s a classic name, though, so it’s safe to say that many teachers have had students with this name… and a lot of students at that.
According to Nameberry, “The Victorian Violet, one of the prettiest of the color and flower names, was chosen by high-profile parents Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, definitely a factor in its rapid climb to popularity. Violet cracked into the Top 50 for the first time ever in 2015.” The name was trendy a long time ago and then not so much by the year 1920 and then the fact that Jennifer Garner chose it helped it a lot.
24. ROSIE
If you consider Rose a super girly name then you would have to say that Rosie is even girlier. It’s easy to picture some teachers looking at their incoming class list for the year and seeing the name Rosie and thinking that it’s too girly.
Of this name, Nameberry explains, “Rosy-cheeked and cheery, Rosie (also spelled Rosy) has been standing on her own for many decades, back to the days of 1943 musical Sweet Rosie O’Grady. She’s one of the perky nickname-names that are filling the popularity lists of other English-speaking countries. In the US, she came back to the Top 1000 in 2013, after a 30-year hiatus.”
23. ESMERELDA
According to We Have Kids, Esmeralda is a name that is “romantic.” We can definitely agree with that, but we do think that this is an incredibly girly name and it seems like teachers would think the same.
Doesn’t it seem kind of intense to name a baby girl Esmeralda? Sure, she could go by a few different nicknames which might make things easier… but it still seems like a bit of a mouthful. This name has the double whammy of being super girly and also being hard to pronounce and spell.
22. ARIEL
In a forum thread on Essential.baby.com.au, some moms were talking about “pretty” and “girly” names and the name Ariel came up.
It’s only natural to think of The Little Mermaid, which is why we would call this name too girly. And it also seems like something that teachers would think of immediately.
Nameberry says that this is both a boy and a girl name, which might be surprising since we probably thought that it was just a girl’s name. The website says, “For girls, Ariel enjoyed a considerable burst of popularity with the 1989 release of Disney’s The Little Mermaid: in 1991 it peaked at Number 66.”
21. BELLA
We Have Kids counts Bella as a name that is “romantic.” We would add “extra girly” to that list.
When we hear the name Bella, we also think of Belle, the Disney princess. If you think that this name is too girly for you and you wouldn’t want to use it for your daughter, you’re not alone there, and teachers are probably right there with you.
Babble mentions that this name has become trendy because of Twilight: “Bella is a [popular] name right now. Thanks to the massive vampire-in-love phenomenon known as Twilight, Bella has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years.”
20. FLORA
In a forum thread on Essential.baby.au, some moms were talking about baby names that are “pretty” and “girly” and the name Flora came up.
Since Flora sounds just like a flower (and is, in fact, another word for flower), it seems only inevitable that teachers would sigh when they heard this name and consider it too girly.
According to Babble, Flora was the “goddess of flowers and spring” and some other versions of this name include Fleur and Fleurette. See, even the background of this name sounds girly.
19. JASMINE
Jasmine is, of course, the name of a Disney princess, and for that reason alone, teachers would have to say that it’s too girly.
According to Babble, “Now a favorite flower name everywhere from South America to Eastern Europe, Jasmine—also a plant known for its aromatic blossoms—first emerged, as a name, centuries ago in Persia. Its boom in the US began in the early 1990s, following the release of Disney’s Aladdin. Spelling variations for this name abound and include Jazmyn, Jasmin, and Yasmin, and Jazz is easily derived as a cute, spunky nickname.”
18. GRACE
At first, Grace seems like a solid choice when parents are wondering about a baby girl name that feels classic. It’s definitely traditional and it’s not all that unique, which works well for some parents who don’t want anything too extreme for a baby name.
That being said, it’s also true that Grace is a very girly name. It totally belongs on this list of baby girl names that are so girly that teachers would never want to hear them again.
17. IVY
There’s something about names that are inspired by nature (especially plants and flowers) that make them sound really girly. Sure, there’s the name Rose which is fairly common at this point, but there’s also the name Ivy which is less common.
