"Rare" L Girl Names

Baby Linnea! Just how I pictured a Linnea!

This "rare" series has a TON of names! I counted and there are 29 names in total! I was really surprised at how many names there are for the letter L. My full name begins with L so I do think L names are nice :). So let's get started with all of these names!

Landry

• Meaning- Ruler
• Origin- French and English
• Sibling- Oakley and Madden

Landry is such a cute, spunky name! I first heard it on a forum board, where a set of twins were named Landry and Hudson. I fell in love with the name and added it to my list. I do find one problem with Landry. It is very similar to Laundry. I feel like that is what a lot of people think of. I still like it, despite that problem.

Lark

• Meaning- Bird
• Origin- English
• Sibling- Wren and Flint

Lark is a gorgeous bird name. With Wren becoming more popular, I can see a lot more people liking Lark since they are so similar. I do think some people might say its not girly enough. It does have a little edge to it with the sharp k but paired with a elegant middle name it would be great on a girl.It would be nice to see a little Lark.

Lashonda

• Meaning- Unknown
• Origin- American
• Siblings- Tamika and Tremayne

I don't like Lashonda. I'm not really a fan of La- names. Shonda would be much better and even than I don't like it all that much. It's not my style but I do know some people like it.

Latasha

• Meaning- (Christ's) Birthday
• Origin- Latin
• Sibling- Shantell and Antwan

I don't like Latasha either. I do really like Tasha, which surprises me. Natasha would be much better in my opinion.

LaToya

• Meaning- Victorious one
• Origin- Spanish
• Siblings- Yolanda and Jamaal

The first thing I think if when I hear the name LaToya is LaToya Jackson. I'm not a fan of LaToya Jackson and I think that is why I don't like the name all that much. I also don't like the name because it is another La- name. Out of the 3 La- names I like LaTIya the most.

Lavinia

• Meaning- mother of the Romans
• Origin- Latin and Spanish
• Siblings- Ariadne and Everett

I love Lavinia! It is so gorgeous and so different. It reminds me a lot of Olivia and could be a great alternative to it. They both have v's and the -ia sound at the end. As for nicknames you could go with Vinny. I know some people really like boyish nicknames for girls, such as Bobby and Billy. Other than that I don't see many other nicknames. It is a grand and elegant name and overall beautiful.

Leanne

• Meaning- Combination of Lee and Anne
• Origin- English
• Siblings- Annmarie and Rusty

Leanne is very southern and old-fashioned. It isn't too old-fashioned that it would be too much for a baby. Surprisingly I really like this name. I have never met a Leanne of any age but I did go to school with a Leanna. Her name seemed to fit her very well and wasn't too old for our age. It's cute and sweet.

Lee

• Meaning- Pasture or meadow
• Origin- English
• Siblings- Jan and Cliff

I'm not really a fan of this spelling of Lee for a few reasons. The first one is Lee spelled this way is really masculine. Also, it looks incomplete to me. I always think names that end in e look incomplete, almost like you for got a letter. Lee sounds like a nickname too much. I would like it a lot more if it was a nickname for something like Leanne.

Leigh (LEE)

• Meaning- Clearing, Meadow and Descendant of Loaidheach
• Origin- English and Gaelic
• Siblings- Kerry and Brent

I love this spelling of Leigh! It looks more complete and it is really girly. If I met a girl with this spelling of Leigh, I would really like it. Although I really like this name, I would much prefer it as a nickname. If I was going to use it as a nickname I would use the Leigh spelling but spell the name Leanne. It could still really work.

Leona

• Meaning- Lion
• Origin- Latin
• Siblings- Flora and Willis

I love Leona! It is a gorgeous name. It's very different but not too different as to where it isn't nice. Leona first appeared on the top 1000 charts in 2009 and since then it has stayed in the 900's. I feel like a lot more people would like this name because it is so similar to Fiona and I know a lot of people like Fiona. It also has the added bonus of sounding the same but not having the Shrek and ogre association. Overall Leona is a great name.

Leora (lay-OHR-uh)

• Meaning- Compassion; light
• Origin- Greek
• Siblings- Ione and Theo

Leora has two pronunciations. The one I have listed here is from the book and the less popular one. The other one is lee-or-uh and the one I like and use. I think a lot more people will use the lee-or-uh pronunciation because it is only one letter off from Leona and that is how Leona is pronounced. I think this name is really nice and different. It's exotic but also very girly. I can picture it on someone from Europe.

