Girl Names Starting with F: Faith, Francesca, Fern

Quick: name some girl names starting with F.

You can, of course. There’s classic Frances and daring Fable. We might think of Faith and maybe Fern and Fiona, too. Some PH names can also be F names, but some work better than others – for every Filomena, there’s a Fenix. And surnames, like Flynn and Foster, might work for our daughters, though they’re more typical for our sons.

Overall, when it comes to letters, relatively few F names for girls come to mind. In fact, the most popular of the girls names starting with F doesn’t even crack the current Top 100. It ranks 22nd out of the 26 letters of the alphabet in terms of popularity.

And yet, some truly spectacular choices make this list. There’s a literary star to rival Harper, more than one Italian charmer, and a girl detective name, too. A few lean fanciful; other girl names starting with F feel traditional and serious.

So even if it’s a short list, rich possibilities still come to us from the letter F.

MOST POPULAR GIRL NAMES STARTING WITH F

FREYA (#159)

The name of the Norse goddess of love and beauty, Freya caught on elsewhere in the English-speaking world first, but lately it’s familiar in the US, too.

FAITH (#249)

A virtue name with a decidedly spiritual vibe, though Faith feels bigger than any single religion. No list of baby girl names starting with F is complete without this traditional word choice.

FRANCESCA (#314)

The Italian form of Frances, with style to spare. It’s the name of a Bridgerton sibling, which might explain the name’s recent boost.

FATIMA (#316)

The name of the prophet Muhammed’s daughter in Islam, she lent her name to the “Hand of Fatima,” or hamsa. It’s an amulet picturing an eye inside of a hand, thought to ward off evil. Fatima, Portugal is also the site of a Marian apparition. Other spellings, like Fatema, Fatimah, and Fatma are used, too.

FINLEY (#365)

An Irish surname, and the only one of the Finn names used in big numbers for girls, making it a gender-neutral name. Football player Jason Kelce and wife Kylie named their youngest daughter Finnley in 2025.

FRANCES (#379)

Traditional and lady-like, Frances comes with at least two spirited nicknames: boyish Frankie and vintage Franny. Spelling Francis is more typically used for boys. All of the Frances names share the same meaning: Frenchman.

FIONA (#406)

Poet James Macpherson made it famous in 1762 poem Fingal; Shrek gave it to Cameron Diaz’s half-ogre princess and introduced it to a new generation.

FLORENCE (#435)

An elegant name associated with a storied Italian city, Florence is making a comeback. Credit to actress Florence Pugh.

FELICITY (#486)

A lacy, delicate name with a great meaning: happiness or good fortune.

FERNANDA (#500)

An alternative to Isabella or Francesca, Fernanda is the Spanish and Italian feminine equivalent of continental Ferdinand.

FAYE (#538)

A sweet mini name, Faye might bring to mind fairies, Arthurian legend, or the Fates of Greek mythology. Spellings Fay and Fae are seen, too.

FRANKIE (#591)

A unisex nickname name in the key of Charlie, Frankie might be short for Frances or Francesca … or stand on its own.

FLORA (#648)

We love Nora, Cora, Aurora, and Florence. Naturally Flora fits right in.

FALLON (#736)

Ever since Dynasty introduced Fallon Carrington in 1981, the name has seen an uptick in use. The character was at the heart of the CW’s successful 2017 to 2022 reboot of the famous series, introducing it to a new generation of parents.

FREYJA (#771)

A spelling of Freya to emphasize the name’s imported status.

RARE GIRL NAMES STARTING WITH F

FABIANA, FABIANNA, FABIENNE

Elaborate and flowing feminine forms of Roman family name Fabius, which has a sweetly humble meaning: bean.

FABIOLA

A romance language name with ancient Roman roots. Fabia, Fabiana, and Fabienne share the same Latin roots,  from a word meaning – yes, really – beans.

FABLE

A literally literary word name, a fable is a story that teaches a lesson.

FAIGA, FAIGLE, FAIGY

From a Yiddish word meaning bird.

FAIRY

More common than you might guess in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a fanciful word name.

FAITHFUL

Turns Faith up to eleven.

FAITHLYN, FAITHFLYNN

One of many possible compound Faith names.

FALINE

It sounds like feline, but Faline is the name of the girl deer in Bambi.

FALMAI, FELMAI

From the Welsh phrase fel Mai, meaning like May. It was originally invented by Welsh author Allen Raine for a late 19th century novel called By Berwen Banks. A movie adaptation followed.

FAMKE, FEMKE

Dutch actress Famke Jannsen introduced her name to the world.

FANCY

Like Fairy, a word name that walks on the storybook side. Use as a given name is tied to a country song. Reba McEntire’s recording made the name briefly surge in the 1990s.

FANTASIA

A landmark Disney movie, this is the Italian word for imagination or fantasy. Singer Fantasia Barrino put it on parents’ radar.

FARADAY

Upbeat Irish surname name.

FARAN, FARRAN, FARREN

Spelled several ways, this is a surname meaning “iron gray.” It sounds a bit like Taryn and Maren, which makes it a potential choice for our daughters.