Ivy is another girly baby girl name that teachers wouldn’t be big fans of. When we think about it, teachers are hearing so many names in a school year that they really know the what names will take off and what names should hit rock bottom (and stay there).
16. EVERLY
Everly is a really adorable name, there’s no denying that fact. But there’s also no denying the fact that it seems incredibly girly.
Are you wondering more about the background of this name? Since it’s not super common, it’s interesting to hear more about it. According to Nameberry, it’s a name from England. The meaning behind it is definitely anything but super girly: “wild boar in a woodland clearing.” The website mentions that it seems like it will be trendy thanks to Channing Tantum naming his daughter Everly. The website continues, “it jumped 727 spots between 2012 and 2014, to become one of the fastest-rising names. Also spelled Everleigh, it entered the US Top 100 for the first time in 2017.”
15. PEARL
Just like a pearl necklace is one of the girliest accessories out there, the name Pearl is one of the girliest baby names out there. It’s hard to imagine teachers loving this baby girl name. It seems like they would be more likely to consider it too girly.
Luckily for many teachers, we can probably agree that we don’t hear the name Pearl all that often and that it seems fairly rare. It’s not like your kid is in a classroom with 10 Pearls every year, right?
14. SERAPHINA
Seraphina may not be the most typical name for baby girls and it doesn’t make it onto a lot of lists of trendy or popular baby names. It’s a very different name than popular choices like Emma and Sophie, that’s for sure.
It’s also very girly. If you’re about to become a mom to a baby girl and you want a name that isn’t too girly, it’s a good idea to avoid names that are super long (and a bit complicated to spell). Those definitely tend to be the girliest, and teachers would agree.
13. IMOGEN
According to Nameberry, the name Imogen has an interesting history: “Imogen is a Shakespearean girls’ name long fashionable in England, which temporarily lost its way here when spelled and pronounced ihm-oh-GENE.” The website continues,”Though never in the US Top 1000, Imogen has gained a lot of favor in recent years among stylish parents, so you may find more little Imogens in your hip neighborhood than that statistic would suggest. In fact, Imogen recently displaced Charlotte as the breakout number one among girl names on Nameberry for the first half of 2013.”
Even if Imogen has a cool history, it’s safe to say that teachers would consider this name too girly as well.
12. WILLOW
The name Willow brings to mind a few things: the character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer who is buds with Buffy (and also a witch) and also the tree of the same name.
Even though that character and weeping willow trees aren’t particularly girly, the name still sounds girly itself. We can picture parents choosing it when they want a baby girl name that is cool and fascinating. It’s definitely better than some of the other girly names on this list, but it’s still something that teachers would call too girly. It just sounds girly.
11. ISABELLA
Baby girl names with “belle” or “bella” tacked onto the end couldn’t possibly be anything but girly… and make that ultra girly. Teachers would also never want to hear the name Isabella again because of its girly nature.
Sure, one may even say that this isn’t the silliest baby girl name out there since you could call your daughter Izzy or Izzie for short, which is adorable (and also brings to mind the character on Grey’s Anatomy that Katherine Heigl played, which works if you’re a fan of that show).
10. ANNABELLA
Annabelle is a girly enough name, and Annabella seems even girlier somehow. This is definitely a very old-fashioned name that doesn’t seem quite as popular anymore.
Nameberry mentions this name’s background, citing that it’s from Italy and also has some other interesting facts about it: “Annabella crops up in royal history as the mother of King James I of Scotland.” The website also explains that “Sela Ward has a daughter named Annabella, and a current bearer is actress Annabella Sciorra.”
9. DAISY
Since Daisy is, of course, the name of the white and yellow flower, it’s impossible to think of it as anything but incredibly girly. Teachers would hear this name and not only say that it’s girly but that they don’t want to hear it again.