Liadan (LEE-uh-din, LEE-din)

• Meaning- Grey Lady
• Origin- Gaelic
• Siblings- Adair and Colm

Liadan has two pronuncations.Out of the two I have listed I prefer the first one for a few reasons. The first reason is it sounds better with the uh sound in the middle and is easier to say. The other reason is it sounds more like a girl name that way. I do think that since this name is so different people will confuse it with a unisex name and not know the gender right away. Liadan is a very pretty name and has a little spunky feel to it.

Lillias

• Meaning- Lily
• Origin- Scottish
• Siblings- Elspeth and Evander

With Lily being so popular and having so many different alternatives, I think Lillias is the most different. I do think Lillias would be hard to pronounce. I also think Lillias sounds too much like a word name. I know a lot of people like word names but this one just sounds too wordy for me. I much prefer Lilia and Lilith if you want to go with an alternative to Lily.

Linden

• Meaning- Linden Tree
• Origin- German and English
• Siblings- Arden and Brogan

Surprisingly, I love Linden! I much prefer the spelling Lyden or Lindyn, which is so unlike me. I usually stick with the normal spellings. I think I like those spellings because they look more like a girl name than a boy. I think a lot of people will think of President linden when they hear this name but I don't see that being a big deal. The other problem I see is people not know if this is a boy or a girl at first glance. A lot more people like Linden for a boy than a girl. Besides those two small problems, I think this name is great. You could use the nickname Lindy, which I love.

Linnea (li-NAY-uh, LI-nee-uh)

• Meaning- Lime or Linden tree
• Origin- Scandinavian
• Siblings- Elsa and Magnus

Linnea is another name that has two pronunciations. Out of the two I have listed I prefer the second pronunciation. It seems to go with the spelling better and I feel like a lot more people will pronounce Linnea that way. I do know one person with this name. I met her on formspring and she is from Sweden. She has gorgeous blonde hair and that is why I think of a little blonde haired girl. I'm not sure how she pronounces her name. I feel like a lot of people will be confused at this name because of the spelling and rareness of the name. I still think it's a pretty name and I would love to met a girl with the name Linnea.

Lise (LEEZ, LEES, LEE-ze)

• Meaning- God's Promise
• Origin- Hebrew
• Siblings- Esme and Rune

Lise has three pronunciations and I don't favor one over the other. I feel like Lise is extremely close to the name Lisa and that could be a small problem. I'm not really a fan of this name. It's too short for me and I don't like how incomplete it sounds. If your child was to have this name I feel like she would always be correcting be on how to pronounce her name. I do think it is pretty and think it would be a nice middle name.

Liviana

• Meaning- White
• Origin- Hebrew
• Siblings- Arabella and Benedict

I love Liviana. I do prefer it spelled Livianna but either way is cute. If you like the name Olivia but think it is too common, Liviana is perfect for you. It still has the Liv sound and nickname. I do know a lot more people are liking it. I don't really see any problems with Liviana. It's gorgeous and really girly.

Liza (LIY-zuh)

• Meaning- Short for Elizabeth (God is my oath)
• Origin- English
• Siblings- Reva and Jed

The first thing I think of when I see Liza is the name Lisa. I think some people will think you are trying to spell Lisa with a z. The other thing I see is the name Elizabeth. It is a short form of the name Elizabeth and would be a great way to honor one. I know there is the name Eliza, which is pretty popular, and Liza is the same but without the E. I knew an Eliza for four years and she was always correcting people one how ton pronounce her name. I can see the same problem with Liza. Besides that problem, I think Liza is very pretty and different. I am actually starting to like it.

Lois (LOH-is)

• Meaning- Desirable, Superior and fame, loud; fighter, warrior
• Origin- Greek and German
• Siblings- Marjorie and Roy

This name is very old fashioned and I know a lot of people are liking old fashioned names. I don't really like Lois because is seems really boyish to me. It does sound nice but just too old to me. It would make a really nice middle name and I think it would go with most names.