FARAH and FARRAH

A classic Arabic name, Farrah Fawcett made it familiar in the US in the 1970s. It carries a great meaning; joy.

FATE

Word name with significance.

FAUSTINA and FAUSTINE

The Roman Faustus means lucky, as does this elaborate feminine form. Faustine is another possibility.

FAUN, FAWN

We love baby names borrowed from animals, like Wren and Bear. So why not this name for a young deer? It did see some use when nature name Dawn reached peak popularity in the middle of the twentieth century.

FAUNA

Faun meets Shauna.

FAVIANA

Modern update to Fabiana.

FAVOR, FAVOUR

Word name with a Puritan vibe, but rising 21st century usage.

FAYETTA, FAYETTE

A compound Faye name with a Southern vibe.

FEATHER

1980s favorite Heather opened the door – maybe – for Feather.

FEBE

Spelling of Phoebe preferred in several European languages.

FELICIA

Like Felicity and Felix, Felicia means good luck.

FELICIDAD, FELICIANA

Two of many Felicity/Felicia cousins on the more obscure side. Felicidad is the Spanish word for happiness.

FENELLA

A name with Scottish roots and a romantic meaning: white shoulder.

FENNA

A Dutch name meaning peace, Fenna fits with Gemma and Stella.

FEODORA

Russian equivalent of Theodora.

FERN

A gentle nature name, Fern appears on many a child’s bookshelf as the girl from Charlotte’s Web.

FERNANDA

Romance language feminine form of Ferdinand.

FIA, FIADH

Either a modern twist on Mia, or a simplified spelling of the Irish Fiadh – literally meaning deer, but associated with the idea of all things wild and free.

FIAMMETTA

From the Italian word for flame, Fiammetta is rare – and fiery.

FIANNA

Another Irish option, Fianna marries a pretty sound to a fierce meaning: band of warriors.

FIFER

Piper was among the hottest baby girl names in the early 2000s. Fifer is a close cousin, but far less common.

FILIPA, FILIPPA

Feminine form of Philip.

FINOLA

A cousin to Finella.

FILOMENA

A romance language spelling for Philomena, a name with a powerful meaning: to be loved.

FIORELLA

A lovely Italian elaboration of fiore – which sounds fiery, but means flower.

FIZA

An Arabic name with multiple potential meanings, and a surprising, but accessbile, sound.

FLANNERY

A surname name meaning red, Southern writer Flannery O’Connor makes it literary.

FLAVIA

From an ancient Roman name meaning golden, Flavia might be best known as the girl detective invented by Alan Bradley.

FLEUR

The French word for flower, and a heroic Harry Potter name, too. Flor is the Spanish equivalent.

FLORABELLE, FORIBEL

One of many Flora names, with multiple spellings.

FLORENCIA

Yes another flower power pick, Florencia is the Spanish form of Florence.

FLORIDA

A familiar choice in the US into the 1930s, Florida means flourishing in Latin.

FLORIDALMA

A combination of Florida and Alma heard in Spanish-speaking countries, meaning “flourishing soul.”

FOLASADE

Traditional Yoruba name meaning “rule with nobility.”

FONTAINE

French surname name meaning fountain.

FOREVER

Bold word name option.

FORTUNE

A word name that seems calculated to bring good luck.

FRANCE

A place name inspired by so many Frances favorites.

FRANCIE

A Frances nickname that might work on its own, especially in our Maisie-Elsie moment.

FRANCINE

A sweetly vintage Frances name, seldom heard today but certain to be revived in the future.

FRANCISCA

One more feminine form of Francis, this one often heard in Spanish, as well as Portuguese and Dutch.

FRANCOISE

Strictly speaking, Françoise is spelled with a diacritical mark. Pronounce it fran swaz. It’s French and quite lovely, but rare in the US.

FRANKA

Dutch and German feminine form of Frank. German actress Franka Potente raised the name’s profile in the US.

FREDDIE

Possible choice in the key of Charlie, Stevie, and Scottie.

FREDERICA, FEDERICA

The feminine form of Frederick, Frederica feels like a substitute for Alexandra, Isabella, or Victoria. Like Frederick, it shares the powerful meaning “peaceful ruler.” Nickname Freddie ought to wear every bit as well as rising favorite Frankie.

FREDERIQUE

French feminine form of Frederick.

FREYDE

A Yiddish name with many spellings, including the more phonetic Fraida, Freyde means joy.

FRIDA

German and Scandi Frida means peace, but it signals a powerful creative force, thanks to renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Frieda is another spelling.

FUCHSIA

Borrowed from the flower, and the vivid pinkish-purplish color.

FUMIKO

Traditional Japanese name briefly ranked in the US Top 1000 during the 1920s.

What are your favorite girl names starting with F?

Originally published on September 28, 2020, this post was revised and re-posted on December 6, 2021; January 2, 2023; April 24, 2023; August 7, 2023; June 10, 2024; and June 26, 2025.