It seems like it would be pretty tough to be named Daisy since even if you loved it and thought that it was just girly enough, other people might wonder why you were named after a flower.
8. CLEMENTINE
Clementine sounds like a character in a novel, doesn’t it? I would start reading and think, “That’s an interesting name… but it’s pretty girly.” It’s the same thing if we picture teachers reading their incoming class list and seeing this name. Teachers would also think that it’s too girly of a name.
It’s hard to imagine why parents started naming their baby girls Clementine. No one would call their baby Orange, right? So, why Clementine? According to Nameberry, “Clementine is a Nameberry favorite that has finally got back into the US Top 1000 after more than half a century off the list. Still, its style value may mean there are more Clementines than you might guess in your neighborhood—it may be a name that raises Mom’s eyebrows, but it won’t surprise your friends.”
7. POPPY
Besides being a super girly name that teachers don’t want to hear again, Poppy is a name that honestly seems too cute. It’s hard to imagine that a baby girl name could be too adorable… but we have to admit that Poppy fits into that category.
It’s cutesy, that’s for sure, and that might not be the direction that new parents want to lean in when they’re choosing a baby name. There are many other baby girl names that are considered girly but not too cute.
6. CORDELIA
Cordelia is another baby girl name that teachers would find way too girly. Not only that but it has kind of a weird ring to it, doesn’t it? Doesn’t Cordelia sound like the wicked witch in a fairy tale or the mean character in a movie?
It’s safe to say that extra girly names aren’t usually very short, so it’s no wonder that Cordelia simply sounds girly. A name like Cory, on the other hand, would be a great name for a baby girl since it’s a gender-neutral name (and it could also be spelled Cori or Corrie).
5. MIRABELLE
The funny thing about the baby name Mirabelle is that even just the name Mira would seem too girly for many people’s tastes. Put “Belle” on the end of it and you have an incredibly girly name that teachers don’t want to hear very often.
Nameberry notes that Mirabelle sounds like Isabelle but is “fresher.” We can totally agree with that… but we do think that it’s still too girly. Nameberry also says, “Steve Martin chose the name for the heroine of his novel Shopgirl — Mirabelle Buttersfield.”
4. MARIGOLD
Marigold is a unique baby girl name because it’s honestly beautiful. It makes us think of the color which is a yellow-ish, orange-y gold, and it would suit a lot of baby girls. It’s also the name of a flower. That being said, it’s still extra girly and it’s still a name that teachers don’t want to hear.
It seems like this isn’t a baby name that is all that popular or trendy these days because it seems pretty rare.
3. AURORA
Since Aurora is the name of the princess character in Sleeping Beauty, that automatically puts this baby name into the super girly category. And that also means that it’s too girly for teachers to hear, and they would probably not see it on their class list for the upcoming school year.
It’s hard to imagine parents naming their daughter after pop culture princesses (especially after a story that is kind of dark at certain moments) but it does happen sometimes.
2. GABRIELLA
It seems impossible not to hear the baby girl name Gabriella and not think that it’s too girly… and we can imagine that many teachers wouldn’t love this name too much.
Nameberry explains more about the name; “Gabriella—a strong yet graceful feminine form of Gabriel—Is on the rise, with the double “L” spelling more popular. For more variations of Gabriella, see Gabriela, the Spanish spelling.. Gabriella has been on the U.S. Top 1000 list since 1984, entering the Top 100 in 2000, while the one “l” spelling rank is also somewhat popular. It also riding on a wave of popularity in Canada and Australia.”
1. JESSAMINE
We know Jessica (and Jess for short). And we might even know the name Jessalyn which is a bit more unique and not your typical name. But Jessamine? We haven’t heard this name very often… and not only that but it’s an incredibly girly name. This is one of those names that seems like it could be pronounced and spelled a few different ways, which could be confusing in a classroom setting.
These 25 baby names are ones that are so girly, teachers would shake their heads after hearing them… and teachers would definitely rather not hear them again.