Loretta

• Meaning- Bay laurel
• Origin- English
• Siblings- Rosalie and Roland

Loretta is another old fashioned name but this one isn't too old fashioned to be used now. I love this name and I love the nickname Etta. I do feel like if you don't use the nickname Etta, than the name Loretta would sound a little old fashioned. I did know one Loretta and she was my neighbor's mother. She's the only Loretta I have ever met. The only other person I cam think of who is named Loretta I'd Sarah Jessica Parker's daughter.

Lori

• Meaning- Laurel
• Origin- English
• Siblings- Dawn and Greg

I'm not a huge fan of Lori. I find Lori very dated and too much of a nickname. I can't picture it on a baby. I do think it would be okay as a nickname as opposed to a full name. If I say a little girl named Lorraine or Lorelei but called Lori I would really like it. Maybe Lori is ready for a comeback.

Lorraine

• Meaning- From Lorraine
• Origin- French
• Siblings- Maxine and Warren

I really like Lorraine! The first thing I think of when I hear the name is Cheaper by the Dozen. Hilary Duff's character was named Lorraine. The only Lorraine I have know was my cousin's grandmother. After she passed away, her son named his twins Raina and Jude, Raina after Lorraine. That brings me to the nickname options. You could use Lori, Raine or Raina. My favorite is Rain/Raine. I really don't think it is too old sounding. Lorraine could also make a great middle name because it goes with a lot of names.

Lottie

• Meaning- Diminutive of Charlotte (little and womanly)
• Origin- French
• Siblings- Mae and Archie

I love Lottie as a nickname but not on it's own. The only full name I can think of for Lottie is Charlotte, which is really popular. I would use Charlotte with the nickname Lottie even though Charlotte is popular because most Charlotte's go by Charlie and Lottie would be really rare. I do think some people like Lottie on it's own and if you were going to do that I would chose a longer middle name that the child could use if they wanted a more adult name. Lottie is overall cute and fun.

Louisa

• Meaning- Famous Warrior
• Origin- German
• Siblings- Adela and Hugh

Louisa is really elegant and pretty. I do prefer Louise better. Louisa feels like you throw the a on at the end. It would make a great middle name and not something expected. It does remind me of someone from France or another European country. Louisa is really nice.

Louise

• Meaning- German
• Origin- Famous Warrior
• Siblings- Harriet and Claude

Louise is another old fashioned name. I do think more people will start liking Louise because a lot more people like old fashioned names. I don't think I could picture this on a baby unless it was a middle name. Lou would be such a cute nickname and on of the only reasoned I would use it.

Lourdes

• Meaning- French place name
• Origin- French
• Siblings- Luz and Cruz

The first person I think of is Madonna's daughter. She is the only person I have ever heard with the name Lourdes. It's very edgy and has a rock feel to it. I think it's strong and not girly. I picture someone who likes black and punk things. Lourdes is too big for a baby or little girl. Indent think I would use it but it would be different to hear it on a baby.

Lucinda

• Meaning- Light
• Origin- Latin
• Siblings- Marietta and Judson

Lucinda could go two ways. It could sound old or new. If you use the nickname Lucy it would sound really new and fresh. I love the nickname Lucy and can see it on someone of any age. The other nickname option is Cindy. If you use Cindy, it would make Lucinda sound old and dated. Out of all of the Lucy names, I think Lucida is not the first one I would pick. I think I would go with Lucille. Lucinda is nice and really pretty.

Lynn

• Meaning- Lake
• Origin- Welsh
• Siblings- Beth and Jon

Lynn is extreme dated. The only time I have heard of Lynn is as a filler middle name. I did know one Lynn who is a junior. She spelled it Lynne and when I heard her name I thought it was really dated. The only time I would think Lynn was okay as a name would be if it was a nickname. I also think you should not use it as a middle name because everyone uses it and it's boring.

Lyra

• Meaning- Lyre
• Origin- Greek
• Siblings- Briar and Ari

I love Lyra! I think it is so adorable. I have only known of one Lyra and she had really dark curly hair. She was so pretty and made me love the name. Lyra is really spunky and edgy but at the same time is still girly. I wold love to meet another Lyra.


I hope you all enjoyed this post. I have really been working on it for a long time. I am trying to get on a schedule of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Stay tune for more post and don't forget to answer the three questions!

What is your favorite L girl name? 

What is one name you prefer spelled differently than the original spelling?

What is your favorite old fashioned name? 

Photo Credit: http://theanthologie.com/minneapolis-baby-photographer-linnea-turns-one/