Choosing a name for your baby is an exciting, but sometimes overwhelming task. One source of inspiration can be found in the remarkable women who have made history and left their mark on the world. From pioneers in science and technology to social and political activists, there is no shortage of powerful and inspiring women to draw from.
Here are 32 baby names inspired by some of the most remarkable women in history, spanning different cultures, time periods, and fields of achievement.
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Ada
Named after Ada Lovelace, a pioneering mathematician who is considered the first computer programmer.
- Amelia
Inspired by Amelia Earhart, the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
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Aung
Named after Aung San Suu Kyi, a Burmese politician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who fought for democracy and human rights in Myanmar.
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Boudicca
Named after the warrior queen of the Iceni tribe who led a rebellion against Roman occupation in Britain.
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Cleopatra
Inspired by the last pharaoh of ancient Egypt, known for her intelligence and political savvy.
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Corazon
Named after Corazon Aquino, the first female president of the Philippines and a prominent figure in the People Power Revolution that ended the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.
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Dorothea
Named after Dorothea Dix, a 19th-century activist who fought for better treatment of the mentally ill.
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Eleanor
Inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt, a social and political activist and former First Lady of the United States.
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Emmeline
Named after Emmeline Pankhurst, a leader of the British suffragette movement.
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Frida
Inspired by Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist known for her bold self-portraits and feminist themes.
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Grace
Named after Grace Hopper, a computer scientist and naval officer who helped develop the first computer programming language and popularized the term "debugging."
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Harriet
Named after Harriet Tubman, a conductor on the Underground Railroad who helped slaves escape to freedom.
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Indira
Inspired by Indira Gandhi, the first female prime minister of India and a prominent world leader.
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Jane
Named after Jane Austen, a British novelist known for her wit and social commentary.
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Joan
Inspired by Joan of Arc, a French military leader who played a pivotal role in the Hundred Years' War.
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Kamala
Inspired by Kamala Harris, the first woman, first Black person, and first South Asian American to become vice president of the United States.
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Malala
Named after Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for girls' education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate.
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Marie
Inspired by Marie Curie, a physicist and chemist who made groundbreaking discoveries in radioactivity.
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Maya
Named after Maya Angelou, an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist.
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Nellie
Inspired by Nellie Bly, a pioneering investigative journalist who went undercover to expose social injustices.
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Rosa
Named after Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist who refused to give up her seat on a bus and sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
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Rosalind
Inspired by Rosalind Franklin, a British chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose work on the structure of DNA was critical to its discovery.
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Sally
Inspired by Sally Ride, the first American woman in space and a trailblazer for women in STEM fields.
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Simone
Named after Simone de Beauvoir, a French philosopher and feminist who wrote The Second Sex.
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Sojourner
Inspired by Sojourner Truth, an abolitionist and women's rights activist known for her famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech.
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Susan
Named after Susan B. Anthony, a suffragist and women's rights activist who played a key role in securing women's right to vote in the United States.
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Theresa
Named after Theresa Hsu, a Singaporean philanthropist and humanitarian who devoted her life to helping the poor and needy in Singapore and beyond.
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Valentina
Inspired by Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to travel to space, who made history in 1963 as part of the Vostok 6 mission.
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Wangari
Named after Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmental and political activist who was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
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Wilma
Inspired by Wilma Rudolph, an American track and field athlete who overcame polio and other obstacles to become a three-time Olympic gold medalist.
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Xena
Named after the fictional warrior princess Xena, who became a pop culture icon and a symbol of female strength and empowerment.
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Zora
Inspired by Zora Neale Hurston, an African-American writer and anthropologist who played a key role in the Harlem Renaissance.
Incorporating the name of a trailblazing woman into your child's name not only pays homage to their legacy, but also sends a powerful message to your child about the values of strength, courage, and resilience.
Whether you choose a name from this list or find inspiration elsewhere, may your child's name be a source of pride and inspiration throughout their life, and a reminder of the incredible women who have come before them.
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