10 Portuguese Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

Tiffany Patterson via Dribbble

I'm so excited to be featuring Portuguese names for girls today. There are some really stunning choices in here. Come back next week for the boys list.

Baia- Gorgeous Baia rhymes with Maia and means "bay" in Portuguese. She could also work as a nickname for Beatrice, if you're not a fan of Bea.

Clementina- Clementine just cracked the top 1000 back in 2014. The similar, but slightly more exotic Clementina makes a less common substitute. She has roots in both Spanish and Portuguese.

Evora- Can't get enough of the Eve names? Add Evora to your list. She's actually a Portuguese place name--Evora is a the capital city of Portugal's Alentejo region.

Graca- Sure, Grace is a lovely name, but she's remained at the top of the charts for years, so you might be craving a fresh alternative for your babe. Graca, Grace's Portuguese variation could be the answer. She's just as simple and sweet, but the added syllable rejuvenates her.

Jacinda- You might remember talking about Jacinta a few weeks ago in my Spanish Names for Girls post. While Jacinta is the Spanish version of Hyacinth, Jacinda is the Portuguese. They're both equally charming.

Luzia- We hear Lucia and Luc- names all over the place these days, but I've scarcely run into a Luz or a Luzia. That leaves a whole branch of stylish names untapped. Luzia is one of the prettiest ones (in my opinion), and Luz is a darling nickname.

Neves- You might be tempted to pronounce Neves like "nevs"--I certainly was--but the traditional Portuguese pronunciation is NAY-vesh. As you would expect, she means "snows."

Palmira- Palmira is one of my favorite new finds. She'd be perfect on a 2015 baby--"palm" names are very familiar, and Mira is an on-trend nickname. For all you multi-cultural families, she has roots in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Rosalia- With the Rose names coming back into style, you'd think Rosalia would be a shoe-in for the top 1000. However, she was only given to 119 girls last year (more girls were named Austin and Italia). Like Palmira, she's has usage in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Victoriana- Victoria remains steadfast in her popularity, despite feeling a little faded. Victoriana amps her up a bit, and makes her ultra-femme with that -iana ending--getting her up to five syllables.

10 Spanish Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

Lauren Beltramo via Dribbble

Today we're talking about Spanish names for girls. These lovely ladies have great potential, but remain undiscovered. Which ones would you use?

Araceli- Araceli is a breathtaking name--the perfect blend of accessible and unusual. She means "alter of the sky."

Cira- Cira is a lovely feminine form of Cyrus. I was delighted when I stumbled across her, and astonished that I'd never heard of her before. Cira would feel right at home on a 2016 baby.

Evia- The Ev- names are still all the rage, but Evia hasn't yet been discovered. She's ideal if you need something with just a bit more substance than Evie.

Jacinta- Jacinta (that's hah-SEEN-tah) is the Spanish word for Hyacinth, and much more namely. If you don't mind the occasional mispronunciation--let's be honest: constant--she's a stunning choice.

Jemsa- Like Jacinta, you will run into some pronunciation problems with Jemsa, but she has more room for flexibility. If you so desired, you could say Jemsa with an English "J" sound (and everyone would be none the wiser). She makes a nice alternative to Gemma.

Leocadia- A beautiful leonine name perfect for parents looking for a long, European name. Leocadia means "splendid brightness."

Lumina- Lumina takes two very popular sounds and blends them into one unique name. She's the Spanish variation of Lumiere, another gorgeous appellation.

Nelia- Nelia may seem strictly British, but she has roots in Spanish culture as well. She's a nickname for Manuela, though you wouldn't have to use her as such.

Soficita- While it's a little hard to imagine using Soficita as a formal name, she makes a fun and quirky nickname option for all the Sofias out there.

Soledad- Although many people are familiar with the name Soledad in the U.S., she's scarcely used. She means "solitude," and is a direct reference to the Virgin Mary.

10 J Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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Finally, no more I names. J is an easy letter to work with, there are so many names that begin with it. If you're looking for something a little more offbeat, I suggest you try this list. We've got an interesting group today.

Jacinta- Pronounced with an H sound as opposed to a J, Jacinta is the Spanish word for hyacinth.

Jalila- A cute and unique way to get to the nickname Lila.

Janna- You could pronounce her (YAH-nuh) or (JAN-uh), but if you choose the former be prepared for some confusion. If you happen to like that pronunciation, Iana gets the point across more clearly.

Jean- I get it, she seems dated. But if everyone's going gaga over Jane, it's not unreasonable to think Jean would be the next step. It feels refreshing on a baby girl.

Jemsa- She sounds very British to my ear. Half Gemma, half Elsa, how can you go wrong?

Jetta- Jette is pretty stylish as a nickname, but if you don't like Juliette, what are you to do? Jetta sounds a bit more tough but can still be called Jette, so it's perfect.

Jocasta- She's one of the few Jo- names that sounds super fresh. Perfect for honoring Aunt Joanna or Grandma Joan.

Joss- Yes, Joss can be a girl name, too. You could use her as a nickname for Jocelyn, but I'm also fond of her by herself.

Jules- Much spunkier than Julia or Juliet.

July- July has been snubbed as a month name. She's fun, quirky, and perfect for any time of the year.